SAVAGE or S-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered
from J S White, Cowes, IoW in January 1941 with the 5th Emergency Flotilla and
laid down on 12th June 1941. The ship was launched on
15th June 1943 as the 28th RN warship to carry
the name, introduced in 1549 and
last used for a Flotilla Leader sold in 1921. Completion was delayed until 6th
December 1943 due to design and production difficulties which affected delivery of the guns and the associated fire
control units. On completion the
ship worked up at Scapa Flow prior to joining the 23rd Destroyer Flotilla, Home
Fleet. In March 1942 after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign
she was adopted by the civil community of Edenbridge, Kent.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
DOVER PATROL 1915-18 - BELGIAN COAST 1917-18 -
ZEEBRUGGE 1918 - ARCTIC 1944 - NORMANDY 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field White. a swift volant 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 3
December
Contractor's Trials and commissioning.
12th Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
1 9 4 4
January On completion of trials and storing took passage to
Scapa Flow.
Deployed for work-up with ships of Home Fleet.
February
6th Joined escort of return Russian Convoy RA56 from Kola Inlet with HM
Destroyers
OBEDIENT and VERULAM during passage.
(Note: These destroyers were sent to replace HM
Destroyer HARDY which had been sunk
and HM Destroyer OBDURATE which had been damaged
during escort of the earlier
outward Convoy JW56A from Loch Ewe to Kola
Inlet.).
9th Detached from escort with same ships and returned to Scapa Flow.
22nd Joined screen for HM Cruiser BLACK PRINCE with HM Destroyers
MAHRATTA,
SAVAGE,
MATCHLESS, METEOR, MILNE, OBEDIENT, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT,
ORIBI, SERAPIS, VERULAM and
VIGILANT as escort for outward Russian Convoy JW57
to Kola Inlet.
28th Detached from JW57 on arrival at Kola Inlet.
March
2nd Joined return Russian Convoy RA57 as screen for HMS BLACK PRINCE
with the same
destroyers except HMS MAHRATTA which had been
sunk by U990 on outward passage.
3rd Under attack by U739 which fired an acoustic torpedo which failed
to hit the ship.
7th Detached from RA57 with some of escort.
(For details of all Russian Convoy operations
see ARCTIC CONVOYS by R. Woodhead
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield, CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA by RA Ruegg and
CONVOY! by P Kemp.)
8th Resumed Home Fleet duties with Flotilla.
April Deployed with Flotilla in Home Fleet.
May Nominated for duty with Flotilla in support of
Normandy landings.
(Operation NEPTUNE - For details of naval
activities prior to and during this
operation see
NORMANDY LANDINGS JUNE 1944 (HMSO), OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K.
Edwards.
and D-DAY SHIPS by J de Winser.)
Allocated to Force S with HM Destroyers
IMPULSIVE, KELVIN, SAUMAREZ, SAVAGE,
SCORPION, SCOURGE, SERAPIS and Norwegian STORD
for gunfire support and patrol
duties.
Target allocated in Pre-Arranged fire plan was
Franceville defences in
SWORD Beach area.
Took part in preparatory exercises with Home
Fleet ships.
June Passage to Clyde.
2nd Deployed with HMS SAUMAREZ and Norwegian destroyer STORD as escort
for ships of
Bombarding Force D to Solent area.
(Note: These were HM Battleship WARSPITE, HM
Battleship RAMILLIES and HM
Cruiser MAURITIUS).
4th Operation delayed by 24 hours.
5th Passage through swept channel to beachhead as escort for Bombarding
Force D.
6th Took up assigned bombardment position before assault on SWORD Beach
to provide gunfire
support in accordance with Fire Plan.
On completion of initial bombardment supported
assault troops as required.
Rescued survivors from Norwegian destroyer HM
Nor. Ship SVENNER.
(Note: Ex HM Destroyer SHARK) sunk by torpedo
from E-Boat off SWORD Beach
during landings in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).
7th Deployed in Eastern Task Force area for gunfire support and for
patrol off the beachheads to
prevent attacks by enemy surface craft and
submarines on convoys.
23rd Replenished at Portsmouth as required.
24th Detonated mine off SWORD beachhead and sank after breaking in two.
There were 53 casualties.
Addenda
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
SWIFT
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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03/02/44
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06/02/44
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RA 056
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09/02/44
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11/02/44
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20/02/44
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22/02/44
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JW 057
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28/02/44
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28/02/44
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02/03/44
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02/03/44
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RA 057
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07/03/44
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10/03/44
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(Note on Convoys)
THE FINAL MOMENTS OF HMS
SWIFT
with thanks to Colin Henderson
The photographs of the sinking HMS SWIFT were taken by Lieutenant
Peter Musgrave of LCI(S).518 who was on duty off Sword
Beach from D-Day until September 1944.
You can see G.46 on the stern. Peter also took photos on June 5th of HMS MAURITIUS
and HMS MALAYA (on which he served) and also H Norwegian MS STORD which was the
escort ship to the Commando LCI(S) flotillas. He would have taken more photos
of the D-day landings but at 0910 just as he was about to take a shot, a shell
killed all his ramp party and about six commandos. Sub Lieut
Peter Musgrave, as he was then, was in charge of the radar on landing
craft LCI(S).518 and also the ramp party. The CO of 518 was Lieutenant Commander
Jack Deslandes who was also flotilla leader for his
ten LCI(s) carrying 45 RM Commando and 3 Commando. Peter Musgrave was earlier
an Able Seaman on HMS Malaya. I have photos of him as an Able Seaman and as a
Sub Lieutenant. |