HMS Shearwater (L39)

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History
Class and type:	Kingfisher-class sloop
Name:	HMS Shearwater
Builder:	J. Samuel White, Cowes
Laid down:	15 August 1938
Launched:	18 April 1939
Commissioned:	7 September 1939
Fate:	Sold for scrapping on 21 April 1947
General characteristics
Displacement:	580 tons (750 tons full)
Length:	234 ft (71 m)
Beam:	26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
Draught:	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Propulsion:	Two x Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers Parsons geared steam turbines Two shafts 3,600 shp
Speed:	20 knots
Range:	160 tons oil
Complement:	60
Armament:	1 × QF 4 in Mark V L/45 gun, mount HA Mk.III 4 × QF 0.5 in Mark III Vickers machine guns, quad mount HA Mk.III
Notes:	Pennant number L39 (later K39)

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

HMS Shearwater was a Kingfisher-class sloop of the Royal Navy.

Shearwater was laid down at J. Samuel White, Cowes on 15 August 1938. She was launched on 18 April 1939 and commissioned on 7 September 1939. She served during the Second World War and was adopted by Farnborough Urban District Council during Warship Week in 1942.

She survived the War and sold for scrapping on 21 April 1947. She was broken up by Stockton Ship & Salvage Company.

She was the fictional HMS Winger in Nicholas Monsarrat's book 'Corvette Command' of the Three Corvettes series. This vessel was also the very first sloop to be commanded by an RNVR officer.

Publications

• HMS Shearwater at Uboat.net
• Monsarrat, Nicholas, Corvette Command, Cassell, 1944