Modified BLACK SWAN-Class
Sloop ordered from Yarrow's at
Scotstoun under the 1940 Build Programme on 27th torch 1941. The ship
was laid down 0n 17th March 1942 and
launched on 21st
December 1942 by Mrs Mitchell as the 7th
RN ship to carry the
name, introduced in 1761 and last used
by a WW1 destroyer sunk in 1917. Build
was completed on 12th May 1943 and the
ship was fitted with an anti-submarine
ahead throwing mortar (HEDGEHOG) as well
as
Type 272 surface warning radar and Type
285 for fire control
of main armament.
Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign she had been
adopted by the civil community of
Runcorn Rural District
,
Lancashire, now in the county of
Cheshire.
B
a t t l e H o n o
u r s
BUENOS AIRES 1807 - SICILY
1943 - ATLANTIC 1943-44 - OKINAWA
1945
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field White, a pheasant
Proper.
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
May Contractor's
trials and commissioned for service in
7th Escort Group.
12th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion of trials and storing took
passage to Tobermory
Commenced work-up for operational
service at Tobermory.
June Transferred
to Scapa Flow to complete working-up.
12th
Joined
Group baaed at Greenock for convoy
escort duty.
28th
Deployed as escort for military Convoy
KMS18
July
Deployed
on escort of military convoys to
Mediterranean for Sicily landings.
(Operation HUSKY – For details see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett,
Naval Staff History and for information
about all mercantiles and warships
involved BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
7th
Detached from KMF18 at Bone.
9th
Part of escort for military convoy KMS19
during passage from Bone to beachhead in
Sicily.
10th
Joined
Support Force East for landings in
Sicily (Operation HUSKY).
13th
Detached from KMF19 on arrival and
deployed for convoy escort.
Grounded
of Tripoli during escort duty in
Mediterranean.
Docking deferred to enable ship to take
part in support of planned landings .
Deployed for escort and support duty
despite limitations.
On release from HUSKY took passage to UK
August
2nd
Under
repair at Clyde shipyard.
September
On completion carried out post
repair trials.
27th
Rejoined
Group for escort duty in North Atlantic.
October
Escorted
convoy to St. Johns, Newfoundland and a
returning UK convoy.
November
Deployed
with Group in the Support role with EG7
(For details of new weapons and tactics
in defence of convoys see SEEK. AND
STRIKE
by
W Hackmann, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO), THE BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by D
Macintyre and BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS
by J Terraine).
14th
Supported
Convoy MKS30/SL139 on passage to UK from
Gibraltar under attack off the
coast
of
Portugal from SCHILL Groups of U-Boats.
For details see above references and
U333 by P Cremer).
18th
Joined
escort for joint Convoy MKS30/SL139 with
HM Sloops CHANTICLEER and CRANE
and took part in search
for U515
(Note: During this anti-submarine
operation HMS CHANTICLEER was hit by an
acoustic
torpedo and badly damaged
beyond
economic
repair.)
December
1st
Taken in hand
for refit in commercial shipyard at
Newport, Mon.
1
9 4 4
January
Under refit
Nominated for duty in Mediterranean with
55th Escort Group.
24th
On completion of post refit trials
prepared for foreign service.
February
Escorted military convoy KMF28A during
passage to Gibraltar to join Group.
March
Deployed with Group for convoy escort
between Gibraltar and Port Said.
to
September
October
Passage to UK.
12th
Taken in hand for refit in commercial
shipyard at Leith.
November
Under refit
Nominated for service with Eastern Fleet
in Indian Ocean.
December
Carried out post refit trials on
completion of shipyard work.
7th
Prepared for foreign service.
20th
Joined escort for UK - Gibraltar convoy
for passage.
26th
Detached at Gibraltar for repair of
defects.
1
9 4 5
January
Under repair
Deployment changed and ship transferred
for escort duty during operations by
British Pacific
Fleet in SW Pacific.
13th
Took passage via Red Sea, Colombo and
Darwin to Join Fleet.
February
On passage in Indian Ocean.
March
5th
Joined BPF at Manus and allocated for
duty with Fleet Train for AA Defence.
