HMT Celia was a Shakespearian-class naval trawler launched in late 1940, built by Cochrane & Sons Ltd in Selby, Yorkshire. She measured approximately 165 feet (50 meters) in length and displaced around 545 long tons (554 metric tons). Designed primarily for minesweeping operations during World War II, she had a crew complement of about 35 personnel. Her armament typically included a 12-pounder (76 mm) quick-firing low-angle gun and three 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons, mounted on single turrets, providing her with basic defensive capabilities suitable for convoy escort duties. Celia was powered by a single boiler and triple expansion steam machinery, generating roughly 950 indicated horsepower (710 kW) to a single shaft, which allowed her to reach a maximum speed of approximately 12 knots (22 km/h). She was ordered by Amos & Smith on December 12, 1939, with her keel laid on May 25, 1940, and launched on September 15, 1940. She was commissioned into service on January 12, 1941, bearing the pennant number T134. Throughout her wartime service, Celia participated in numerous convoy escort missions across the Atlantic and Arctic routes. Notable escort duties included Convoy EN 66 from Methil to Oban, Convoy WN 97 from the Clyde to Methil, and multiple Arctic convoys such as PQ 13 and UR 23, which delivered supplies to the Soviet Union. She was involved in escorting convoys departing from and arriving at key ports like Liverpool, Arkhangelsk, and Reykjavík, demonstrating her role in critical supply and troop movements during the war. After the war concluded, Celia was sold into merchant service in 1946. Her service record highlights her importance as a versatile and reliable vessel in the Allied naval efforts, particularly in safeguarding vital convoys across treacherous waters during World War II.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.