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HMS Swale (K217)

From Wikipedia, in a visual modern way
HMS Swale K217.jpg
HMS Swale with 'dazzle' paintwork
History
United Kingdom
NameSwale
NamesakeRiver Swale
BuilderSmiths Dock Co., South Bank-on-Tees
Laid down19 August 1941
Launched16 January 1942
Commissioned24 June 1942
IdentificationK217
FateTransferred on 26 July 1945 to South Africa as HMSAS Swale (K217). Returned to RN in January 1946. Scrapped on 26 February 1955.
General characteristics
Class and typeRiver-class frigate
Displacement
  • 1,370 long tons (1,390 t)
  • 1,830 long tons (1,860 t) (deep load)
Length
  • 283 ft (86.26 m) p/p
  • 301.25 ft (91.82 m)o/a
Beam36.5 ft (11.13 m)
Draught9 ft (2.74 m); 13 ft (3.96 m) (deep load)
Propulsion2 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, reciprocating vertical triple expansion, 5,500 ihp
Speed20 knots (37.0 km/h)
Range440 long tons (450 t; 490 short tons) oil fuel; 7,200 nautical miles (13,334 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement107
Armament
For other ships with the same name, see HMS Swale.

HMS Swale (K217) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN) from 1942 to 1955, loaned to the South African Navy for six months at the end of the Second World War.

Discover more about HMS Swale (K217) related topics

River-class frigate

River-class frigate

The River class was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic. The majority served with the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), with some serving in the other Allied navies: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Free French Naval Forces, the Royal Netherlands Navy and, post-war, the South African Navy.

Frigate

Frigate

A frigate is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.

Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is consequently known as the Senior Service.

South African Navy

South African Navy

The South African Navy (SA Navy) is the naval warfare branch of the South African National Defence Force.

Construction

Swale was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River-class frigate. She was laid down at Smiths Dock Co., South Bank-on-Tees on 19 August 1941 and launched on 16 January 1942. The ship was commissioned into the RN on 24 June 1942 as K 217 and named for the River Swale in Yorkshire, England.

War service

Early days

Swale saw extensive service on convoy escort missions and experienced some of the worst days of the Battle of the Atlantic. In March 1943 she was SO (Senior Officer's ship) of the Escort Group (EG) B5, escorting the slow convoy SC 122[1] from New York to Liverpool. Of the 51 merchant ships in the convoy, 10 returned to port unable to ride a violent storm; three days later another eight were sunk by U-boats.

Swale was to have better fortunes two months later. Escorting slow convoy ONS 7[2] bound for Halifax, Canada, she sank the German submarine U-657[3] off Cape Farewell, Greenland on the night of 17 May. The U-boat had earlier torpedoed the 5,196 GRT steamer Aymeric,[4][5] the last British cargo ship in the Atlantic to be sunk that month, claiming the lives of 53 men. Under the command of Lieutenant Commander John Jackson, DSC, RNR,[6] Swale moved 6,000 metres (6,600 yd) astern of the doomed Aymeric and made ASDIC (sonar) contact. After a succession of depth charge and Hedgehog attacks, she was rewarded with the sound of several loud explosions and the appearance of burning oil on the surface. The convoy continued to Canada without further loss.[7]

Convoy Faith episode

On 10 July 1943 Swale sailed Gibraltar to rendezvous with the small, fast Convoy Faith (one of the 'Winston Specials')[8] en route from Greenock in Scotland to Freetown, Sierra Leone.[9] The convoy had comprised two troopships, the California and the Canadian Pacific liner Duchess of York, and the transport Port Fairy, (which was carrying ammunition), escorted by three warships. At about 2000 hrs on 11 July while 300 miles (480 km) west of Vigo, the convoy was subjected to a devastating air attack by three Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft from Merignac airfield near Bordeaux. By the time Swale arrived at 2235 hrs, both California and Duchess of York had been hit, set on fire, and abandoned, to be sunk later by torpedoes from their escorts. Swale too was attacked by the Condors, bombs falling just 20 yards (18 m) astern. After making an A/S sweep, Swale was ordered to escort Port Fairy, which had escaped unscathed, to Casablanca, ahead of the other escorts which were still searching for survivors.[10][11][8] On the evening of the next day, the two ships were attacked by two Fw 200s returning from a reconnaissance mission off the Portuguese coast. Despite the interception and strafing of the Condors by two US Navy PBY Catalinas[12] Port Fairy was hit on her port quarter by a 50 kg (110 lb) bomb which started a fire next to her magazine. Swale came alongside, took off 64 survivors from the two troopships together with eight passengers, and helped extinguish the blaze with her hoses. Port Fairy was repaired at Casablanca and remained in service until 1965.[13]

Last success

On 6 April 1944, while escorting the slow convoy SC 156 from Halifax, Canada to Loch Ewe, Scotland, Swale sank U-302 [14][15] with depth charges northwest of the Azores after the U-boat penetrated the escort screen and sank the Norwegian merchantmen Ruth 1 [16] and South America.[17]

Discover more about War service related topics

Battle of the Atlantic

Battle of the Atlantic

The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany, announced the day after the declaration of war, and Germany's subsequent counter-blockade. The campaign peaked from mid-1940 through to the end of 1943.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. Halifax is one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, and as of 2022, it is estimated that the CMA population of Halifax was 480,582, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County.