17th
Deployed with HM Destroyer KEMPENFELT as
Task Unit 112.2.5 for defence of Fleet
Replenishment ships included tankers SAN
ADOLPHO, SAN AMBROSIO.
28th
Provided air defence for ships of
Replenishment Group including HM Escort
Carriers STRIKER
and SPEAKER
with HM
Sloop CRANE, HM Frigate FINDHORN, HM
Destroyers
KEMPENFELT and WHIRLWIND
(Note: Ship relieved later by HM
Destroyers QUALITY and WHELP during air
operations by
aircraft carriers of British Task Force
57 against Sakishima Gunto airfields.
For details of British Pacific Fleet
activities see THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by
John
Winton, TASK FORCE57 by Peter Smith,
OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray and WAR
WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
April
Fleet Train AA defence in continuation.
May
6th
Escorted Replenishment Group including
HM Escort Carriers RULER, STRIKER,
CHASER
and SPEAKER with HM Sloops CRANE,
WHIMBREL, HM Corvette WOODSTOCK (RCN)
and Royal Australian Navy warships
during continuation of joint RN/USN
operations against
targets in Sakishima-Gunto Islands by
Task Force 57.
June
Maintenance and leave period in
Australia.
July
Fleet train deployment in continuation.
August
15th
After VJ Day transferred to RN control
joined frigates of British Pacific Fleet
for support of
reoccupation operations and repatriation
based at Hong Kong.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS PHEASANT was deployed with
the 1st Escort Group and refitted at
Brisbane during October 1945. She then
returned to Hong Kong as part
of the 32nd Escort Group for patrol in
defence of British shipping. Later in
1946 she took passage to UK to Pay-off
and reduce to Reserve status at
Portsmouth. During 1954 she was
transferred to
the Reserve Fleet at Barry and
Lair-up for six years. By that time her
condition had deteriorated and she was
placed on the Disposal List at Plymouth
and sold to BISCO for demolition by
West of Scotland Shipbreakers at Troon.
The ship arrived in tow at the
breaker’s yard on 15th January
1963.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
PHEASANT
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
28/06/43
|
28/06/43
|
KMF
018
|
07/07/43
|
11/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
GUS
010
|
22/07/43
|
09/08/43
|
18/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
MKS
018
|
22/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
24/07/43
|
MKF
019
|
30/07/43
|
30/07/43
|
05/10/43
|
10/10/43
|
ON
205
|
13/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
05/10/43
|
14/10/43
|
HX
260
|
16/10/43
|
20/10/43
|
18/10/43
|
20/10/43
|
ON
207
|
27/10/43
|
04/11/43
|
06/11/43
|
09/11/43
|
SC
146
|
13/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
06/11/43
|
13/11/43
|
HX
265
|
16/11/43
|
21/11/43
|
16/11/43
|
18/11/43
|
SL
139MK
|
25/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
01/02/44
|
01/02/44
|
KMF
028A
|
08/02/44
|
08/02/44
|
03/02/44
|
13/02/44
|
MKF
028A
|
16/02/44
|
20/02/44
|
24/02/44
|
03/03/44
|
GUS
032
|
07/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
23/02/44
|
10/03/44
|
UGS
034
|
20/03/44
|
20/03/44
|
30/03/44
|
31/03/44
|
MKS
045
|
11/04/44
|
11/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
KMS
047
|
27/04/44
|
27/04/44
|
04/05/44
|
05/05/44
|
GUS
039
|
15/05/44
|
29/05/44
|
30/05/44
|
30/05/44
|
MKS
051
|
09/06/44
|
09/06/44
|
14/06/44
|
14/06/44
|
KMS
053
|
23/06/44
|
24/06/44
|
04/07/44
|
05/07/44
|
GUS
045
|
11/07/44
|
29/07/44
|
24/06/44
|
14/07/44
|
UGS
046
|
19/07/44
|
20/07/44
|
28/07/44
|
29/07/44
|
MKS
057
|
08/08/44
|
08/08/44
|
13/08/44
|
13/08/44
|
KMS
059
|
23/08/44
|
23/08/44
|
18/12/44
|
18/12/44
|
OS
099KM
|
26/12/44
|
21/12/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)