Modified BLACK SWAN-Class Sloop ordered from
Yarrow at Scotstoun under 1940 Build Programme on
10th September 1941 for the Royal Indian Navy. This ship was laid down on 14th
July 1942 and launched on 22nd April 1943 by Mrs Godfrey as the 1st RIN ship to
carry the name. During her build, which was completed on 26th August 1943.
Radar Type 272 for surface warning and Type 285 for main armament fire-control
were installed.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1943 -BURMA 1944-45
H e
r a l d i c D
a t a
Not
listed in Royal Navy official List
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
August
Contractor's
sea trials and commissioning.
26th - Accepted
into service in Royal Indian Navy.
September
Worked-up in NW
Approaches for escort duties. (Note: Defects
to be repaired before operational service.)
October
Under repair at
Londonderry
28th - Joined
40th Escort Group on completion for deployment at Greenock for escort of OS Series outward convoys and inward SL Series
convoys on UK-West Africa route
November
Passage with OS
convoy and detached to take passage to Gibraltar.
13th - Sailed
from Gibraltar as escort for inward Convoy MKS139 during passage to Liverpool.
16th - Transferred
to escort for Convoy SL139 when ships and escort of MKS139 merged to form joint convoy.
Convoy
sighted by German aircraft and U-BOAT Group SCHILL formed to establish three Patrol Lines for concentrated attacks on this large
convoy of over 60 mercantiles.
18th - Under
attacks by U Boats of SCHILL group which were repelled by escorts. (Note: HM Sloop CHANTICLEER was hit by a torpedo from
U515 and sustained major damage. She was
able to remain afloat and went to the Azores where she was found beyond economic repair for further service.)
21st - Under
air attacks by Hs 233 Glider bombs during which one mercantile was sunk and another damaged.
26th - Detached
from escort on arrival at Liverpool. (Note:
For full details of the passage of this convoy see HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO) and U333 by
P Kremer.
This German failure to carry out a
successful operation with a large number of
ships
and aircraft was a significant milestone in the Battle of the Atlantic.)
December
Deployed with
Group for Atlantic convoy defence. Nominated
for service with RIN in Indian Ocean and prepared for passage.
1 9 4 4
January
2nd - Sailed
from Clyde as part of escort for joint Convoy KMS36 to Port Said and OS62 to Freetown.
7th - Detached
from OS62 with escort to KMS62 mercantiles destined for Port Said.
13th - Detached
from escort for KMS36 on arrival at Port Said
Passage
to Aden
February
Escorted Convoy
AB30 during passage from Aden to Bombay.
15th - Detached
fromAB30 on arrival at Bombay and joined Eastern Fleet.
March
Deployed for
escort of convoys between Bombay, Persian Gulf and Aden.
April
12th - Transferred
to convoy escort between Bombay, Colombo and Calcutta.
May
Escorted supply
convoys from Calcutta to Chittagong in support of the military operations in Burma.
29th - Deployed
for escort of convoys between Calcutta and Colombo.
June
Transferred to
Bombay for escort and patrol duty in Indian Ocean.
July to November
Indian Ocean
deployment in continuation. Nominated for
support of military operations in Burma
December
Deployed with
HM Sloop FLAMINGO, HM Indian Sloops JUMNA and
NARBADA
as a Support Group for support of advance by Indian Division down the Mayu Peninsula in Burma
(Operation
ROMULUS - See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN ( HMSO)
1 9 4 5
January
Deployed with
HM Cruiser PHOEBE, HM Destroyer RAPID and HM Sloop FLAMINGO for support of landings by British 4th and Indian 71st
Divisions in northern part of Ramree Island
(Operation MATADOR)
18th to 20th - Provided
naval gunfire support off Ramree Island during MATADOR.
(See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton, OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray, and
WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO) for details of Eastern Fleet
activities in 1945, including Operation DRACULA.)
February
Escort and
support duties in continuation, Nominated for
refit
March
Under refit in
Bombay
April
On completion
of post refit trials returned to Trincomalee.
