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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2 by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2005

HMS PHEASANT (U 49) - Modified Black Swan-class Sloop including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Pheasant (Navy Photos/Mark Teadham, click to enlarge) return to Contents List 
 

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)

 

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revised 31/5/11
further editing and formatting is required


 

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