Modified BLACK SWAN-Class Sloop ordered from Yarrow's at
Scotstoun under the 1940 Build Programme on 27th torch 1941. The ship
was laid down 0n 17th March 1942 and launched on 21st December 1942 by Mrs Mitchell as the 7th RN ship to carry the
name, introduced in 1761 and last used by a WW1 destroyer sunk in 1917. Build
was completed on 12th May 1943 and the ship was fitted with an anti-submarine
ahead throwing mortar (HEDGEHOG) as well as
Type 272 surface warning radar and Type 285 for fire control of main armament.
Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign she had been
adopted by the civil community of Runcorn Rural District ,
Lancashire, now in the county of Cheshire.
B a t t l e H o n o
u r s
BUENOS AIRES 1807 - SICILY
1943 - ATLANTIC 1943-44 - OKINAWA
1945
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field White, a pheasant
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
May Contractor's
trials and commissioned for service in 7th Escort Group.
12th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On
completion of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory
Commenced work-up for operational service at Tobermory.
June Transferred to Scapa Flow to complete working-up.
12th
Joined Group baaed at Greenock for
convoy escort duty.
28th Deployed as escort
for military Convoy KMS18
July
Deployed on escort of
military convoys to Mediterranean for Sicily landings.
(Operation HUSKY – For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett,
Naval Staff History and for information about all mercantiles and warships
involved BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
7th Detached
from KMF18 at Bone.
9th Part of
escort for military convoy KMS19 during passage from Bone to beachhead in
Sicily.
10th
Joined Support Force East for
landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY).
13th Detached
from KMF19 on arrival and deployed for convoy escort.
Grounded of Tripoli during
escort duty in Mediterranean.
Docking deferred to enable ship to take part in support of planned landings .
Deployed for escort and support duty despite limitations.
On
release from HUSKY took passage to UK
August
2nd
Under repair at Clyde shipyard.
September On completion
carried out post repair
trials.
27th
Rejoined Group for escort duty in
North Atlantic.
October
Escorted convoy to St. Johns,
Newfoundland and a returning UK convoy.
November
Deployed with Group in the Support
role with EG7
(For details of new weapons and tactics in defence of convoys see SEEK. AND
STRIKE by
W
Hackmann, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO), THE BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by D
Macintyre and BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS by J Terraine).
14th
Supported Convoy MKS30/SL139 on
passage to UK from Gibraltar under attack off the
coast
of
Portugal from SCHILL Groups of U-Boats.
For details see above references and U333 by P Cremer).
18th
Joined escort for joint Convoy
MKS30/SL139 with HM Sloops CHANTICLEER and CRANE
and took part in search for U515
(Note: During this anti-submarine operation HMS CHANTICLEER was hit by an
acoustic
torpedo and badly damaged beyond
economic repair.)
December
1st
Taken in hand for refit in commercial shipyard at
Newport, Mon.
1 9 4 4
January
Under refit
Nominated for duty in Mediterranean with 55th Escort Group.
24th On
completion of post refit trials prepared for foreign service.
February Escorted
military convoy KMF28A during passage to Gibraltar to join Group.
March Deployed
with Group for convoy escort between Gibraltar and Port Said.
to
September
October Passage
to UK.
12th Taken
in hand for refit in commercial shipyard at Leith.
November Under refit
Nominated for service with Eastern Fleet in Indian Ocean.
December Carried out
post refit trials on completion of shipyard work.
7th
Prepared for foreign service.
20th Joined
escort for UK - Gibraltar convoy for passage.
26th
Detached at Gibraltar for repair of defects.
1 9 4 5
January Under
repair
Deployment changed and ship transferred for escort duty during operations by
British Pacific
Fleet in SW Pacific.
13th Took
passage via Red Sea, Colombo and Darwin to Join Fleet.
February On passage
in Indian Ocean.
March
5th
Joined BPF at Manus and allocated for duty with Fleet Train for AA Defence.
