BLACK
SWAN-Class
Sloop ordered from William Denny of
Dumbarton under the 1940 Build Programme
as
Job No 1260 (Yard No 1360) on 13th
April 1940. She was laid down on 27th
February 1941 and launched on 11th
August
1942 by the Director of the Women's
Royal Naval Service, Dame Vera Laughton-Mathews.
This ship was the fourth RN ship to
carry
the name which had been introduced in
1653. It had previously been used by a
destroyer sunk in an air attack off
Aldeburgh on 27th July 1940. Build was completed
on 4th February 1943 and the ship had
been
adopted after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign
in February 1942 by the civil community
of Knutsford
and Northwich,
Cheshire. For very obvious reasons
this ship was held in great regard by
the Women’s Royal Naval Service and they
maintained a great interest in all her
activities during WW2.
B
a t t
l e
H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1939-40* - NORWAY 1940* -
ATLANTIC 1943-45
- BISCAY 1943-44 - NORMANDY 1944
- ARCTIC 1944
(*
Awarded to ship lost in 1940)
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue, a Wren on a branch, all Gold.
M
o t t
o
Ex parvulis magna:
'From small things develop
great'
D e t a i
l s o f W
a r S e r v i
c e
(for
more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search
1
9 4 3
January
Contractors trials
February
Commissioned for service in 2nd Escort
Group
(Note: This Group was commanded by the
renowned Captain F J Walker
the
most
distinguished of all U-Boat ‘killers’
during WW2.
For details see RELENTLESS PURSUIT by D E
Weymss.)
4th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials
On completion of trials and storing took
passage to Tobermory for work-up.
(Note: Captain Walker also conducted
exercises with all newly joined ships to
his command.)
March
5th
Joined 2nd Escort Group which was deployed
as a Support Group and deployed for
support of
convoys under threat of attacks and to
supplement escort of other Atlantic
convoys.
16th
Deployed with HM Sloop WOODPECKER for
escort of joint military convoy KMF11 to
Gibraltar and WS28 to Freetown and joined
HM Destroyers BADSWORTH, DOUGLAS,
EGGESFORD, GOATHLAND, WHADDON and Polish
destroyer ORP KRAKOWIAK in Clyde.
21st
Detached from joint convoy when KMF11 as
escort for passage to Gibraltar.
24th
Resumed Atlantic support and convoy defence duties with Group.
For
details of anti-submarine operations in
defence and support of convoys in
the
Atlantic
see
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO), THE
BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D
Macintyre, CONVOY ESCORT COMMANDER by P
Gretton and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR
by C Blair.).
April
Deployed
with Group in support of passage of
convoys in Atlantic and based at
Liverpool.
May
Supported
transit of Convoy ONS8 and HX 240.
June
Transferred
with Group to Devonport to take part in
joint offensive with RAF
Coastal
Command
against U-Boats crossing Bay of Biscay on
passage to and from
Atlantic
(Operations MUSKETRY and SEASLUG.)
(For details see
BATTLE OVER THE BAY by N Franks).
Deployed
with HM Sloops STARLING, WILD GOOSE, KITE
and WOODPECKER.
(Note: Cover against interference by
German surface warships was provided by HM
Cruiser
SCYLLA.)
14th
Rescued
survivors from U607 sunk on 13th by
Sunderland of 228 Squadron RAF.
24th
Sank
U449 with HM Sloops WILD GOOSE, KITE and
WOODPECKER in position 45.00 N
11.59 W with no survivors.
July
Bay
of Biscay operations in continuation.
13th
Rescued survivors from U607 sunk by
Sunderland aircraft of 228 Squadron RAF
and landed
them at Plymouth.
30th
Sank U504 with HM Sloops WILD GOOSE, KITE
and WOODPECKER in position 45.33 N
10.47 W with no survivors.
(For details of all U-Boat sinkings, see
U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR.)
August
1st
Rescued six of crew of Sunderland from 10
Squadron RAAF which had been forced to
ditch
after being damaged during attacks which
sank U454
September
Bay of Biscay operations in continuation
Increased enemy air support for U-Boats on
passage was being
provided and
ship came under
several sustained attacks. See references
above.
21st
Returned to Liverpool with Group after end
of fifth patrol.
October
Withdrawn from operations for refit at
Avonmouth.
15th
Taken in hand for refit.
November
Under refit.
December
15th
On completion worked-up at Tobermory for
further convoy escort duty.
1
9 4 4
January
Rejoined Group and deployed in support
role south of Iceland against U – Boat
assemblies for
attacks on convoys.
February
Deployed west of Ireland with Group.
7th
Supported merged Convoy SL147/MKS38 under
threat from IGEL group.
15th
Deployed to reinforce 3rd British Escort
Group escorting Convoy HX278 north of
the
Azores
through area under threat by known
assembly of U-Boats.
(See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR.)
17th
Transferred to join 7th Escort Group in
defence of Convoy ON224 under attacks
by
HAI
group
of U-Boats.
During the anti-submarine operations which
lasted for two days H M S WOODPECKER and
HMS STARLING sank U264, the first
SCHNORKEL-fitted U-Boat.
(For additional details of development and
use of weapons see SEEK AND STRIKE
by W
Hackmann, RADAR AT SEA by D Hawse and
above references.)
March
Transferred with Group for duty with Home
Fleet In defence of Russian Convoys.
29th
Joined Russian Convoy JW58 escort with HM
Sloops MAGPIE, WILD GOOSE, STARLING
and WHIMBREL of to supplement A/S defence
during passage to Kola Inlet.
Sank U961 which was on independent passage
to Atlantic in position 64.31 N
03.19 W with
no survivors.
