BLACK
SWAN-Class Sloop ordered from Yarrow's
of Scotstoun,
Glasgow and laid down on 26th May 1938
The ship
was launched by Mrs Parden
on 18th April 1939 and was
the 2nd. RN ship
to carry the name which was first
used in
1876. Build was completed in
November 1939 and after a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign
in March 1942 was adopted by the civil
community of Runcorn, Cheshire
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
NORTH SEA 1939-40 - NORWAY 1940 - GREECE
1941 - CRETE 1941- LIBYA 1941 -
BURMA 1944-45
H e r
a l d i
c D a
t a
Badge:
On a Field Gold,
upon
water in base barry
wavy Blue
and White. a flamingo 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 3 9
October
Contractors trials
Nominated for service with Rosyth
Escort Force for defence of North Sea
convoys.
November
3rd
Build completion and carried out
acceptance trials.
On completion of trials and storing
tool passage to Portland for work-up
Deployed for escort of North Sea
convoy.
16th
Damaged
in collision with mercantile DOWNLEAZE
during escort Convoy FN137-
Repair arranged at commercial shipyard
in Leith.
Taken
in hand for repair..
December
On completion of repair at resumed
North
Sea convoy defence with Rosyth Escort
Force.
1
9 4 0
January
North Sea convoy defence in
continuation.
February
6th
Detached from escort of Convoy FN83
and joined HM Destroyers ECHO and
ECLIPSE with
HM Sloop Weston to escort HM Auxiliary
Minelayer PRINCESS VICTORIA during lay
of
dummy Minefield in East Coast Barrier
(Operation LD).
(For details of East Coast Mine
Barrier see Naval Staff History
(Mining).)
March
North Sea convoy escort in
continuation.
April
8th
Detached to join Home Fleet to
supplement AA defence of units
operating off
Norway
in
support of military
operations (Operation RUPERT/R4)
(For details of the ill conceived
Norwegian campaign see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by
Corelli Barnett, NARVIK by D
Macintyre and Naval Staff History
(HMSO, 2001).)
14th
Embarked Royal Marines and supporting
Army AA and searchlight units at
Rosyth
for
passage
to
Andalsnes with HM Sloops AUCKLAND,
BLACK SWAN and BITTERN.
(Operation PRIMROSE).
15th
Delayed on passage by heavy weather
and sheltered at Invergordon.
17th
Disembarked Marines at Andalsnes and
went to Alesund to land guns and
crews.
24th
Replaced damaged cruiser HMS CURACOA
as AA Guardship at Andalsnes.
25th
Under heavy air attacks and requested
air support from HM Aircraft Carrier
GLORIOUS.
26th
Relieved by HMS BLACK SWAN having
expended all ammunition.
27th
Return passage to UK.
(For full details of Norwegian
operations in 1910 see above reference
, THE DOOMED
EXPEDITION by Adams and CARRIER
GLORIOUS by J Winton).
May
Transferred to Mediterranean for duty
with Red Sea Escort Force.
Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to U 18
23rd
Arrived at Port Sudan for convoy
escort duty in Red Sea.
June
Deployed for convoy defence and
support of military operations in Red
Sea.
to
(See
Naval Staff History (HMSO-2001).)
December
1
9 4 1
January
Red Sea duties in continuation.
to
March
April
Transferred to Mediterranean Fleet at
Alexandria for escort of convoys in
Eastern
Mediterranean and support of military
operations.
26th
Assisted with evacuation of allied
troops from Greece (Operation DEMON).
May
Escorted convoys taking reinforcements
to Crete.
28th
Assisted in evacuation of troops from
Crete and escort of convoys.
(For details of operations in
Mediterranean see THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN
by D Macintyre and ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY).
June
15th
Joined Inshore Squadron with HM Sloops
AUCKLAND and PARRAMATTA (RAN).
Deployed for defence convoys to Tobruk
and carrying stores and personnel.
July
Tobruk support in continuation and
under air attacks during escort of
convoys.
to
November
December
7th
Damaged in air attack whilst engaged
in support of military at Tobruk.
Sustained significant structural
damage aft and withdrawn from Squadron
for repair.
15th
Laid, up in Suez Roads awaiting repair
and used as AA Guardship.
1
9 4 2
January
AA Guardship duties no longer possible
due to state of hull and lack of
proper
maintenance
to
of structure.
December
Repair arranged in HM Dockyard at
Bombay.
1
9 4 3
January
Waiting towage at Alexandria.
