HMS Swale (K217)

HMS "Swale" (K217) was a River class frigate of the Royal Navy from 1942-1955, loaned to the South African Navy for six months at the end of the Second world War.

Construction

"Swale" was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River class frigate. She was laid down at Smiths Dock Co., South Bank-on-Tees on 19 August 1941 and launched on 16 January 1942. She was commissioned into the RN on 24 June 1942 as K 217 and named for the River Swale in Yorkshire, England.

War service

"Swale" saw extensive service on convoy escort missions and experienced some of the worst days of the Battle of the Atlantic. In March 1943 she was SO (Senior Officer's ship) of the Escort Group (EG) B5, escorting the slow convoy SC 122 [http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/sc122.html] from New York to Liverpool. Of the 51 merchant ships in the convoy, 10 returned to port unable to ride a violent storm, and three days later another 8 were sunk by U-boats.

"Swale" was to have better fortunes two months later. Escorting slow convoy ONS 7 [http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/ons7.html] bound for Halifax, Canada, she sank "U-657" [http://uboat.net/boats/u657.htm] off Cape Farewell, Greenland on the night of 17 May. The U boat had earlier torpedoed the 5,196 GRT steamer "Aymeric", [http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/bank.htm] [http://www.seawaves.com/newsletters/TDIH/may/17May.txt] the last British cargo ship in the Atlantic to be sunk that month, claiming the lives of 53 men. Under the command of Lieutenant Commander John Jackson, DSC, RNR [http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RNR_officersJ.html] , "Swale" moved 6,000 m astern of the doomed "Aymeric" and made asdic contact. After a succession of depth charge and hedgehog attacks, she was rewarded with the sound of several loud explosions and the appearance of burning oil on the surface. The convoy continued to Canada without further loss Gannon, M. (1998). "Black May". ISBN 1-85410-588-4.] .

On the night of 11/12th July 1943 "Swale" sailed from Gibraltar to the aid of the remnants of the small, fast convoy 'Faith' [http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/Mariners/2005-08/1124352772] Munro, A. (2006). "The Winston Specials - Troopships via the Cape 1940-1943". Maritime Books, ISBN 190445920X] , which had originally comprised two troopships, the "California" and the Canadian Pacific liner "Duchess of York", and the merchant ship "Port Fairy", carrying ammunition, from Greenock to Freetown, Sierra Leone [The National Archives, London, ADM 199/1032] . On the 11th July, the convoy was about convert|300|mi|km west of Vigo when it was attacked by three Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft from the Merignac airfield near Bordeaux. Both the "California" and "Duchess of York" were hit and abandoned, to be sunk later by torpedoes from their escorts. Also bombed, "Port Fairy" survived and was ordered to Casablanca for repairs escorted by "Swale". The following day, July 12th, "Port Fairy" and "Swale" were attacked by two Fw 200s returning from a reconnaissance mission off the Portuguese coast. Despite the interception and strafing of the Condors by two US Navy PBY Catalinas Ragnarsson, R. (2006). "US Navy PBY Catalina Units of the Atlantic War", page 65. Osprey Publishing, ISBN 184176910X ] "Port Fairy" was hit on her port quarter by a 50 kg bomb which started a fire; "Swale" came alongside and helped extinguish the flames with her hoses. "Port Fairy" was repaired and remained in service until 1965 [http://www.red-duster.co.uk/PORT6.htm] .

On 6 April 1944 while escorting slow convoy SC 156 from Halifax, Canada to Loch Ewe, Scotland, "Swale" sank "U-302" [http://uboat.net/boats/u302.htm] [http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=302] with depth charges northwest of the Azores after the U-boat penetrated the escort screen and sank the Norwegian merchantmen "Ruth 1" [http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/ruthI.html] and "South America" [http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/southamerica.html] .

Post-war service

"Swale" was loaned to the South African Navy on 26 June 1945 as warship|HMSAS|Swale|K217 but returned to the RN in January 1946. She was scrapped on 26 February 1955.

References

External links

* http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/index.html Comprehensive details of the Atlantic convoys and their fates.