HMAS Swan (U 74)

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For other ships of this name, see HMAS Swan.

Career (Australia)
HMAS Swan in 1945
Builder:	Cockatoo Island Dockyard
Laid down:	1 May 1935
Launched:	28 March 1936
Commissioned:	21 January 1937
Decommissioned:	20 September 1962
Reclassified:	Training ship (1956-1962)
Motto:	"Forward"
Fate:	Sold for scrap
General characteristics
Displacement:	1,060 tons (standard), 1,515 tons (full load)
Length:	266 ft (81 m)
Beam:	36 ft (11 m)
Draught:	7 ft 6 in (2.3 m)
Propulsion:	Parsons, steam turbines, 2 shafts. 2,000 shp
Speed:	16.5 knots
Complement:	135
Armament:	3 x 4 inch Anti-aircraft guns (from 1944: 5 x 4 inch guns), 4 x 3 pounder guns, 1 x MG, 2 x Depth Charge Throwers, 2 x twin tubes for 21 inch torpedoes

HMAS Swan (U 74, later F 74, later A 427), the second ship to bear that name, was a Grimsby class sloop of the Royal Australian Navy that served during World War II. She was laid down by the Cockatoo Island Dockyard at Sydney in New South Wales on 1 May 1935, launched on 28 March 1936 and commissioned on 21 January 1937.

[edit] Operational history

Swan served as an escort and patrol vessel during World War II and escorted many convoys in Australian waters and the South-West Pacific. Swan was damaged during the first air raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942. General Eather, GOC Australian 11th Division, accepted the surrender of Japanese forces in New Ireland from General Ito on board Swan on 18 September 1945. Swan paid off to reserve on 18 August 1950, was converted to a training ship between October 1954 and February 1956 and recommissioned on 10 February 1956. Swan paid off for disposal on 20 September 1962 and was sold for scrap to Hurley and Dewhurst of Sydney on 5 June 1964.

[edit] Bibliography

Warships of Australia, Ross Gillett, Illustrations Colin Graham, Rigby Limited, 1977, ISBN 0-7270-0472-7

4-in twin Mk XVI gun of HMAS Swan

[edit] See also

v • d • e Grimsby class sloop

Royal Navy	Grimsby · Leith · Lowestoft · Wellington · Londonderry · Deptford · Aberdeen · Fleetwood

Royal Australian Navy	Yarra · *Swan* · Parramatta · Warrego

Royal Indian Navy	Indus

List of corvette and sloop classes of the Royal Navy List of major warship classes of the Royal Australian Navy List of ships of the Indian Navy