HMAS Swan in 1945 |
|
| Career (Australia) | |
|---|---|
| Namesake: | Swan River |
| 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" |
| Honours and awards: |
Battle honours: Darwin 1942 Pacific 1941-45 New Guinea 1943-44 Plus one inherited battle honour |
| Fate: | Sold for scrap |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Grimbsy class sloop |
| Displacement: | 1,060 tons (standard), 1,500 tons (full load) |
| Length: | 266 ft 3 in (81.15 m) |
| Beam: | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Draught: | 7.5 to 10 ft (2.3 to 3.0 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons turbines, 2,000 shp (1,500 kW), 2 shafts |
| Speed: | 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) |
| Complement: | 135 peace, 160 war |
| Armament: |
3 x QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk V anti-aircraft guns |
HMAS Swan (U74/F74/A427), named for the Swan River, was a Grimsby class sloop of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) that served during World War II.
Contents |
The Grimsby class consisted of thirteen sloops, four of which were built in Australia for the RAN. Swan, one of the first pair, had a displacement of 1,060 tons at standard load and 1,500 tons at full load, was 266 feet 3 inches (81.15 m) long, had a beam of 36 feet (11 m), and a draught of between 7.5 and 10 feet (2.3 and 3.0 m) depending on load.[2] Propulsion machinery consisted of two Admiralty 3-drum boilers connected to Parsons geared turbines, which delivered 2,000 shaft horsepower (1,500 kW) to the sloop's two propeller shafts.[2] Maximum speed was 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).[2] The ship's company in peacetime consisted of 135 officers and sailors; this increased to 160 during the war.[2]
Swan's initial armament consisted of three QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk V anti-aircraft guns. From 1944, this was increased to four QF 4 inch Mk XVI guns in 2 twin mounts,[3] four[ [Ordnance QF 3 pounder Vickers|QF 3 pounder guns]], a machine gun, two depth charge throwers, and two twin 21-inch torpedo tube sets.
Swan was laid down by the Cockatoo Island Dockyard at Sydney, New South Wales on 1 May 1935. She was launched on 28 March 1936, and commissioned into the RAN on 21 January 1937.
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. From late 1945 to August 1948 she was used to command the RAN's minesweeping operation in Australian and New Guinean waters.
The ship received three battle honours for her wartime service: "Darwin 1942", "Pacific 1941-45", and "New Guinea 1943-44".[4][5]
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.
|
||||||||||||||