| Navy | The Royal Australian Navy |
| Type | Sloop |
| Class | Grimsby |
| Pennant | L 74 / U 74 |
| Built by | Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Co. Ltd. (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) |
| Ordered | 2 Jan 1935 |
| Laid down | 1 May 1935 |
| Launched | 28 Mar 1936 |
| Commissioned | 21 Jan 1937 |
| End service | 20 Sep 1962 |
| History | Decommissioned on 20 September 1962. |
Commands listed for HMAS Swan (L 74 / U 74)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | ||
| 1 | Lt.Cdr. Edward James Prevost, RN | 1 Sep 1939 | 14 May 1940 | |
| 2 | Lt.Cdr. Alan Jeger Travis, RAN | 15 May 1940 | 8 Jul 1942 | |
| 3 | Cdr. George Carmichael Oldham, RAN | 9 Jul 1942 | 18 Sep 1943 | |
| 4 | Lt.Cdr. Andrew Veitch Bunyan, RANR(S) | 19 Sep 1943 | 15 Sep 1944 | |
| 5 | T/A/Lt.Cdr. Douglas Winston Hodges, RANR(S) | 15 Sep 1944 | 17 Nov 1944 | |
| 6 | Lt. William John Dovers, RAN | 10 Feb 1945 | 15 Oct 1945 | |
You can help improve our commands section
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this vessel.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve this ships page.
Notable events involving Swan include:
23 May 1942
At 1000 hours, HrMs Tromp (Cdr. J.B. de Meester, RNN) and HMAS Arunta (Cdr. J.C. Morrow, DSO, RAN), turned over the escort of convoy ZK 8 over to HMAS Swan (Lt.Cdr. A.J. Travis, RAN), HMAS Goulburn (Lt. B. Paul, RANR(S)) and HMAS Cessnock (A/Lt.Cdr. T.S. Marchington, RANR(S)).
HrMs Tromp and HMAS Arunta then reversed course to return to Sydney. (1)
9 May 1945
Around 1430K/9 the destroyer HMAS Arunta (Cdr. A.E. Buchanan, DSO, RAN) departed Manus followed around 1800K/9 by the light cruiser HMS Newfoundland (Capt. R.W. Ravenhill, CBE, DSC, RN).
Around 1700I/9, the light cruiser HMAS Hobart (Capt. R.S. Dowling, RAN) and the destroyer HMAS Warramunga (Cdr. M.J. Clark, DSC, RAN) departed Hollandia.
Both forces made rendezvous off Cape Wom around 0800K/10 and the 'Wewak support force' arrived off Wewak around 1300K/10.
After a preliminary run along the coast to search for the targets the sheduled bombardment commenced.
Around 1600K/10, the force retired to seaward for the night.
At 0630K/11, the 'Wewak support force' made rendezvous with the 'Wewak force' made up of the sloop HMAS Swan (Lt. W.J. Dovers, RAN) and minesweepers/corvettes Colac (Lt. K.J. Hopper, RANR(S)) and HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. F.W. Roberts, RANR(S)) and the assault forces proceeded to their fire support areas. From 0730K/11, targets were successfully engaged to cover the assault on Red Beach. The bombardment was completed at 0840K/11.
After the landing the 'Wewak support force' retired to seaward.
Around 1230K/11, HMS Newfoundland obtained an A/S contact which was subsequently depth charged by HMAS Arunta. Both destroyers then continued to search the area during the afternoon but no further contact was obtained.
Around 1700 hours, HMAS Hobart and HMS Newfoundland carried out another bombardment after which the force was released and proceeded to Hollandia arriving there at 0700I/9. (2)
Sources
- File 2.12.03.6849 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
- ADM 53/121909 + Report from HMAS Hobart
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.