HMCS Swansea - K328

A River-class frigate commissioned on 4 October 1943, HMCS Swansea helped sink four U-boats in 1944 and was present at D-Day. She arrived in Halifax on 16 November 1943 where she was assigned to Escort Group 9, making passage to Londonderry, Northern Ireland with Convoy SC.154. She took part in the sinking of German submarine U-845 with Convoy SC.154 on 10 March 1944, U-448 with HMS Pelican on 14 April 1944 and U-311 on 22 April 1944 (which was credited to them post-war). 

She was present on D-Day and continued to patrol the English Channel for the next four months to protect incoming invasion troops. During this time, she assisted with sinking U-247 with HMCS Saint John on 1 September 1944, before being sent for the first tropicalization refits of a frigate for Pacific service from December 1944 to Jul 1945. On Victory Japan Day, she was in the Caribbean assessing the results.

First paid off and put in reserve on 2 November 1945, she was re-commissioned for training cadets and new entries in April 1948 and again following rebuilding in November 1957 as a Prestonian-class ocean escort. Between these two periods of her career, a group of junior hands locked themselves in the mess in protest of their treatment by their commanding officer while the Maingay Commission was still hearing testimony in 1949. The response was a forced entry by armed troops and a rapid court-martial of the senior hands with sentencing including 90 days of hard labour and dishonorable discharge.

In June 1953, the Swansea was part of the Canadian squadron that attended the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II Fleet Review, and she was one of 12 RCN shops to participate in the NATO Exercise New Broom in April 1963. She was finally paid off on 14 October 1966 and broken up in Savona, Italy the following year.

Reference Links:
Government of Canada - HMCS Swansea
For Posterity's Sake - HMCS Swansea
For Posterity's Sake- HMCS SWANSEA K328 / 306 Ship's Company Photos
U-Boat - HMCS Swansea