(Note: This convoy included USS MILWAUKEE
being handed over to Russian Navy.
For details of all Russian Convoy
operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA
Ruegg,
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield,
CONVOY! by P Kemp, and ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
April
2nd
U-boat attacks by THOR, BLITZ and HAMMER
groups which lasted till 3rd were
unsuccessful.
4th
Detached from JW58.
7th
Provided A/S support for returning Convoy
RA58 with ships of Group, four Fleet
destroyers
and
two
corvettes.
14th
Detached from RA58 after uninterrupted
passage on arrival at Loch Ewe.
May
Deployed with Group and A/S aircraft from
HM Escort Carrier VINDEX for escort and
support
of Atlantic convoys.
5th
Sank U473 with HMS STARLING and WS WILD
GOOSE in position 49.29N 21.22W after
U-Boat wireless
signals detected and revealed bearing of
submarine.
June
Nominated for duty in support of allied
landings in Normandy.
(Operation NEPTUNE - For details of naval
activities prior to and during this
assault see
OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards, LANDINGS
IN NORMANDY, June 1944
(HMSO)
and D-DAY SHIPS by J de Winser for
information about all mercantiles and
warships
involved.)
4th
Deployed with HMS STARLING and HMS WILD
GOOSE in Western Approaches to carry
out
anti-submarine operations to prevent
U-Boat attacks against invasion convoys.
27th
On released from NEPTUNE operations
returned to Liverpool.
July
8th
Resumed escort and support duty in SW
Approaches with Group.
August
10th
Sank U608 with LIBERATOR of 53 Squadron
RAF in position 46.30N 03.08W during
passage
back to Liverpool at end of patrol.
Nominated for refit
September
Under refit at Falmouth.
October
On completion of post refit trials
deployed in SW
Approaches for support and escort of
coastal
convoys against
attacks by SCHNORKEL fitted U-Boats.
(See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett and above references.)
20th
Taken in hand for refit in Humber shipyard
November
Under refit
to
Allocated for duty with 22nd Escort Group.
December
December
1
9 4 5
January
27th
On completion of post refit trials joined
Group for escort and support duty in SW
Approaches
February
Deployed with HM Sloops HART, AMETHYST,
MAGPIE, PEACOCK and HM Frigate LOCH
to
CRAGGIE for convoy defence in SW
Approaches and Irish Sea.
March
Nominated for service in British Pacific
Fleet after refit.
April
Under refit at commercial shipyard in
Cardiff.
May
Based at Rosyth for convoy defence in
North Sea.
10th
Prepared for foreign service at Rosyth.
June
Deployed at Rosyth
to
July
August
Service in
Pacific cancelled.
P o s t W a r N o t
e s
HMS
WREN Paid-off and was reduced to Reserve
status after the end
of hostilities and was brought, forward
in 1946 and re-commissioned
for service in the Persian Gulf. The
ship continued duties in the Middle East
until 1955 with refits in Malta and
Colombo during that period. She returned
to finally Pay off at
Portsmouth in June 1955. Placed on the
Disposal List she was sold to BISCO
for demolition by Shipbreaking
Industries at Charlestown and towed to
the
Forth. The ship arrived at the breakers
yard on 2nd February 1956.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
WREN
by
Don Kindell
This
convoy list has not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
15/03/43
|
15/03/43
|
KMF
011
|
23/03/43
|
23/03/43
|
25/03/43
|
26/03/43
|
MKF
011
|
05/04/43
|
05/04/43
|
24/04/43
|
01/05/43
|
HX
236
|
05/05/43
|
09/05/43
|
07/05/43
|
12/05/43
|
ONS
007
|
21/05/43
|
25/05/43
|
26/05/43
|
29/05/43
|
SC
132
|
11/06/43
|
11/06/43
|
22/09/43
|
30/09/43
|
HX
258
|
02/10/43
|
06/10/43
|
13/01/44
|
13/01/44
|
TU
006
|
14/01/44
|
24/01/44
|
06/01/44
|
18/01/44
|
HX
274
|
20/01/44
|
21/01/44
|
12/01/44
|
21/01/44
|
SL
145MK
|
22/01/44
|
24/01/44
|
24/01/44
|
25/01/44
|
ON
221
|
25/01/44
|
11/02/44
|
30/01/44
|
04/02/44
|
ON
222
|
05/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
02/02/44
|
07/02/44
|
SL
147MK
|
12/02/44
|
13/02/44
|
05/02/44
|
14/02/44
|
HX
278
|
17/02/44
|
20/02/44
|
14/02/44
|
18/02/44
|
ON
224
|
19/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
13/03/44
|
17/03/44
|
ONS
031
|
19/03/44
|
30/03/44
|
27/03/44
|
29/03/44
|
JW
058
|
04/04/44
|
04/04/44
|
07/04/44
|
07/04/44
|
RA
058
|
14/04/44
|
14/04/44
|
29/09/44
|
30/09/44
|
ONS
033
|
02/10/44
|
14/10/44
|
14/10/44
|
15/10/44
|
ONS
034
|
17/10/44
|
01/11/44
|
29/10/44
|
30/10/44
|
ONS
035
|
01/11/44
|
15/11/44
|
05/02/45
|
06/02/45
|
ON
283
|
unknown
|
27/02/45
|
06/02/45
|
07/02/45
|
OS
109KM
|
09/02/45
|
10/02/45
|
07/02/45
|
unknown
|
HX
337
|
unknown
|
21/02/45
|
23/02/45
|
unknown
|
HX
340
|
unknown
|
10/03/45
|
28/02/45
|
unknown
|
HX
341
|
unknown
|
15/03/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)