Modified
W-Class
destroyer ordered from J S
White at Cowes, IoW in April
1918 with the
13th
Order of the 1918-19 Programme.
The ship was laid down on 20th
December 1918 and launched on
24th October 1919. She was the
8th RN warship to
carry the name, introduced in
1651 for a 48 gun ship
later renamed DUNKIRK, and last used in 1876 when
the 1st Rate screw ship
FREDERICK WILLIAM (Ex
ROYAL FREDERICK) was renamed
in 1876. On 19th October that
year this warship
began service
as a training ship for merchant navy cadets and remained
moored in the Thames at
Greenhithe until
sold in July 1948. One month later she foundered and was
raised in 1953 to be broken up
at Grays, Essex. This
destroyer was transferred to
Portsmouth after her launch
and completed
by HM Dockyard on 20th
September
1922. She served in the
Atlantic and Mediterranean
Fleets before being placed in
Reserve in
the early 1930’s at Portsmouth. Brought forward for service as
part of the mobilisation in
1939 this ship
was adopted by the civil community of the City of Worcester
following a successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign
in March 1942 and had already
a previous
association with the city.
B
a t t l e H o n o
u r s
DOVER
1652 - PORTLAND 1653 - GABBARD
1653 - CHEVENINGEN 1653 -
PORTO FARINA 1653 - SANTA CRUZ
1657 - PORTO BELLO 1739 -
CARTAGENA 1741 - USHANT 1778 -
SADRAS 1782 - PROVIDIEN
1782 - NEGAPATAM
1782 - TRINCOMALEE 1782 -
CUDDALORE 1783 - DUNKIRK 1940
- ATLANTIC 1940 - NORTH SEA
1942-43 - DOVER
STRAITS 1942 - ENGLISH CHANNEL
1942-43 - ARCTIC 1943
H
e r a l d i c d a
t a
Badge:
On
a Field quarterly Black and
Red, a triple towered
Castle.
Silver.
M
o t t o
In
bello in pace fidelis:
'Faithful in peace
and war'
D
e t a i l s o
f
W a r S e r v i c
e
(for
more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search)
1
9 3 9
September
Completed preparation for war
service, commissioning.
storing.
Nominated for convoy defence
and patrol in Home waters
Passage to take-up war
station.
October
Deployed with 16th Destroyer
Flotilla based at Portsmouth
comprising HM Destroyers
to
December
MONTROSE, VENOMOUS, VETERAN,
WILD SWAN, VERITY, WHITSHED
and WIVERN for convoy defence
Carried out convoy escort and
patrol in English Channel and
SW Approaches.
(Note: Traffic from London
River was routed via English
Channel and escort
duties included cover of
military convoys to ports in
France for the
British Expeditionary Force.
U- Boats ceased using the
English Channel
after establishment of the
Dover Mine Barrage which sank
U12 and U40
whilst attempting passage to
the Atlantic via Dover Strait.
U16 grounded
during an attempt to make a
submerged passage and was
detected by a
protective magnetic loop,
after which she was attacked
by depth charges
and grounded. There were no
survivors. See U-BOATS
DESTROYED by
P Kemp, HOLD THE NARROW SEA by
P Smith and the Naval Staff
History for details of naval
activities in Home waters
during this period.)
1
9 4 0
January
Flotilla deployment based at
Portsmouth in continuation.
to
April
May
Transferred to Dover Command
for support of military
withdrawal of allied
troops and personnel after
German attack on France and
the Low Countries.
24th
Took part in evacuation of
troops from the beaches at
Dunkirk
(Operation DYNAMO)
(Note: The ship made six trips
to the beaches and carried
4,350 soldiers
to safety. For details see
Naval Staff History and NINE
DAYS TO
DUNKIRK by A D Divine and BEF
SHIPS by J de Winser.)
27th
Sustained damage during air
attacks.
June
Under repair.
Pennant Number for visual
signalling purposes changed to
I96.
July
On completion resumed
operational duties with
Flotilla at Harwich.
Deployed in North Sea for
patrol and convoy escort.
August
Transferred to Western
Approaches Command for
Atlantic convoy defence
to
December
Deployed in NW Approaches.
(Note: For details of tactics
and weapons used by German
U-Boats and by
convoys escorts see THE BATTLE
OF THE ATLANTIC by D
Macintyre,
SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann,
U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO) and HITLER'S
U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
1
9 4 1
January
Resumed service for North Sea
convoy defence and patrol with
16th Destroyer
Flotilla based at Harwich.
Joined HM Destroyers MACKAY,
WHITSHED and WALPOLE in
Harwich
Escort Flotilla.
February
Harwich deployment in
continuation.
