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
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|
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)
