Black Swan-class sloop
HMS Black Swan in April 1945
|
|
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Black Swan class |
| Operators: | |
| Built: | 1938–1946 |
| In commission: | 1939–1967 |
| Planned: | 42 |
| Completed: | 12 (original) + 25 (modified) |
| Cancelled: | 5 |
| Lost: | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Sloop-of-war |
| Displacement: |
|
| Length: | 299 ft 6 in (91.29 m) |
| Beam: |
|
| Draught: | 11 ft (3.4 m) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: |
|
| Range: | 7,500 nmi (13,900 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h) |
| Complement: |
|
| Armament: |
|
The Black Swan class and Modified Black Swan class were two classes of sloop of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy. Twelve Black Swans were launched between 1939 and 1943, including four for the Royal Indian Navy; twenty-five Modified Black Swans were launched between 1942 and 1945, including two for the Royal Indian Navy; several other ships were cancelled.
Like corvettes, sloops of that period were specialised convoy-defence vessels, except that sloops were larger and faster, and possessed much superior anti-aircraft fire control via the Fuze Keeping Clock and a heavy armament of high angle 4-inch guns, while retaining excellent anti-submarine capability. They were designed to have a longer range than a destroyer at the expense of a lower top speed, while remaining capable of outrunning surfaced Type VII and Type IX U-boats.
In World War II, Black Swan-class sloops sank 29 U-boats. The most famous sloop commander was Captain Frederic John Walker. His sloop Starling became one of the most successful submarine hunters, taking part in the sinking of eleven U-boats.
After the war, sloops continued in service with the Royal Navy, Egyptian Navy, Indian Navy, Pakistan Navy and the West German Navy. In April 1949, Amethyst was attacked on the Yangtze River by the Communist People's Liberation Army.
...
Wikipedia