Prepared
for support of landings in Burma.
27th - Part of
escort for assault landings by 26th Indian Division at Rangoon with HM Indian
Sloops
CAUVERY, NARBADA, GODAVARI, SUTLEJ
and HINDUSTAN.
(Operation DRACULA - See above
references)
May
Support and
patrol duties in continuation.
June
15th - Deployed
on patrol duty between Andamans and mainland for interception of supply and evacuation craft with HM Frigate LOSSIE, HM Indian
Sloops CAUVERY, GODAVARI and NARBADA.
July
Deployed on
patrol duty in Malacca Strait during minesweeping operations. (Operation COLLIE – See references.).
August
Preparation for
final landings on coast of Malaya (Operation ZIPPER).
(Note:
This operation was planned to take place on 27th August after delay in approval
from the
War Office due to implementation of
the PYTHON Release Scheme for long serving
personnel
in SEAC. See references and Final Report by SEAC Supreme Commander (HMSO).)
Deployed on
patrol in support of planned landings.
25th - Landings
further delayed at US insistence. (See above references).
Deployed for escort of assault convoy. (For details of all mercantiles and warships involved
in ZIPPER see BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de
Winser.)
September
At Penang after
Japanese surrender and returned to Bombay for RIN duties.
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMIS KISTNA was transferred to the Indian Navy after partition
in 1947 and renamed INS KRISNA. The ship was part of
the 12th Frigate Squadron for many years and used for training
duties before being relegated for non-operational
duties. She finally Paid off in 1981 and sold
for breaking-up in India.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMIS
KISTNA
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No. |
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
27/10/43
|
28/10/43
|
OS 057KM
|
09/11/43
|
09/11/43
|
09/11/43
|
09/11/43
|
KMS 031G
|
10/11/43
|
10/11/43
|
13/11/43
|
13/11/43
|
MKS 030G
|
16/11/43
|
16/11/43
|
16/11/43
|
16/11/43
|
SL 139MK
|
24/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
15/12/43
|
16/12/43
|
OS 062KM
|
02/01/44
|
02/01/44
|
02/01/44
|
02/01/44
|
KMS 036G
|
03/01/44
|
03/01/44
|
03/01/44
|
03/01/44
|
KMS 036
|
13/01/44
|
13/01/44
|
07/02/44
|
07/02/44
|
AB 030
|
15/02/44
|
15/02/44
|
22/02/44
|
22/02/44
|
BP 107
|
28/02/44
|
28/02/44
|
01/03/44
|
01/03/44
|
PA 071
|
09/03/44
|
09/03/44
|
10/03/44
|
10/03/44
|
AB 034
|
18/03/44
|
18/03/44
|
25/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
BM 090B
|
08/04/44
|
08/04/44
|
09/04/44
|
12/04/44
|
HC 053
|
13/04/44
|
10/04/44
|
13/04/44
|
13/04/44
|
CH 023
|
14/04/44
|
14/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
HC 055
|
19/04/44
|
19/04/44
|
20/04/44
|
20/04/44
|
CH 025
|
21/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
02/05/44
|
02/05/44
|
HC 060
|
09/05/44
|
09/05/44
|
06/05/44
|
06/05/44
|
CH 030
|
07/05/44
|
07/05/44
|
09/05/44
|
09/05/44
|
HC 062
|
11/05/44
|
11/05/44
|
12/05/44
|
12/05/44
|
CH 032
|
13/05/44
|
13/05/44
|
29/05/44
|
29/05/44
|
CH 033B
|
31/05/44
|
31/05/44
|
08/06/44
|
08/06/44
|
CJ 030A
|
14/06/44
|
14/06/44
|
21/08/44
|
21/08/44
|
BA 077
|
26/08/44
|
26/08/44
|
15/09/44
|
15/09/44
|
ABF 004
|
20/09/44
|
20/09/44
|
27/09/44
|
27/09/44
|
BAF 005
|
02/10/44
|
02/10/44
|
19/01/45
|
19/01/45
|
MATADOR
|
21/01/45
|
21/01/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)