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HMS Swale (K217)
Encyclopedia
HMS Swale (K217) was a River class frigate
of the Royal Navy
from 1942–1955, loaned to the South African Navy for six months at the end of the Second world War.
, South Bank-on-Tees
on 19 August 1941 and launched on 16 January 1942.
She was commissioned into the RN on 24 June 1942 as K 217 and named for the River Swale
in Yorkshire
, England
.
to Liverpool
. Of the 51 merchant ships in the convoy, 10 returned to port unable to ride a violent storm, and three days later another 8 were sunk by U-boats.
Swale was to have better fortunes two months later. Escorting slow convoy ONS 7 http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/ons7.html bound for Halifax
, Canada
, she sank U-657 http://uboat.net/boats/u657.htm off Cape Farewell
, Greenland
on the night of 17 May The U boat had earlier torpedoed the 5,196 GRT steamer Aymeric,http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/bank.htm http://www.seawaves.com/newsletters/TDIH/may/17May.txt 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
http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RNR_officersJ.html, Swale moved 6,000 m astern of the doomed Aymeric and made asdic 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.
On the night of 11/12 July 1943 Swale sailed from Gibraltar
to the aid of the remnants of the small, fast Convoy Faith
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/Mariners/2005-08/1124352772, which had originally comprised two troopships, the California
and the Canadian Pacific liner Duchess of York, and the merchant ship Port Fairy
, carrying ammunition, from Greenock to Freetown, Sierra Leone
. On 11 July, the convoy was about 300 miles (482.8 km) west of Vigo when it was attacked by three Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
aircraft from the Merignac airfield near Bordeaux
. Both the California and Duchess of York were hit and abandoned, to be sunk later by torpedoes from their escorts. Also bombed, Port Fairy survived and was ordered to Casablanca
for repairs escorted by Swale. The following day, 12 July, Port Fairy and Swale 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 Catalina
s Port Fairy was hit on her port quarter by a 50 kg bomb which started a fire; Swale came alongside and helped extinguish the flames with her hoses. Port Fairy was repaired and remained in service until 1965 http://www.red-duster.co.uk/PORT6.htm.
On 6 April 1944 while escorting slow convoy SC 156 from Halifax
, Canada
to Loch Ewe
, Scotland
, Swale sank U-302 http://uboat.net/boats/u302.htmhttp://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=302 with depth charges northwest of the Azores
after the U-boat penetrated the escort screen and sank the Norwegian merchantmen Ruth 1 http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/ruthI.html and South America http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/southamerica.html.
on 26 June 1945 as but returned to the RN in January 1946. She was scrapped on 26 February 1955.
River class frigate
The River class frigate was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic....
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
from 1942–1955, loaned to the South African Navy for six months at the end of the Second world War.
Construction
Swale was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River class frigate. She was laid down at Smiths Dock Co.Smiths Dock Company
Smiths Dock Company, Limited, often referred to simply as Smiths Dock, was a British shipbuilding company.-History:The company was originally established by Thomas Smith who bought William Rowe's shipyard at St. Peter's in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1810 and traded as William Smith & Co. The company...
, South Bank-on-Tees
South Bank, Middlesbrough
South Bank is a small town which forms part of the Middlesbrough urban area that lies 2.3 miles from Middlesbrough centre, in North East England. As the name suggests, it lies on the south bank of the River Tees. Although it is part of the Middlesbrough conurbation, it is a ward of Redcar and...
on 19 August 1941 and launched on 16 January 1942.
She was commissioned into the RN on 24 June 1942 as K 217 and named for the River Swale
River Swale
The River Swale is a river in Yorkshire, England and a major tributary of the River Ure, which itself becomes the River Ouse, emptying into the North Sea via the Humber Estuary....
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
War service
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 http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/sc122.html from New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. Of the 51 merchant ships in the convoy, 10 returned to port unable to ride a violent storm, and three days later another 8 were sunk by U-boats.
Swale was to have better fortunes two months later. Escorting slow convoy ONS 7 http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/ons7.html bound for Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, she sank U-657 http://uboat.net/boats/u657.htm off Cape Farewell
Cape Farewell, Greenland
Cape Farewell , is a headland on the southern shore of Egger Island, Greenland. Located at it is the southernmost extent of Greenland, projecting out into the North Atlantic Ocean and the Labrador Sea on the same latitude as Stockholm and the Scottish Shetland Islands. Egger and the associated...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
on the night of 17 May The U boat had earlier torpedoed the 5,196 GRT steamer Aymeric,http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/bank.htm http://www.seawaves.com/newsletters/TDIH/may/17May.txt 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
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
John Jackson, DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
, RNR
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RNR_officersJ.html, Swale moved 6,000 m astern of the doomed Aymeric and made asdic contact. After a succession of depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
and hedgehog
Hedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
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.
On the night of 11/12 July 1943 Swale sailed from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
to the aid of the remnants of the small, fast Convoy Faith
Convoy Faith
Convoy Faith was an Allied convoy of World War II that suffered heavy casualties after being attacked by German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor long-range bomber aircraft on the night of 11/12 July 1943. The convoy departed Greenock, Scotland on 8 July bound for Freetown in Sierra Leone and...
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/Mariners/2005-08/1124352772, which had originally comprised two troopships, the California
SS California (1923)
SS California was a British steam-powered passenger ship of 16,792 tons built in 1923 for the Henderson Brothers Ltd, Glasgow.-Construction:...
and the Canadian Pacific liner Duchess of York, and the merchant ship Port Fairy
MV Port Fairy
MV Port Fairy was a UK merchant vessel built in 1928 for the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd shipping company and sold in 1965 to Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus...
, carrying ammunition, from Greenock to Freetown, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. On 11 July, the convoy was about 300 miles (482.8 km) west of Vigo when it was attacked by three Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
aircraft from the Merignac airfield near Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
. Both the California and Duchess of York were hit and abandoned, to be sunk later by torpedoes from their escorts. Also bombed, Port Fairy survived and was ordered to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
for repairs escorted by Swale. The following day, 12 July, Port Fairy and Swale 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 Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
s Port Fairy was hit on her port quarter by a 50 kg bomb which started a fire; Swale came alongside and helped extinguish the flames with her hoses. Port Fairy was repaired and remained in service until 1965 http://www.red-duster.co.uk/PORT6.htm.
On 6 April 1944 while escorting slow convoy SC 156 from Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Swale sank U-302 http://uboat.net/boats/u302.htmhttp://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=302 with depth charges northwest of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
after the U-boat penetrated the escort screen and sank the Norwegian merchantmen Ruth 1 http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/ruthI.html and South America http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/southamerica.html.
Post-war service
Swale was loaned to the South African NavySouth African Navy
The South African Navy is the navy of the Republic of South Africa.-Formation:The South African Navy can trace its official origins back to the SA Naval Service, which was established on 1 April 1922....
on 26 June 1945 as but returned to the RN in January 1946. She was scrapped on 26 February 1955.
External links
- http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/index.html Comprehensive details of the Atlantic convoys and their fates.