Operational History
Swan's first operation was with British blockade forces in the Far East, particularly around the Philippines, Celebes, and Malaya. On 2 July 1917, the destroyer sailed for the Mediterranean, meeting all five of her sister ships en route. The Australian destroyers were based at Brindisi as an anti-submarine force. The patrols were uneventful, and the only action Swan saw was when she was diverted to perform shore bombardments during the Second Battle of Durazzo on 2 October 1918. On 25 October, Swan and Warrego sailed to Port Said to meet a troop transport convoy and their Japanese escort, and accompany them to Salonika. The ship received the battle honour "Adriatic 1917–18" for her wartime service.
After the end of World War I, Swan was assigned to an Allied fleet responsible for taking over Russian anti-Bolshevik naval units as Sebastapol. She then sailed in December with the French destroyer Bisson to report on conditions in the eastern Ukraine, although they reached their destination, an advance by Bolshevik forces caused the cancellation of the mission. Swan sailed to Gibraltar, where she, her sister ships, and the cruiser HMAS Melbourne departed for Australia on 3 January 1919. Swan operated in Australian waters until June 1920, when she was placed in reserve. In 1925, the destroyer was reactivated and sent to Tasmania, whwere she spent the next two years alternating between operational and reserve status.
Read more about this topic: HMAS Swan (D61)
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