Modified
BLACK
SWAN-class Sloop ordered from Denny at Dumbarton
under 1941 Build Programme on 19th
December 1941. The ship was laid down on
25th March 1942 and launched on 27th May
1943 by Miss Grange as the 9th RN snip
to carry the name. It had been
introduced in 1793 for the Prize PERLE,
and last borne by a cruiser built
in 1903 and
sold in 1920. Build was completed on 2nd
November 1943. An anti-submarine ahead
throwing mortar (HEDGEHOG) and a centimetric
surface
warning radar (Type 273) as well as a
standard fire control radar (Type 285)
were fitted during build.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
SCHELDT
1809 - CHINA
1856-60 - CEREBERE Action 1800 -
THETIS Action
1808 - NIEMEN Action 1809 - ASHANTEE
1873-74 - SHAH and HUASCAR
Actions 1877
- HELIGOLAND
1914 - DARDANELLES 1915 - KOREA 1951-52*
(*
Awarded for
UN service)
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue, a
winged anchor gold
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
October
Commissioning and Contractors trials
November
2nd
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
Passage to Tobermory on completion of
trials and
storing.
Worked up at Tobermory for convoy
defence.
December
Joined 47th Escort Group at Greenock for
Atlantic convoy escort duty.
1
9 4 4
January
Part of escort for Convoy KMF38 to
Gibraltar and returned with Convoy
MKF28.
February
Nominated for duty in Mediterranean and
took passage to Gibraltar.
Joined 37th Escort Group on arrival.
March
Deployed for escort of convoys through
Mediterranean to Port Said.
April
Mediterranean convoy escort in
continuation.
30th
Joined US Task Force 64 to supplement
escort for military convoy UGS36 with HM
Cruiser COLOMBO, Dutch Frigate JOHANN
MARITS VAN NASSAU, HM Sloops
BLACK SWAN, DEPTFORD, Dutch Sloop FRISO
and HM Corvette CAMPION.
Under submarine and air
attack
May
Mediterranean convoy defence in
continuation.
to
October
November
15th
Taken in hand for refit at Devonport.
December
Under refit at Devonport.
1
9 4 5
January
On completion of post refit trials
joined 22nd Escort Group based at
Liverpool.
Deployed for escort and support of North
Atlantic convoys.
16th
Shared credit for the sinking of U482
with HM Sloops PEACOCK, HART, STARLING
and HM Frigate LOCH CRAGGIE in position
55.30N, 05.53W.
There were no survivors from the
submarine.
(Note: This submarine had
torpedoed and damaged HM Escort Carrier
THANE in North
Channel
earlier. She was declared a total
loss.
See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)
(Update: The
attacked target is now listed as a non-sub
target. U.482 had been sunk on 25
November 1944 in 60.18N, 04.52W by HM
Frigate ASCENSION. HMS THANE's attacker
was U.1172, not U.482 (thanks to
Michael Pocock and Uboat.net).)
February
Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
20th
Sank U1208 in position 51.43N 07.07W (SW
Approaches - St Georges Channel) in
defence
of Convoy HX337. There
were no survivors.
(See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)
(Note: Atlantic convoys had been
diverted to Irish Sea and English
Channel in
early
1945
after threat of air attack had been
removed - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C
Barnett and SEEK
AND
STRIKE by W Hackmann).
(Update: This
attack sank U.1276 in 51.48N, 07.07W.
U.1208 was sunk on the 27
February in the English Channel in 49.52N,
06.07W by HM Frigates DUCKWORTH and
ROWLEY (thanks to Michael Pocock and
Uboat.net).)
March
Convoy defence in SW Approaches and UK
coastal convoys in continuation.
to
April
May
Nominated for service in Far East.
15th
Taken in hand for refit at Devonport.
June
Under refit and prepared for service
with British Pacific Fleet.
On completion took passage to join Fleet
in Pacific.
July
Joined BPF at Manus.
Deployed as escort for British Fleet
Train with US 3rd Fleet.
August
Fleet Train duties in continuation.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS AMETHYST reverted to RN
control after VJ Day and joined 32nd
Escort Group of BPF. She was deployed
for
patrol and support of repatriation and
occupation operations. On 6th September
1945 she was present at Rabaul
for the surrender of
Japanese forces in the Bismarck Islands.
The ship
refitted in New Zealand in early 1946
and then rejoined
the Fleet at Hong Kong. She remained in
the Far East and
achieved some renown when she escaped
from Chinese detention and sailed down
the Yangtse
River to rejoin the Fleet. The ship
returned to UK for refit in
1950.Re-commissioned for further
service in the Far
East until 1952 she was finally
Paid-off and went in Reserve. She was
placed on
the Disposal List but before being
broken up at Plymouth was used for the
making of the film YANGTSE
INCIDENT to record her
famous escape. However during filming
she was holed by an explosive charge
and
had to be withdrawn from use. The ship
was sold to BISCO
on 18th January 1957 for demolition at
Plymouth by Demmelweek
and Redding and arrived in tow at the
breaker’s
yard the next day.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
AMETHYST
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
15/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
KMF
028
|
26/01/44
|
29/01/44
|
20/01/44
|
28/01/44
|
MKF
028
|
29/01/44
|
07/02/44
|
09/02/44
|
10/02/44
|
MKS
040
|
21/02/44
|
21/02/44
|
25/02/44
|
25/02/44
|
KMS
042
|
06/03/44
|
06/03/44
|
15/03/44
|
25/03/44
|
GUS
034
|
26/03/44
|
14/04/44
|
14/03/44
|
30/03/44
|
UGS
036
|
09/04/44
|
09/04/44
|
14/04/44
|
14/04/44
|
GUS
037
|
21/04/44
|
11/05/44
|
03/04/44
|
23/04/44
|
UGS
038
|
29/04/44
|
28/04/44
|
14/05/44
|
14/05/44
|
GUS
040
|
22/05/44
|
09/06/44
|
03/05/44
|
25/05/44
|
UGS
041
|
28/05/44
|
30/05/44
|
13/05/44
|
02/06/44
|
UGS
042
|
07/06/44
|
09/06/44
|
28/05/44
|
03/06/44
|
KMS
051
|
08/06/44
|
09/06/44
|
18/06/44
|
19/06/44
|
MKS
053
|
29/06/44
|
29/06/44
|
04/07/44
|
04/07/44
|
KMS
055
|
14/07/44
|
14/07/44
|
24/07/44
|
25/07/44
|
GUS
047
|
31/07/44
|
18/08/44
|
14/07/44
|
02/08/44
|
UGS
048
|
07/08/44
|
08/08/44
|
17/08/44
|
18/08/44
|
MKS
059
|
28/08/44
|
28/08/44
|
04/09/44
|
04/09/44
|
KMS
061
|
14/09/44
|
14/09/44
|
12/01/45
|
13/01/45
|
ONS
040
|
14/01/45
|
30/01/45
|
16/01/45
|
29/01/45
|
SC
165
|
29/01/45
|
31/01/45
|
07/02/45
|
unknown
|
HX
337
|
unknown
|
21/02/45
|
21/02/45
|
22/02/45
|
ON
286
|
22/02/45
|
09/03/45
|
07/03/45
|
10/03/45
|
OS
115KM
|
11/03/45
|
16/03/45
|
10/03/45
|
10/03/45
|
KMS
089G
|
11/03/45
|
16/03/45
|
06/03/45
|
12/03/45
|
MKS
087G
|
14/03/45
|
14/03/45
|
29/03/45
|
unknown
|
HX
347
|
unknown
|
14/04/45
|
03/04/45
|
unknown
|
HX
348
|
unknown
|
20/04/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)