HMS Starling (U66)

HMS Starling (U66) was a Modified Black Swan-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company at Govan, Scotland, launched on 14 October 1942, and commissioned on 1 April 1943.

In the Second Battle of the Atlantic in World War II, Starling was the flagship of Captain Frederick John Walker's Second Support Group, a flotilla of six sloops not tied down to convoy protection, but free to hunt down U-boats wherever found. The other ships of the group were Cygnet, Kite, Wild Goose, Woodpecker, and Wren.

Starling participated in the sinking of fifteen U-boats

U-202 was sunk south-east of Cape Farewell, Greenland, by depth charges and gunfire from Starling on 2 June 1943.
U-119 was sunk in the Bay of Biscay by Starling on 24 June 1943.
U-226 was sunk east of Newfoundland by Starling, Woodcock and Kite on 6 November 1943.
U-842 was sunk by Starling and Wild Goose on 6 November 1943.
U-592 was sunk south-west of Ireland by Starling, Wild Goose and Magpie on 31 January 1944.
U-734 was sunk south-west of Ireland by Wild Goose and Starling on 9 February 1944.
U-238 was sunk south-west of Ireland by Kite, Magpie and Starling on 9 February 1944.
U-264 was sunk by Woodpecker and Starling on 19 February 1944.
U-653 was sunk by a Fairey Swordfish from the escort carrier Vindex, Starling and Wild Goose on 15 March 1944.
U-961 was sunk east of Iceland by Starling on 29 March 1944.
U-473 was sunk south-west of Ireland by Starling, Wren and Wild Goose on 6 May 1944.
U-333 was sunk west of the Scilly Isles by Starling and the frigate Loch Killin on 31 July 1944.
U-736 was sunk in Bay of Biscay, w. of St. Nazaire, R. N. sloop STARLING and frigate LOCH KILLIN, 6 August 1944.
U-385 was sunk in the Bay of Biscay by Starling and a Shorts Sunderland plane on 11 August 1944.
U-482 was sunk in the North Channel, R.N. sloops AMETHYST, PEACOCK, HART, STARLING, and frigate LOCH CRAGGIE, 16 January 1945.

Starling was scrapped in 1965.

See HMS Starling for other ships of this name.