HMS Sparrow (U71)

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

History
United Kingdom
Name	Sparrow
Namesake	Sparrow
Ordered	8 December 1942
Builder	William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton
Laid down	30 November 1944
Launched	18 February 1946
Commissioned	16 December 1946
Decommissioned	1953
Identification	Pennant number: U71
Fate	Scrapped in 1957
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	6 × QF 4 in Mk XVI anti-aircraft guns 12 × 20 mm anti-aircraft guns

HMS Sparrow was a modified Black Swan-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton on 30 November 1944, launched on 16 February 1946 and commissioned on 16 December 1946, with the pennant number U71.

Construction and career

Commissioned in 1946, she therefore did not experience the fighting of the Second World War.

HMS Sparrow served in the Royal Navy for the North America and West Indies Station. She remained at this station outside of returning to the United Kingdom for a return to service until 1953, when he left for the Far East to join the 3rd flotilla of frigates. Her brief service there includes a period of service with the Royal Navy elements of the UN Task Force deployed off the west coast of Korea.

In January 1951, after the end of the Korean War, he was redeployed to the South Atlantic until March 1956 when he returned to the United Kingdom to be transferred to the Portsmouth reserve. Registered on the withdrawal list in 1957, it was sold to BISCO for dismantling by Metal Industries and arrived at the demolition site in Charlestown on 26 May 1958.

Further reading

• Gardiner, Robert Gardiner (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. Conway Maritime Press. p. 456. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Gardiner, Robert Gardiner (1996). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. 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.