February
5th
Passage under tow by tug AKBAR to
Aden.
15th
Passage under tow by STAR OF CAIRO to
Bombay.
26th
Paid-off and taken in hand for repair.
March
Under repair
to
20mm Oerlikon guns fitted for improved
close range AA defence.
December
Surface warning radar equipment
fitted.
(For details of development and use of
radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D
Howse)
1
9 4 4
January
3rd
Commissioned at Bombay for trials.
16th
On completion of post refit trials
joined Eastern Fleet for Indian
Ocean escort
duties.
February Convoy
defence duties in Indian Ocean in
continuation.
to
May
June
Joined 61st Escort Group based at
Colombo.
Deployed on convoy escort and support
of military operations in Burma.
July
Convoy defence and support duty in
continuation.
to
(For details of Eastern Fleet
operations see OPERATION PACIFIC by
Edwin Gray, THE
October
FORGOTTEN FLEET by John Winton and WAR
WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
November
17th
Joined Force 64 for support of
military operation to clear the enemy
from Arakan,
22nd
Remained with Eastern Fleet on
formation of BPF.
December
13th
Formed part of close support group
with HM Indian Sloops JUMNA, NARBADA
and
KISTNA bombardments of shore targets
as required by 74th Brigade. HM
Cruiser PHOEBE
provided fighter direction facilities
(Operation ROMULUS)
22nd
Carried cut A/S attack en Japanese
submarine Ro113 off east coast of
Ceylon.
1
9 4 5
January
Military support duties in
continuation.
Based at Chittagong.
16th
Part of Bombardment Force during
landings by British 4th Brigade and
Indian 71st
Brigade
in
northern part of Ramree Island
(Operation MATADOR).
19th
Deployed for bombardment duties with
HMS PHOEBE, HM Destroyer RAPID and HM
Sloop
KISTNA (RIN).
21st
Took part in support bombardments
during assault.
February
16th
Supported landings by 53rd Brigade at
Ryuwa, 45 miles south of Myebon,
Arakan with
HM Indian Sloops NARBADA and JUMNA.
Final stage of Operation BLOCK.
(Note: The Sloops fired 9,750 rounds
during support of military ashore).
March
Deployed for support and patrol duties
off Burma.
April
Withdrawn from Eastern Fleet for refit
prior to deployment in Pacific.
20th
Took passage to UK.
May
13th
Arrived in Liverpool and taken in hand
for refit.
June
Under refit
to
July
August
Refit work stopped after end of
Pacific war.
Returned to Devonport.
P
o s t W a r N
o t e s
HMS
FLAMINGO Paid off after return to
Devonport and reduced to
Reserve in late 1945. She was brought
forward for service in the Persian
Gulf
and commissioned in January 1949. The
ship served in that area until
December
1955 when she returned to Devonport
and was went on the Disposal List. The
ship
was sold to the German BUNDESMARINE in
late 1957 and after refitting entered
service as GRAF SPEE on 21st January
1959. She remained operational until
1964
after which she was used for air-sea
rescue duties.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
FLAMINGO
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
13/11/39
|
13/11/39
|
FS
0036
|
15/11/39
|
15/11/39
|
20/12/39
|
20/12/39
|
FS
0057
|
22/12/39
|
22/12/39
|
28/12/39
|
28/12/39
|
FS
0060
|
29/12/39
|
29/12/39
|
05/01/40
|
05/01/40
|
FS
0065
|
07/01/40
|
07/01/40
|
20/01/40
