BLACK SWAN-Glass Sloop ordered on 29th June
1939 from Furness Shipbuilders under the 1939 Build Programme and laid down on
22nd September 1939. She was launched by Mrs McGovern on 28th November 1940 as
the 3rd RN warship to carry the name, first used for a trawler hired during WW1
.The build was completed on 30th August. 1941. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in March 1942 this ship had been adopted by the civil
community of Stoke Newington, Greater London, now in the Metropolitan Borough
of Hackney.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1941-42 - NORTH AFRICA 1942 - NORMANDY 1944*
(* Awarded to Smoke-Making
Trawler HMS IBIS II used during Normandy landings).
H e r
a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue Issuant from water in a base barry wavvy
of four white and blue, an Ibis Proper
D e t
a i l s o f W a r
Service
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search
1 9 4 1
August Contractors
trials and commissioned for service.
(Note: Original Pennant Number allocated for visual signalling use was L99 but had
been changed
during build to U99)
31st Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
September On completion
of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory.
Carried out Work up for operational service at Tobermory..
Passage to Londonderry on completion of work-up
October Joined 41st
Escort Group at Londonderry on completion.
to
Deployed with Group for escort of OS Series convoys to Freetown and return
convoys in SL Series
December to Liverpool.
(For
details of development of new weapons and anti-submarine defence of convoys
see SEEK
AND
STRIKE by W Hackmann, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO) and HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
1 9 4 2
January West
African route convoy defence in continuation.
to
June
July
Embarked gold bullion for transit to UK and joined escort for return Convoy
SL116.
August Passage to
UK with SL116.
10th Taken
in hand for refit at Tilbury.
September Under refit.
Nominated for support of allied landings in North Africa (Operation TORCH).
23rd On
completion of post refit trials rejoined Western Approaches Command.
October Part of
escort for military convoy KX1(?) to Gibraltar
(Note: This was part of the preliminary build-up for TORCH.)
Joined escort for return convoy to UK.
November Passage to
Gibraltar with escort of main assault convoy KMF1 for landings in North Africa..
8th
Deployed with Eastern Task Force for convoy defence and support during landings
at
Algiers.
10th Sunk
10 miles north of Algiers during attacks by Italian torpedo bombers.
Ship capsized in position 36.55N 03.05E almost immediately.
102 members of ship's company survived.
(For details of TORCH operation see Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Burnett). and for information about all mercantiles and warships
taking part
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
IBIS
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
07/11/41
|
08/11/41
|
OS 011
|
26/11/41
|
28/11/41
|
30/11/41
|
02/12/41
|
SL 094
|
20/12/41
|
30/12/41
|
05/01/42
|
06/01/42
|
OS 016
|
20/01/42
|
23/01/42
|
27/01/42
|
29/01/42
|
SL 099
|
02/02/42
|
16/02/42
|
09/02/42
|
17/02/42
|
SL 100
|
19/02/42
|
04/03/42
|
19/02/42
|
19/02/42
|
SL 100F
|
28/02/42
|
28/02/42
|
04/03/42
|
11/03/42
|
OS 021
|
21/03/42
|
24/03/42
|
24/03/42
|
26/03/42
|
SL 104
|
12/04/42
|
12/04/42
|
22/04/42
|
23/04/42
|
OS 026
|
09/05/42
|
09/05/42
|
13/05/42
|
13/05/42
|
SL 110
|
04/06/42
|
04/06/42
|
21/06/42
|
21/06/42
|
OS 032
|
08/07/42
|
08/07/42
|
15/07/42
|
15/07/42
|
SL 116
|
03/08/42
|
04/08/42
|
01/10/42
|
04/10/42
|
KX 001
|
08/10/42
|
14/10/42
|
02/10/42
|
08/10/42
|
XK 001
|
13/10/42
|
14/10/42
|
26/10/42
|
26/10/42
|
KMF 001
|
08/11/42
|
08/11/42
|
(Note on Convoys)