Canada

Canada

Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's second-largest country by total area, with the world's longest coastline. It is characterized by a wide range of both meteorologic and geological regions. The country is sparsely inhabited, with most residing south of the 55th parallel in urban areas. Canada's capital is Ottawa and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

German submarine U-657

German submarine U-657

German submarine U-657 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 5 October 1940 by Howaldtswerke, Hamburg as yard number 806, launched on 12 August 1941 and commissioned on 8 October 1941 under Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Jürgen Radke.

Cape Farewell, Greenland

Cape Farewell, Greenland

Cape Farewell is a headland on the southern shore of Egger Island, Nunap Isua Archipelago, Greenland. As the southernmost point of the country, it is one of the important landmarks of Greenland.

Greenland

Greenland

Greenland is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is the world's largest island. It is one of three constituent countries that form the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark and the Faroe Islands; the citizens of these countries are all citizens of Denmark and the European Union. Greenland's capital is Nuuk.

Gross register tonnage

Gross register tonnage

Gross register tonnage or gross registered tonnage, is a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", each of which is equal to 100 cubic feet (2.83 m3). Replaced by Gross Tonnage (GT), gross register tonnage uses the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel as its basis for volume. Typically this is used for dockage fees, canal transit fees, and similar purposes where it is appropriate to charge based on the size of the entire vessel. Internationally, GRT may be abbreviated as BRT for the German "Bruttoregistertonne".

Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)

Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)

The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a third-level military decoration awarded to officers; and, since 1993, ratings and other ranks of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the British Merchant Navy have been included. Additionally, the award was formerly awarded to members of other Commonwealth countries.

Depth charge

Depth charge

A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use high explosive charges and a fuze set to detonate the charge, typically at a specific depth. Depth charges can be dropped by ships, patrol aircraft, and helicopters.

Hedgehog (weapon)

Hedgehog (weapon)

The Hedgehog was a forward-throwing anti-submarine weapon that was used primarily during the Second World War. The device, which was developed by the Royal Navy, fired up to 24 spigot mortars ahead of a ship when attacking a U-boat. It was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers and corvettes to supplement the depth charges.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It has an area of 6.7 km2 (2.6 sq mi) and is bordered to the north by Spain. The landscape is dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar, at the foot of which is a densely populated town area, home to over 32,000 people, primarily Gibraltarians.

Convoy Faith

Convoy Faith

Convoy Faith was a small, fast Allied convoy of World War II. It suffered heavy casualties when attacked by German long-range bombers while en route from Britain to West Africa in July 1943. The convoy comprised two large troopships and a freighter, later joined by two destroyers and two frigates as escorts at various dates after it sailed on 7 July 1943. The two troopships, SS California and SS Duchess of York, both former liners, were carrying military personnel to West Africa, where locally recruited troops were to be embarked as reinforcements for the Allied forces in Burma and the Middle East. The freighter MV Port Fairy, carrying ammunition, was ultimately bound for Australia and New Zealand via the Panama canal.

Post-war service

Swale was loaned to the South African Navy on 26 June 1945 as HMSAS Swale (K217) but returned to the RN in January 1946. She was scrapped on 26 February 1955.

Source: "HMS Swale (K217)", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, February 12th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Swale_(K217).

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Further Reading

Flower-class corvette

Timeline of the Battle of the Atlantic

HMS Aylmer

Convoy ON 154

Order of battle for Convoy SC 7

MV Port Fairy

SS Corvus (1920)

Convoy Faith

HMS Vetch (K132)

HMS Vanessa (D29)

HMS Viscount (D92)
References
  1. ^ "Convoy SC 122". Warsailors.com.
  2. ^ "Convoy ONS 7". Warsailors.com.
  3. ^ "U-657". Uboat.net.
  4. ^ "Andrew Weir & Co./Bank Line". The Ship's List. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  5. ^ "Today in History May 17, 2008". SeaWaves.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012.
  6. ^ "Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) officers 1939-1945 - Jack to Jone". UnitHistories.com.
  7. ^ Gannon, M. (1998). Black May. ISBN 1-85410-588-4.
  8. ^ a b Munro, A. (2006). The Winston Specials: Troopships via The Cape 1940-1943. Liskeard: Maritime Books. ISBN 1-904459-20-X.
  9. ^ The National Archives, London, ADM 199/1032.
  10. ^ Holms, W. B. Commander, RCN. Convoy Faith Air Attack Report. National Archives Kew
  11. ^ Proc, Jerry. "Convoy Faith Air Attack Report". HMCS Iroquois.
  12. ^ Ragnarsson, R. (2006). US Navy PBY Catalina Units of the Atlantic War. Osprey Publishing. p. 65. ISBN 1-84176-910-X.
  13. ^ "Commonwealth & Dominion Line/Port Line". Red Duster. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  14. ^ "U-302". Uboat.net.
  15. ^ "U-302". Ubootwaffe.net. Archived from the original on 30 October 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  16. ^ "D/S Ruth I". Warsailors.com.
  17. ^ "M/T South America". Warsailors.com.
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