HMS Sword Dance (T132) was a Dance-class naval trawler built by Henry Robb Ltd in Leith. [1] She was laid down on 2 March 1940, and launched from the yard on 3 September 1940. She was commissioned into H.M. Forces on 20th of January 1941. It was considered to be part of "The Little Ship Navy" and carried out minesweeping and anti-submarine duties. It is similar to Tree-class trawlers and Isles-class trawlers. [2] [1] [3] [4] [5]
Sword Dance had a overall length of 150 feet (46 m) or 164 ft (50 m), a beam of 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m) or 27 ft 8 in (8.43 m) with a draught of 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m) or 11 ft 1 in (3.38 m). She had a complement of 35 or 40 officers and ratings and her coal-fired reciprocating engine had one shaft producing 850 indicated horsepower (630 kW). Her single propeller gave her a speed of 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) or 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). She was equipped with one 4-inch (102 mm) gun and three 20-millimetre (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns. Her displacement was 530 tons or 545 tons. [6] [7] [8]
During the early hours of 5 July 1942, whilst acting as escort to the East coast convoy WN 5, Sword Dance was rammed in dense fog by one of merchant ships of the convoy, Thyra-II. [2] The starboard coalbunker was holed in, the engine room rapidly flooded, and Sword Dance sank in less than an hour. The ship was in Moray Firth when she sank. [2] [5]