.gif)
HMS Black Swan (L57)
Encyclopedia
HMS Black Swan (Pennant Numbers L57, U57, later F57), named after the Black Swan
, was the name ship of the Black Swan-class
of sloop
s of the British Royal Navy
. This class was admired for its sea-going qualities. She was laid down by Yarrow Shipbuilders
on 20 June 1938, launched on 7 July 1939, and commissioned on 27 January 1940.
On 2 April 1943 Black Swan and the corvette
sank the top-scoring U-boat
U-124 off the coast of Portugal
.
During 1943, HMS Black Swan for a short time saw action near Iceland to provide escort against the U-Boat threat. After which she served in the Mediterranean, on Malta and Adriatic convoy protection duties. From there, HMS Black Swan passed through the Suez Canal en-route to the Asia / Far East and Pacific theatres against the Japanese forces. The ship was on active duties as far as Australia and the Philippine Islands.
At the cease of hostilities in 1945, HMS Black Swan followed the cruiser into Shanghai
and were the first Royal Navy warships to liberate the British concentration camps run by the Japanese.
In 1949 she took part in the Yangtze Incident
, when she, with others went to aid of HMS Amethyst. Black Swan suffered 12 men wounded, and severe damage to her superstructure in a fierce engagement with Chinese batteries, and fell back. Overall the failed relief effort cost 46 killed and 64 injured. HMS Black Swan also served in the Korean War
and was involved in the Battle of Chumonchin Chan.
HMS Black Swan was scrapped in 1956 at Troon in Scotland.
Black Swan
The Black Swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic...
, was the name ship of the Black Swan-class
Black Swan class sloop
The Black Swan class and Modified Black Swan class were two classes of sloop of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy. Thirteen Black Swans were launched between 1939 and 1943, including four for the Royal Indian Navy; twenty-four Modified Black Swans were launched between 1942 and 1945, including...
of sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
s of the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. This class was admired for its sea-going qualities. She was laid down by Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Limited , often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde...
on 20 June 1938, launched on 7 July 1939, and commissioned on 27 January 1940.
On 2 April 1943 Black Swan and the corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
sank the top-scoring U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
U-124 off the coast of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
During 1943, HMS Black Swan for a short time saw action near Iceland to provide escort against the U-Boat threat. After which she served in the Mediterranean, on Malta and Adriatic convoy protection duties. From there, HMS Black Swan passed through the Suez Canal en-route to the Asia / Far East and Pacific theatres against the Japanese forces. The ship was on active duties as far as Australia and the Philippine Islands.
At the cease of hostilities in 1945, HMS Black Swan followed the cruiser into Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and were the first Royal Navy warships to liberate the British concentration camps run by the Japanese.
In 1949 she took part in the Yangtze Incident
HMS Amethyst (U16)
HMS Amethyst was a Modified Black Swan-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Alexander Stephens and Sons of Linthouse, Govan Scotland on 25 March 1942, launched on 7 May 1943 and commissioned on 2 November 1943, with the pennant number U16...
, when she, with others went to aid of HMS Amethyst. Black Swan suffered 12 men wounded, and severe damage to her superstructure in a fierce engagement with Chinese batteries, and fell back. Overall the failed relief effort cost 46 killed and 64 injured. HMS Black Swan also served in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and was involved in the Battle of Chumonchin Chan.
HMS Black Swan was scrapped in 1956 at Troon in Scotland.