HMS Pheasant (U49)
| Photograph of HMS Pheasant moored at a buoy in May 1943 Pheasant moored at a buoy in May 1943 | |
| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Pheasant |
| Namesake: | Pheasant |
| Builder: | Yarrow Shipbuilders |
| Laid down: | 13 July 1942 |
| Launched: | 21 December 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 12 May 1943 |
| Reclassified: | As a frigate in 1947 |
| Fate: | Broken up 1963 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Modified Black Swan class sloop |
| Displacement: | 1,925 tons |
| Length: | 283 ft (86 m) |
| Beam: | 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m) |
| Draught: | 11 ft (3.4 m) |
| Propulsion: |
Geared turbines, 2 shafts 4,300 hp (3.21 MW) |
| Speed: | 20 knots (37 km/h) |
| Range: | 4,500 mi (7,200 km) |
| Complement: | 192 |
| Armament: |
6 × 4-inch (102 mm) AA guns (3 × 2) 4 × 2 pdr AA pom-pom 12 × 20 mm Oerlikon AA (6 × 2) Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Part of: | British Pacific Fleet (1945) |
| Operations: | Operation Husky (1943) |
HMS Pheasant (U49) was a Modified Black Swan-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun, Glasgow on 13 July 1942, launched on 21 December 1942, and commissioned on 12 May 1943.
The Modified Black Swan-class sloops were specialised convoy-defence vessels, with anti-aircraft and 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 the German Type VII and Type IX U-boats when they were surfaced.
The Pheasant had a top speed of 20 knots - their prey, the German U-Boats, could only manage 18 knots (33 km/h) on the surface and no more than 8 knots (15 km/h) submerged.
In the latter part of the war she was sent to the Pacific theatre. There Pheasant served in a task force with the escort carriers HMS Striker and HMS Ruler from April to August 1945.[1][2]
References
3. Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: the complete record of all fighting ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham. ISBN 9781861762818. OCLC 67375475.
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External links
- Family History website with details and photographs Active old shipmates organisation
- HMS PHEASANT Chronologies of War Service on naval-history.net
