HMS Opossum (U33)

HMS Opossum was a modified Black Swan-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton on 28 July 1943, launched on 30 November 1944 and commissioned on 16 June 1945, with the pennant number U33.[1]

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Opossum.

History
United Kingdom
Name: Opossum
Namesake: Opossum
Ordered: 12 August 1941
Builder: William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton
Laid down: 28 July 1943
Launched: 30 November 1944
Commissioned: 16 June 1945
Decommissioned: 1950s
Identification: Pennant number: U33
Status: Scrapped in 1960
General characteristics
Class and type: Modified Black Swan-class sloop
Displacement: 1,350 tons
Length: 283 ft (86 m)
Beam: 38.5 ft (11.7 m)
Propulsion:
  • Geared turbines
  • two shafts
Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h) at 4,300 hp (3,200 kW)
Complement: 192 men + 1 Cat
Armament:

Construction and career

Opossum was put into service after the German surrender. This ship is fitted with Brown / Denny stabilizers to provide a better artillery platform. The double Oerlikon guns were withdrawn and replaced by two 40mm Bofors type guns with protection of the tubes towards the superstructure. A number of depth charge racks were also removed. It is equipped with type 271 aircraft search radar, type 293 surface radar and type 285 fire radar. The weaponry is adjusted for kamikaze type raids.[2]

HMS Opossum joined the British Pacific Fleet in August 1945 for the Pacific Theater. At the end of the war, she joined the 33rd Escort Flotilla of the British Pacific Fleet based in Hong Kong, then underwent upgrades in Sydney in mid-1946.[3]

In 1947, she returned to the United Kingdom to be put on reserve status at Portsmouth. He returned to service in 1951 after the outbreak of the Korean War where she served in the Royal Navy element of the UN naval forces as part of the 3rd Frigate Flotilla. She left the Far East in 1957 and was transferred to the 7th Frigate Squadron serving in the South Atlantic.

Two years later, she was again put to the Reserve and remained in Devonport until 1960, when he was placed on the destruction list.

Sold to Bisco for demolition by Demmelweek and Redding, the ship arrives in tow at the wrecking yard in Plymouth on 26 April 1960.

See also

References
  1. "History | HMS Opossum". Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  2. "HMS Opossum (U 33) of the Royal Navy - British Sloop of the Modified Black Swan class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  3. "HMS Opposum, sloop". www.naval-history.net. Retrieved 20 October 2020.

Further readings
  • Blackman, Raymond V. B. (1971). Jane's Fighting Ships 1971–72. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company. ISBN 0-354-00096-9.
  • Blair, Clay Gardiner (2000). Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945. Vol. 3. New York: Modern Library. ISBN 0-679-64033-9.
  • Gardiner, Robert Gardiner (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships (1922-1946). Vol. 3. Conway Maritime Press. p. 456. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • Gardiner, Robert Gardiner (1996). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships (1947-1995). Vol. 4. US Naval Institute Press. p. 675. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • Hague, Arnold (1993). Sloops: A History of the 71 Sloops Built in Britain and Australia for the British, Australian and Indian Navies 1926–1946. Kendal, England: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-67-3.
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