17th
Deployed with HM Destroyer KEMPENFELT as Task Unit 112.2.5 for defence of Fleet
Replenishment ships included tankers SAN ADOLPHO, SAN AMBROSIO.
28th
Provided air defence for ships of Replenishment Group including HM Escort
Carriers STRIKER
and SPEAKER
with HM Sloop CRANE, HM Frigate FINDHORN, HM Destroyers
KEMPENFELT and WHIRLWIND
(Note: Ship relieved later by HM Destroyers QUALITY and WHELP during air
operations by
aircraft carriers of British Task Force 57 against Sakishima Gunto airfields.
For details of British Pacific Fleet activities see THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by John
Winton, TASK FORCE57 by Peter Smith, OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray and WAR
WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
April Fleet
Train AA defence in continuation.
May
6th
Escorted Replenishment Group including HM Escort Carriers RULER, STRIKER, CHASER
and SPEAKER with HM Sloops CRANE, WHIMBREL, HM Corvette WOODSTOCK (RCN)
and Royal Australian Navy warships during continuation of joint RN/USN
operations against
targets in Sakishima-Gunto Islands by Task Force 57.
June
Maintenance and leave period in Australia.
July Fleet
train deployment in continuation.
August
15th After
VJ Day transferred to RN control joined frigates of British Pacific Fleet for
support of
reoccupation operations and repatriation based at Hong Kong.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS PHEASANT was deployed with
the 1st Escort Group and refitted at Brisbane during October 1945. She then returned to Hong Kong as part
of the 32nd Escort Group for patrol in defence of British shipping. Later in
1946 she took passage to UK to Pay-off
and reduce to Reserve status at Portsmouth. During 1954 she was transferred to
the Reserve Fleet at Barry and
Lair-up for six years. By that time her condition had deteriorated and she was
placed on the Disposal List at Plymouth and sold to BISCO for demolition by
West of Scotland Shipbreakers at Troon. The ship arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard on 15th January
1963.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
PHEASANT
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
28/06/43
|
28/06/43
|
KMF 018
|
07/07/43
|
11/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
GUS 010
|
22/07/43
|
09/08/43
|
18/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
MKS 018
|
22/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
24/07/43
|
MKF 019
|
30/07/43
|
30/07/43
|
05/10/43
|
10/10/43
|
ON 205
|
13/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
05/10/43
|
14/10/43
|
HX 260
|
16/10/43
|
20/10/43
|
18/10/43
|
20/10/43
|
ON 207
|
27/10/43
|
04/11/43
|
06/11/43
|
09/11/43
|
SC 146
|
13/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
06/11/43
|
13/11/43
|
HX 265
|
16/11/43
|
21/11/43
|
16/11/43
|
18/11/43
|
SL 139MK
|
25/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
01/02/44
|
01/02/44
|
KMF 028A
|
08/02/44
|
08/02/44
|
03/02/44
|
13/02/44
|
MKF 028A
|
16/02/44
|
20/02/44
|
24/02/44
|
03/03/44
|
GUS 032
|
07/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
23/02/44
|
10/03/44
|
UGS 034
|
20/03/44
|
20/03/44
|
30/03/44
|
31/03/44
|
MKS 045
|
11/04/44
|
11/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
KMS 047
|
27/04/44
|
27/04/44
|
04/05/44
|
05/05/44
|
GUS 039
|
15/05/44
|
29/05/44
|
30/05/44
|
30/05/44
|
MKS 051
|
09/06/44
|
09/06/44
|
14/06/44
|
14/06/44
|
KMS 053
|
23/06/44
|
24/06/44
|
04/07/44
|
05/07/44
|
GUS 045
|
11/07/44
|
29/07/44
|
24/06/44
|
14/07/44
|
UGS 046
|
19/07/44
|
20/07/44
|
28/07/44
|
29/07/44
|
MKS 057
|
08/08/44
|
08/08/44
|
13/08/44
|
13/08/44
|
KMS 059
|
23/08/44
|
23/08/44
|
18/12/44
|
18/12/44
|
OS 099KM
|
26/12/44
|
21/12/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)