Name HMS Amethyst Commissioned 2 November 1943 Launched 7 May 1943 Weight 1,372 tons | Laid down 25 March 1942 Construction started 25 March 1942 Length 86 m Displacement 1.225 million kg | |
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Fate Scrapped 19 January 1957 Builder Alexander Stephen and Sons | ||
HMS Amethyst was a Modified Black Swan-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Alexander Stephen and Sons of Linthouse, Govan Scotland on 25 March 1942, launched on 7 May 1943 and commissioned on 2 November 1943, with the pennant number U16. After the Second World War she was modified and redesignated as a frigate, and renumbered F116.
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Second World War
During World War II, Amethyst was deployed mostly on anti-submarine patrols and escort duties. On 20 February 1945 she attacked and sank the U-boat U-1276 with depth charges. U-1276 had just sunk HMS Vervain, a Flower-class corvette. The action took place in the North Atlantic, south of Waterford and resulted in the loss of all 49 of the U-boat's crew.
During the war the Amethyst was credited, along with the sloops Starling, Peacock, Hart, and frigate Loch Craggie, with sinking the German submarine U-482 in the North Channel on 16 January 1945. The British Admiralty withdrew this credit in a post-war reassessment.
The Yangtse Incident
On 20 April 1949, Amethyst was on her way from Shanghai to Nanking (now Nanjing) when she was fired upon by the People's Liberation Army, thus starting the Amethyst Incident. Amethyst was trapped in China until 30 July 1949.
For the 1957 film Yangtse Incident: The Story of HMS Amethyst, Amethyst was brought out of storage to play herself. As her engines were no longer operational, her sister ship, Magpie, was used for shots of the ship moving. Amethyst was scrapped shortly after the filming was finished.
Trivia
Amethyst was home to Simon, the only cat to be awarded the Dickin Medal, to honour the work of animals in war, as well as a Blue Cross medal, the Amethyst campaign medal, and the fanciful rank of "Able Seacat".