HMAS Swan (U74) - Design and Construction

Design and Construction

The Grimsby class consisted of thirteen sloops, four of which were built in Australia for the RAN. Swan, one of the first pair, had a displacement of 1,060 tons at standard load and 1,500 tons at full load, was 266 feet 3 inches (81.15 m) long, had a beam of 36 feet (11 m), and a draught of between 7.5 and 10 feet (2.3 and 3.0 m) depending on load. Propulsion machinery consisted of two Admiralty 3-drum boilers connected to Parsons geared turbines, which delivered 2,000 shaft horsepower (1,500 kW) to the sloop's two propeller shafts. Maximum speed was 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph). The ship's company in peacetime consisted of 135 officers and sailors; this increased to 160 during the war.

Swan's initial armament consisted of three QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk V anti-aircraft guns. From 1944, this was increased to four QF 4 inch Mk XVI guns in 2 twin mounts, four QF 3 pounder guns, a machine gun, two depth charge throwers, and two twin 21-inch torpedo tube sets.

Swan was laid down by the Cockatoo Island Dockyard at Sydney, New South Wales on 1 May 1935. She was launched on 28 March 1936, and commissioned into the RAN on 21 January 1937.