Modified
BLACK SWAN-Class Sloop ordered from Alex
Stephen
at .Govan under 1941 Build Programme on
18th December 1941. The ship was laid
down on 27th March 1942 and launched
on 7th July 1943 by Mrs
Pitohar
as the 11th
RN ship to carry this name, introduced
in
1546 for a Galley. It had last been used
for an Accommodation
Ship
during WW1. Build was completed on 12th
December 1943. An Anti-submarine
Ahead Throwing Mortar (HEDGEHOG)
and a centimetric
surface warning radar (Type 273) as well
as a standard
fire-control radar (Type 285) were all
fitted during build. Following a
successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in April 1942 this ship had
been adopted by the civil community of
Hale., then in Cheshire.
B a
t t 1
e H o n o u r s
ARMADA 1599 -
CHINA 1900 - ATLANTIC 194-45 - ENGLISH
CHANNEL 1944 - NORMANDY 1944 - KOREA
1951*
(*
Awarded
for UN Service)
H e
r a l d i
c D
a t a
Badge:
b a Field
White , a Hart statant White
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
1943
December
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service in 7th Escort Group based at
Greenock.
12th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
Took passage to Tobermory on completion
of trials and storing.
1
9 4 4
January
Joined Group at Greenock on completion
of work-up.
Deployed for convoy defence in NW
Approaches and Irish Sea
February
Atlantic convoy escort and support in
continuation.
Nominated for transfer to Gibraltar with
Group
March
Transferred to Gibraltar for convoy
defence.
Deployed in Atlantic and Western
Mediterranean
April
Gibraltar deployment in continuation.
Nominated for anti-submarine duty in
support of planned Allied landings in
Normandy.
(Operation NEPTUNE -For details of naval
activities prior to and during Allied
landings see OPERATION NEPTUNE by K
Edwards, LANDINGS IN NORMANDY
June 1944 (HMSO) and for information
about all mercantiles and warships
taking part
D-DAY SHIPS by J de Winser.)
May
Passage to Clyde
Nominated for duly in Escort Group 113
for escort of military convoy Solent.
with HM Sloop WHIMBREL, HM Destroyer
BLENCATHRA and HM Frigates
WHITAKER and WALDEGRAVE.
Took part in preparatory exercises for
NEPTUNE deployment.
Joined Escort Group at Milford Haven
31st
During passage from Milford Haven to the
Solent collided with HM Sloop ROCHESTER
in thick fog off Lands End.
(Note: Bow structure was damaged when
HMS ROCHESTER was struck amidships.
The damage was not repaired until after
the Normandy landings.)
June
Nominated for
escort of military Convoy EBP2 with
ships of Group and HM Frigates
SPRAGGE and STOCKHAM of 112 Escort
Group.
(Note: Convoy consisted of five
Personnel ships carrying Pre-loaded US
Army Build-
up
Division to
Western Task Force area.)
4th
Operation postponed 24 hours.
6th
Joined EPB2 with ship of 112th and 113th
Escort Groups in Bristol Channel.
7th
Passage to Solent as escort for EBP2.
8th
Detached from EBP2 on arrival off beach
head and took passage to Plymouth.
Deployed for escort of Build-up Phase
convoys in Channel with ships of Group
27th
Retained in Channel for escort and
anti-submarine patrol duties on
termination of
NEPTUNE.
July
Continued deployment in Channel.
to
August
September
Channel deployment in continuation
based at
Plymouth
19th.
In collision with troopship ss VIKING.
October
Taken in hand for repair and refit by HM
Dockyard, Devonport.
November
Under refit.
Nominated for service with 22nd Escort
Group on completion.
December
Carried out Post refit trials at
Plymouth on completion of dockyard work.
23rd
Took passage to Tobermory for work-up.
26th
Commenced work-up programme.
1
9 4 5
January
On completion of work-up took passage to
Liverpool to join Group.
Deployed with Group in Irish Sea and NW
Approaches for Atlantic convoy defence.
(Note: During this period SCHNORKEL
fitted U-Boats were concentrating
attacks in coastal
waters. See SEEK AND STRIKE by W
Hackmann, BUSINESS IN GREAT
WATERS by J Terraine, U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO) and
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
16th
Took part in sustained anti-submarine
operation with ships of Group in
North Channel after
HM Escort Aircraft Carrier THANE had
bean torpedoed.
U482 was detected and sunk in combined
attacks with HM Sloops AMETHYST,
PEACOCK,
STARLING and HM Frigate LOCH CRAGGIE
(See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
February
Western Approaches convoy defence and
anti-submarine patrols in continuation.
to
Nominated for service in Pacific after
refit.
April
May
After VE-Day prepared for foreign
service at Devonport.
June
Took passage from Plymouth to Malta
for work-up before joining British
Pacific
Fleet
Forward
Base at Manus, Admiralty Islands.
July
On completion of Mediterranean work-up
took passage to Colombo.
August
20th
At Colombo and diverted to join Fleet at
Hong long.
Nominated for service with Task Group
111.5.
(Note: Task Force comprised HM Light.
Fleet Aircraft Carrier GLORY, HM Sloops
AMETHYST, HART, HM Australian Destroyer
VENDETTA and RAN minesweepers.)
P
o s t W a
r N o t e s
HMS
HART was present at Rabaul
on
6th September for the formal surrender
of Japanese forces
in the area which was signed on
board HMS GLORY. The ship remained in
the Far East
until 1951 and had joined the 3rd
Frigate Flotilla in 1949 when the
British Pacific Fleet was renamed Far
East
Fleet. She was deployed with the UN
naval forces off Korea after the
outbreak
war as recognised by the KOREA Battle
Honour. In May 1951 this Sloop returned
to UK and was Paid-off
into Reserve at Plymouth. After
a period laid-up at Plymouth she was
transferred to Lisahally,
Ulster. She was later returned to
Plymouth and was placed on the Disposal
List.
During November 1957 the ship was sold
to the Federal German Republic and
refitted in UK before being renamed SCHEER
on 24th
January 1958. She was deployed as a
Radar Training Ship until 1967 when stricken
from the Active List. In March
1971 the ship was sold for demolition
and broken-up in Hamburg.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
HART
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
07/02/44
|
10/02/44
|
ON
223
|
11/02/44
|
24/02/44
|
05/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
HX
278
|
17/02/44
|
20/02/44
|
14/02/44
|
18/02/44
|
ON
224
|
20/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
12/01/45
|
13/01/45
|
ONS
040
|
14/01/45
|
30/01/45
|
16/01/45
|
29/01/45
|
SC
165
|
29/01/45
|
31/01/45
|
07/02/45
|
unknown
|
HX
337
|
unknown
|
21/02/45
|
21/02/45
|
22/02/45
|
ON
286
|
22/02/45
|
09/03/45
|
23/02/45
|
unknown
|
HX
340
|
unknown
|
10/03/45
|
28/02/45
|
unknown
|
HX
341
|
unknown
|
15/03/45
|
29/03/45
|
unknown
|
HX
347
|
unknown
|
14/04/45
|
03/04/45
|
unknown
|
HX
348
|
unknown
|
20/04/45
|
17/04/45
|
18/04/45
|
ON
297
|
18/04/45
|
02/05/45
|
05/05/45
|
12/05/45
|
MKS
099G
|
12/05/45
|
12/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)