HMAS Swan (DE 50)

HMAS Swan (DE 50), named for the Swan River, was a River-class destroyer escort of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Constructed in Melbourne following the loss of HMAS Voyager, Swan entered service in 1970.

For other ships with the same name, see HMAS Swan.

History
Australia
NamesakeThe Swan River
BuilderWilliamstown Dockyard
Laid down16 February 1965
Launched16 December 1967
Commissioned20 January 1970
Decommissioned13 September 1996
Motto"Forward"
Nickname(s)"Fluffy Duck" or "Duck", "Swarrens"
Honours and
awards		Four inherited battle honours
FateSunk as dive wreck in 1997
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeRiver-class destroyer escort
Displacement2,700 tons
Length372 ft (113 m)
Beam41 ft (12 m)
Draught15 ft (4.6 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 × English Electric steam turbines
  • 2 shafts; 30,000 shp (22,000 kW)
Speed30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1979:
  • Mulloka sonar system
  • AN/SPS-55 surface-search/navigation radar
Armament
  • 2 × 4.5-inch (110 mm) Mk 6 gun
  • 1 × Limbo Mk 10 anti-submarine mortar (removed 1984)
  • 1 × quad Seacat surface-to-air launcher
  • 1 × Ikara anti-submarine warfare system (installed 1973)
  • 2 × triple-barrel Mk 32 torpedo tubes

During her career, the ship was deployed to South East Asia on several occasions as part of ANZUK forces. She was modernised in the mid-1980s, then was assigned to the recently opened west coast naval base HMAS Stirling. Following the integration of women into the RAN, Swan was the site of sexual harassment and discrimination claims, leading to an Australian Defence Force-wide inquiry.

Swan paid off in 1996, and was sunk as a dive wreck off the coast of Dunsborough, Western Australia at the end of 1997.

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