THE MOST POWERFUL ACOUSTIC LABORATORY IN EUROPE, A955 “EUPEN” IS BELGIAN
The most advanced naval ship of NATO's naval fleet is the A955 ‘Eupen’
He has just made a stop in Brussels on the Wilbrouck Canal.
Since 1961 it has been the most powerful floating acoustic laboratory in Europe.
As part of the NATO program, this ship's mission is to detect mines in the event of conflict.
His technicians have on several occasions participated in research work with the Calypso of the French Navy,
and Cousteau, his commander on board the same ship, has made frequent use of Eupen in his latest works.
![A955 Eupen (ex Eureka) - Page 5 A95510](https://i.servimg.com/u/f16/18/63/14/44/a95510.jpg)
ex-BYMS-1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper:
• Laid down 25 February 1942 as BYMS-11 by Associated Shipbuilders, Seattle, WA
• Launched 30 April 1942
• Completed 20 September 1942
• Transferred to Great Britain 21 September 1942
• Commissioned HMS J-811, 24 September 1942
• Reclassified HMS BYMS-2011
• Struck from the Naval Register 10 June 1947
• Returned to U.S. custody 7 July 1947
Naval Vessel Register of 1 January 1949 lists transfer to the State Department, Foreign Liquidation Commission as June 1947
• Sold 7 July 1947 to J. Bartolo of Malta and named Young Joe
• Sold in 1949 to S. L. Mizzi of Malta
• Sold in 1951 to Brufina of Brussels, Belgium
• and renamed Eureka
• Sold in 1956 to the Belgium Navy as Eureka (QM 900)
• Renamed/reclassified Eupen (A 955) in 1961
• Sold for scrap 12 August 1966 to Van Heyghen of Ghent, Belgium.
Specifications:
• Displacement 270 t.
• Length 136'
• Beam 24' 6"
• Draft 8'
• Speed 15 kts.
• Complement 32
• Armament: One 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, two 20mm mounts and two depth charge projectiles
• Propulsion: Two 880bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines, Snow and Knobstedt single reduction gear, two shafts.