Modified BLACK SWAN-Class
ordered from Scotts of Greenock under the 1940 Build
Programme on 27th March 1941 and laid down on 5th May 1942. She was launched by
Mrs Phillips on 28th August 1943 and was the 15th RN warship to carry the name introduced
in 1656 for a Royalist Prize. It had last been used by for a 1913 destroyer sold
in 1923. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign
in March 1942 this Sloop was adopted by tine civil community of Billericay,
Essex. Build completion date was 10th April 1944 and her radar outfits included
the new design Type 276 which replaced the first centimetric
design (Type 272) fitted in the earlier ships of this Class. The other radars, Type
285 for fire control and Type 291 to provide warning of aircraft and surface
targets were the same as fitted in other ships of this type (See RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse).
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARMADA 1588* - SMYRNA CONVOY 1693
- VELEZ MALAGA 1704 - MARBELLA 1705 - BALTIC 1855
- HELIGOLAND 1914 - DOGGER BANK 1915 - NORMANDY 1944 - ENGLISH
CHANNEL 1944 - NORTH SEA
1944 -
ARCTIC 1944-45
(* Awarded to
mercantile which fought in this action.)
H e r
a l d i c D a
t a
Badge: On a Field White,
a Lark in flight
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 4
April
Contractors trials and commissioning.
10th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On
completion of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory.
Worked-up for
operational service.
May On
completion of work-up deployed for convoy defence in Western Approaches.
Nominated or duty with Escort Group 114 with HM Sloop CRANE, HM Escort Destroyer
BLANKNEY. HM Frigates CHELMER and TORRINGTON for escort of assault convoys
during allied landings in Normandy.
(Operation NEPTUNE - For details of naval activities prior to and during NEPTUNE
See
OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY June 1944
(HMSO).
June
Passage to Thames Estuary to join ships of 114th and 115th Escort Groups.
4th
Operation delayed for 24 hours.
5th
Joined Convoy ETP1 in Thames Estuary for escort to Solent.
6th
Sailed with convoy from Thames Estuary.
(Note: Convoy comprised eight Personnel Ships, three Troopships, HM Depot Ship
AMBITIOUS and two Hospital Carriers.
Passage to Spithead where four ships detached.
7th
Passage through swept channel with Convoy ETP1 to Eastern Task Force area.
(Note: This convoy was taking Pre-loaded British Build-up Division to beach
head.
Detached from convoy on arrival and deployed at Portsmouth for escort of
Build-up
Phase convoys to beach head area.
27th On termination of
NEPTUNE retained in
English Channel for defence of
convoys.
July
Channel deployment in continuation.
to
August
September Channel
deployment in continuation.
22nd Passage
to Clyde for repair prior to joined Western Approaches Command.
October
On completion of
repair joined 8th Escort Group based at Greenock.
Nominated for escort of Russian convoys.
(For details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A
Ruegg,
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R. Woodman, CONVOY ! by P Kemp and THE RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B.
Schoefield).
Deployed with HM Destroyers KEPPEL, BEAGLE, WESTCOTT and HM Sloop CYGNET
for detached service with Home Fleet
20th Joined
Close Escort for Russian Convoy JW61 with HM Destroyer WALKER, HM Sloop
LAPWING and HM Corvettes CAMELLIA, OXLIP and RHODODENDRON.
26th Under
U-Boat attack by PANTHER group without loss.
28th
Detached from JW61 on arrival at Kola Inlet.
November
2nd Joined
return Convoy RA61 on departure from Kola Inlet as Close Escort with same
ships as Convoy JW61.
9th
Detached on arrival of convoy at Loch Ewe without loss.
10th Taken
in hand for repair of defects in Clyde shipyard.
25th
Rejoined Group for support of Atlantic convoys under threat of U-Boat attack.
Nominated for detached Home Fleet service for anti-submarine defence of Russian
convoy.
29th
Deployed with HMS CYGNET and HMS LAPWING for escort of Russian Convoy JW62.
Joined HM Frigates BAHAMAS, LOCH ALVIE, SOMALILAND, TAVY, TORTOLA.
HM
Canadian Frigates MONNOW, NENE, PORT COLBOURNE, .ST JOHN,
STORMONT, HM Corvettes ALLINGTON, CASTLE, BAMBOROUGH CASTLE,
HM
Norwegian corvettes TUNSBERG CASTLE and HM Corvette EGLANTINE.
(Note: Escort was also supplemented by ships of Home Fleet including HM Escort
Carriers
CAMPANIA and NAIRANA, HM Cruiser BELLONA and destroyer screen by
destroyers of Home Fleet.).
December Attack by
U-Boats of STOCK Group was avoided by diversion of mercantiles during anti-
submarine operations by escorts.
7th
Detached at Kola Inlet after uninterrupted passage.