|
20/01/40
|
FS
0077
|
21/01/40
|
21/01/40
|
03/02/40
|
03/02/40
|
FS
0086
|
05/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
15/02/40
|
15/02/40
|
MT
012
|
16/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
FS
0098
|
17/02/40
|
18/02/40
|
26/02/40
|
26/02/40
|
FS
0106
|
28/02/40
|
28/02/40
|
26/02/40
|
26/02/40
|
MT
018
|
26/02/40
|
26/02/40
|
28/02/40
|
28/02/40
|
FS
0108
|
01/03/40
|
01/03/40
|
04/03/40
|
04/03/40
|
FS
0112
|
06/03/40
|
06/03/40
|
17/03/40
|
17/03/40
|
FS
0123
|
19/03/40
|
19/03/40
|
20/03/40
|
20/03/40
|
FN
0125
|
22/03/40
|
22/03/40
|
25/03/40
|
25/03/40
|
FS
0129
|
27/03/40
|
27/03/40
|
02/04/40
|
02/04/40
|
FS
0136
|
04/04/40
|
04/04/40
|
06/04/40
|
06/04/40
|
TM
039
|
07/04/40
|
07/04/40
|
13/04/40
|
13/04/40
|
MT
050
|
13/04/40
|
13/04/40
|
11/05/40
|
11/05/40
|
FS
0168
|
13/05/40
|
15/05/40
|
23/06/40
|
06/07/40
|
BN
001
|
10/07/40
|
12/07/40
|
17/07/40
|
30/07/40
|
BN
002
|
03/08/40
|
05/08/40
|
31/07/40
|
03/08/40
|
BS
002
|
09/08/40
|
09/08/40
|
30/08/40
|
12/09/40
|
WS
002A
|
14/09/40
|
14/09/40
|
15/09/40
|
15/09/40
|
BS
004C
|
18/09/40
|
19/09/40
|
24/09/40
|
27/09/40
|
SW
001
|
unknown
|
08/10/40
|
02/10/40
|
02/10/40
|
BS
005A
|
06/10/40
|
06/10/40
|
08/10/40
|
10/10/40
|
SW
002
|
12/10/40
|
22/10/40
|
10/09/40
|
20/10/40
|
AP
003/1
|
22/10/40
|
22/10/40
|
20/10/40
|
20/10/40
|
BS
006B
|
24/10/40
|
24/10/40
|
28/10/40
|
30/10/40
|
SW
002A
|
01/11/40
|
01/11/40
|
25/10/40
|
03/11/40
|
BN
008
|
06/11/40
|
11/11/40
|
04/11/40
|
unknown
|
BS
008
|
12/11/40
|
12/11/40
|
12/11/40
|
19/11/40
|
BN
008A
|
20/11/40
|
23/11/40
|
23/11/40
|
23/11/40
|
SW
003
|
unknown
|
05/12/40
|
30/11/40
|
unknown
|
BS
009A
|
unknown
|
05/12/40
|
30/11/40
|
30/11/40
|
BN
009B
|
02/12/40
|
04/12/40
|
18/12/40
|
18/12/40
|
BN
011
|
22/12/40
|
25/12/40
|
19/12/40
|
22/12/40
|
BS
011
|
27/12/40
|
27/12/40
|
27/12/40
|
02/01/41
|
BN
012
|
06/01/41
|
09/01/41
|
03/01/41
|
unknown
|
BS
012
|
11/01/41
|
11/01/41
|
12/01/41
|
12/01/41
|
BS
012C
|
15/01/41
|
15/01/41
|
17/01/41
|
17/01/41
|
BN
013
|
22/01/41
|
24/01/41
|
19/01/41
|
unknown
|
BS
013
|
27/01/41
|
27/01/41
|
26/01/41
|
01/02/41
|
BNF
001
|
unknown
|
06/02/41
|
02/02/41
|
unknown
|
BS
014
|
unknown
|
08/02/41
|
20/02/41
|
21/02/41
|
BS
016
|
23/02/41
|
25/02/41
|
25/02/41
|
28/02/41
|
BS
017
|
03/03/41
|
04/03/41
|
19/02/41
|
04/03/41
|
FORCE
Z
|
06/03/41
|
07/03/41
|
24/03/41
|
24/03/41
|
BN
021
|
27/03/41
|
31/03/41
|
24/03/41
|
29/03/41
|
BS
021
|
01/04/41
|
01/04/41
|
20/03/41
|
01/04/41
|
BN
022
|
04/04/41
|
07/04/41
|
06/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
AN
030
|
09/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
AS
030/1
|
12/05/41
|
12/05/41
|
29/02/44
|
29/02/44
|
MA
025/3
|
04/03/44
|
04/03/44
|
04/03/44
|
04/03/44
|
AM
001/1
|
08/03/44
|
08/03/44
|
02/04/43
|
02/04/44
|
CX
020
|
05/04/44
|
05/04/43
|
11/04/44
|
11/04/44
|
CX
022
|
12/04/44
|
12/04/44
|
06/05/44
|
06/05/44
|
AB
039A
|
12/05/44
|
12/05/44
|
15/06/44
|
15/06/44
|
BM
094C
|
19/06/44
|
19/06/44
|
28/06/44
|
28/06/44
|
AM
004/1
|
29/06/44
|
02/07/44
|
05/07/44
|
07/07/44
|
CJ
033A
|
09/07/44
|
09/07/44
|
19/01/45
|
19/01/45
|
MATADOR
|
21/01/45
|
21/01/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)