Admiralty
W-Class Destroyer ordered from
Hawthorn Leslie on 9th December
1916 with the 10th order of the
1916-17
Programme. The ship was laid down
on 10th March 1917 and launched on
28th
December. 1917. She was the 3rd
ship to bear this name introduced
in 1653 and
previously used by a 4th rate in
1756. On completion on 16th March
1918 she
joined the Fleet and was took part
in the operations at
Zeebrugge and Ostend in
April that year. This ship was
present
at the surrender of the German
Fleet on 12th November 1918 and
later deployed
in the
Mediterranean with the 1st
Destroyer Flotilla.
Placed in Reserve in the 1930’s
she was brought forward in August
1939
to attend the Review of the
Reserve Fleet by HM King George VI
in Weymouth manned by Reservists.
Following a successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign in
March 1942 she was adopted by
the civil community of Warwick,
Warwickshire.
1
9 3 9
September
Remained in commission and
took up
war station at
Plymouth
after storing and
completing
to war complement.
Deployed in
Western Approaches Command
based at
Plymouth
for convoy defence and
anti-submarine
patrol.
October
Deployed in SW Approaches,
to
(Note: Outward convoys were
assembled in SW Approaches and
dispersed when
December
submarine attacks were
unlikely
about three days later. Inward
convoys were met
in
same area and escorted into
Liverpool.)
1
9 4 0
January
10th
Deployed with HM Sloop
ENCHANTRESS and HM Destroyer
WANDERER
as escort
for
outward Convoy OG14F on
formation in SW Approaches for
passage to Gibraltar.
Detached with
HMS WANDERER leaving HMS
ENCHANTRESS as escort and took
passage
to join inward Convoy HG14F as
escort during final
stage of passage to Liverpool
with
HM Destroyer WANDERER,
11th
Joined HM Sloops ABERDEEN,
BIDEFORD and
LEITH
as escort for HG14F with HM
Destroyers
WITCH and WANDERER.
15th
Detached from HG14F with
escort on arrival at
Liverpool
and returned to
Plymouth.
February
Western Approaches convoy
defence in continuation
Transferred
to
Liverpool
when
Headquarters of the Command
moved to Liverpool.
March
Deployed for convoy defence
in Atlantic
to
April
May
Pennant Number for
visual signalling purposes
changed to I25 to conform with
changes
made
to all RN ships.
June
Atlantic convoy defence
in continuation,
to
Transferred
to 7th Escort Group based at
Liverpool
November
December
Nominated for escort of OB58
during passage from Liverpool.
20th
Detonated mine off
Liverpool and sustained serious damage.
Taken in
tow by HM Destroyer WILD
SWAN to Liverpool
for repair.
1
9 4 1
January
Under repair
to
February
March
On completion carried out
post repair trials
Resumed
Atlantic convoy defence with
Group.
(Note:
One source records transfer to
Escort Group B5. This
to be confirmed)
April
Atlantic
deployment with Group in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 2
January
Atlantic
convoy escort in continuation
to
Detached
for loan service with US Navy.
May
Passage to Caribbean.
June
Joined
Caribbean
Escort Force.
to
Deployed
with HM Corvettes COLUMBINE,
BUTTERCUP, SNOWBERRY (RCN)
October
and US Navy ships.
November
Deployed
in US Navy Task Force 90 for
anti-submarine patrol in
West
Indies
area.
December
Nominated
for conversion to Long Range
Escort and took passage to
rejoin RN.
(See V
AND
W DESTROYERS
1917-45 by A Preston).
Passage
to UK
1
9 4 3
January
Taken
in hand for conversion in
Dundee commercial shipyard.
February
Under conversion.
to
April
May
Post
refit trials and work-up for
service
June
Resumed
Atlantic convoy escort duty on
UK
-
Gibraltar
route.
(For
changes in tactics and weapons
for defence and attack on
convoys see SEEK
AND
STRIKE
by W
Hackmann and U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC
(HMSO).
July
Nominated
for anti-submarine operations
in
Bay of Biscay.
August
Deployed
in Bay
of
Biscay
(Operation MUSKETRY)
(For
details of changes in German
submarine operations see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett and
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO).
(Note:
This operation was to carry
out attacks in
conjunction with RAF Coastal
Command
on
submarines in transit to
Atlantic
and for return to bases in
France.
See
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO) and HITLER’S U-BOAT
WAR by C
Blaire.)
September
Nominated
for support of Operation to
set up air bases in
Azores
with agreement of
Portuguese
government.
(Operation ALACRITY)
October
Deployed
as escort for military convoys
to
Azores with HM Destroyers HAVELOCK,
VANOC,
HM Corvettes BUTTERCUP, LAVENDER.,
GODETIA and HM
Sloop
LOWESTOFT.
November
Deployed
on convoy escort in SW
Approaches.
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
SW
Approaches convoy escort in
continuation.
(For
details of development of new
weapons see SEEK
AND
STRIKE).
20th
Sunk by Acoustic torpedo (T5 -
FAT) from
U413 during defence of coastal
convoy off
Trevose
Head. in
position 50.29N
05.25W.
Ship
sank very quickly after
detonation
Only
93 of ships
company were rescued.
(For
details see CONVOY ESCORT by Rayner).