HMS Opossum (U33)

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

History
United Kingdom
NameOpossum
NamesakeOpossum
Ordered12 August 1941
BuilderWilliam Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton
Laid down28 July 1943
Launched30 November 1944
Commissioned16 June 1945
Decommissioned1950s
IdentificationPennant number: U33
FateScrapped in 1960
General characteristics
Class and typeModified Black Swan-class sloop
Displacement1,350 tons
Length283 ft (86 m)
Beam38.5 ft (11.7 m)
Propulsion
  • Geared turbines
  • two shafts
Speed20 knots (37 km/h) at 4,300 hp (3,200 kW)
Complement192 men + 1 Cat
Armament
  • 6 × QF 4 in Mk XVI anti-aircraft guns
  • 12 × 20 mm anti-aircraft guns

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]

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 The double Oerlikon guns were withdrawn and replaced by two 40mm Bofors type guns with protection of the tubes towards the superstructure.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.

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 reading[]

  • Blair, Clay Gardiner (2000). Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945. New York: Modern Library. ISBN 0-679-64033-9.
  • 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.
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