(Note: Threat of attack by German battleship TIRPITZ had been removed by
sinking on
12th November but the convoy was vulnerable to air and submarine attacks)
9th
Joined other escorts to attack U-Boats assembled outside Kola Inlet prior to the
departure of returning convoy.
10th Joined
escort for return Convoy RA62 with same ships.
(See above references for details of warship casualties.)
19th
Detached on arrival at Loch Ewe.
20th
Nominated for further detached service for Russian Convoy support.
30th Joined
escort for Russian Convoy JW63 with HM Destroyers KEPPEL, WALKER,
WESTCOTT, HM Sloops CYGNET, LAPWING, HM Corvettes ALLINGTON CASTLE,
BAMBOROUGH CASTLE and ALNWICK CASTLE.
(Note: The escort was again supplemented by ships of Home Fleet See
references.)
1 9 4 5
January Detached
from JW63 on arrival at Kola Inlet after uninterrupted passage despite assembly
of
STIER group of U-Boats in Bear Island Passage.
11th Joined
escort for returning convoy RA63 with HM Destroyer SCORPION and same ships.
18th Convoy
forced to shelter by severe gale and reassembled NE of Faeroes.
21st
Detached from RA&3 with escort after passage without detection by enemy.
24th Taken
in hand repair of weather damage repair in Clyde shipyard.
February Detached
for further Home Fleet service.
1st
Resumed Russian convoy escort duties on completion of repair.
3rd
Deployed with HM Destroyer WHITEHALL, HM Sloop CYGNET, HM Corvettes
BAMBOROUGH CASTLE, ALNWICK CASTLE. BLUEBELL and RHODODENDRON
as
Close Escort for Convoy JW64 and sailed from Clyde with convoy.
7th
Under attacks by torpedo
aircraft which were foiled by aircraft from HMS CAMPANIA
and HMS NAIRANA.
10th
Drove off further torpedo attacks by German KG26 aircraft with HMS WHITEHALL.
(Note: Although no mercantiles were lost,
friendly aircraft came under heavy AA
fire due to
the
poor fire discipline of escorts - see references).
13th
Under attack by RASMUS group of 11 U-Boats.
(HM Corvette DENBIGH CASTLE was hit by torpedo
from U992 and later sank).
15th
Detached with Close Escort en arrival in Kola Inlet.
16th Took part in anti-submarine operation outside Kola
Inlet with ships of the Close
Escort and
Russian aircraft before departure of return
Convoy RA64.
17th Took part in sinking U425 with HMS ALNWICK CASTLE in
position 69.39N 33.50E.
Some
survivors were rescued from the submarine .
(See U-BOATS DESTROYED BY P Kemp and HITLER’S
U-WAR By C Blair.)
Joined Convoy with HM Sloops CYGNET, LAPWING, HM
Corvettes BLUEBELL,
BAMBOROUGH CASTLE and ALNWICK CASTLE as Close
Escort.
During preliminary assembly of convoy, hit by
torpedo fired by U968.
The
acoustic homing
torpedo hit the stern which was wrecked and
vessel had to be abandoned.
Survivors were rescued by other escorts.
(Notes: HM Corvette BLUEBELL was sunk later,
also hit by a homing torpedo from
U711. The
ship blew up on impact with only 12 survivors.
U968
survived the war and was sunk on 29/11/45(?) in NW Approaches in
Operation
DEADLIGHT.
For further details see above references.)
18th
Towed to Kola Inlet but declared constructive total loss.
Special
Note
HMS LARK
was de-equipped at Rosta where she lay, as return to
UK under tow was not feasible. In June 1945 the hulk with most
equipment removed was handed to the Soviet Navy. Post war reports
suggested that she may have later been taken into
Russian naval service under the name NEPTUN but this has not be substantiated.
It is unlikely that the hull would have been rebuilt and re-equipped to
allow further use.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
LARK
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
31/05/44
|
31/05/44
|
CW 273
|
01/06/44
|
01/06/44
|
06/06/44
|
06/06/44
|
ETP 001
|
07/06/44
|
07/06/44
|
10/07/44
|
10/07/44
|
ETM 032
|
11/07/44
|
11/07/44
|
20/10/44
|
20/10/44
|
JW 061
|
28/10/44
|
28/10/44
|
02/11/44
|
02/11/44
|
RA 061
|
09/11/44
|
09/11/44
|
29/11/44
|
29/11/44
|
JW 062
|
07/12/44
|
07/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
RA 062
|
19/12/44
|
19/12/44
|
30/12/44
|
30/12/44
|
JW 063
|
08/01/45
|
08/01/45
|
11/01/45
|
11/01/45
|
RA 063
|
19/01/45
|
21/01/45
|
03/02/45
|
03/02/45
|
JW 064
|
15/02/45
|
15/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
RA 064
|
28/02/45
|
28/02/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)