(Note: For details of escort
of convoys in North Sea see
THREE CORVETTES by
N Monsarrat and THE BATTLE OF
THE NORTH SEA by J P Foynes )
(Note: Ship had been fitted
with an RAF Air-Surface radar
identified as
Naval Type 286M by this time.
For details of the development
and use
of radar by the RN see RADAR
AT SEA by D Howse. This radar
had a fixed aerial which
limited its use on board ship.
Later a naval
version, Type 286P was fitted
using a rotating aerial).
March
Passage in North Sea with HMS
WHITSHED to join south bound
Convoy FS29
as escort.
(Note: This convoy had been
subject to air attacks on 6th
March whilst off the
coast of Northumberland.)
7th
Diverted by E-Boat carrying
decoy operation to draw
attention away from
concurrent attack by 1st
German E-Boat Flotilla on
northbound Convoy FN26.
Gave chase with HMS WHITSHED
but unable to make contact and
unable to
support HM Destroyer PYTCHLEY
and HM Corvette PUFFIN in
defence of
FS29. Two ships in convoy were
sunk in attacks by the German
Flotilla.
For details see THE BATTLE OF
THE NORTH SEA.
(Note: This was a period of
high E-Boat activity in the
area and the ship had
engaged E-Boats on four
occasions in the previous 16
days.
April
North Sea deployment in
continuation
to
December
(Note: For further details of
operations in North Sea see
THE BATTLE OF
THE NARROW SEAS by P Scott
which in particular deals with
the
activities by Light Coastal
Force craft.)
1
9 4 2
January
North Sea convoy defence and
interception patrol to deter
E-Boat attacks
in continuation with Flotilla.
February
Placed on alert state with
Flotilla in anticipation of
the possible break-out
from Brest by German
battlecruisers SCHARNHORST and
GNEISENAU
to return to Germany by the
Dover Straits.
12th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
CAMPBELL and VIVACIOUS of 21st
Destroyer
Flotilla and HM Destroyers
MACKAY, WHITSHED and WALPOLE
of 16th
Flotilla for exercises of
tactical practices to be used
in the event of German
passage attempt.
Carried out torpedo attack on
enemy warships with combined
force.
Sustained major structural
damage from 11in and 8in guns
in return fire
.
Fires were started and
extensive flooding in No 1
Boiler Room disabled ship.
Despite 17 fatal and 45 other
casualties the ship’s company
were able to
raise steam and enable ship to
return to Harwich without aid
of tugs.
For full details of this
gallant but forlorn action see
THE CHANNEL
DASH by T Robertson, THE
BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS and
the
Naval Staff History.
March
Under repair.
to
August
Selected for conversion to
Short Range Escort. See
V&W DESTROYERS
1917-45 by A Preston and
BRITISH DESTROYERS by E March.
Nominated for detached service
with Home Fleet on completion
of conversion
and post refit trials.
September
Passage to Scapa Flow to join
Home Fleet.
16th
Deployed with HM destroyers
AMAZON, BULLDOG, COWDRAY,
ECHO,
VENOMOUS and WINDSOR to
establish a fuelling base at
Lowe Sound,
Spitzbergen for use by escorts
of convoys to and from North
Russia.
(Operation GEARBOX – See
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
CONVOY ! by P Kemp, RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by R Woodman and
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B
Schoefield.)
20th
Deployed as escort for RFA
OLIGARCH with HM Destroyers
IMPULSIVE
and FURY to join return Convoy
QP14 during passage from Kola
Inlet to Loch
Ewe. See ARCTIC CONVOYS
26th
Detached from QP14 and resumed
Home Fleet duties.
October
Home Fleet detached service in
continuation.
to
November
December
Deployed with HM Destroyers
MONTROSE, MUSKETEER, RAIDER,
QUEENBOROUGH (RAN) and Polish
destroyer ORP PIORUN as screen
for HM Battleships KING GEORGE
V, HOWE and HM Cruiser
BERMUDA to provide cover
against attack by major German
warships
during passage of Convoy RA51
from North Russia.
1
9 4 3
January
Nominated for return to
Flotilla duties at Harwich on
release from detached
service with Home Fleet.
(Note: Since the middle of
1942 a system of patrol lines
for interception of
E-Boats on passage to attack
North Sea convoys had been
introduced
in Nore Command.)
February
Deployed with 16th Destroyer
Flotilla based at Harwich for
North Sea
to
September
convoy defence and Z Line
interception patrol duties..
(For details see THE BATTLE OF
THE EAST COAST.)
October
Harwich duties in
continuation.
24th
Deployed with HM Destroyer
MACKAY and Light Coastal
Forces craft
for interception patrol to
cover passage of convoys
FN1160 and FS1164
off coast of Norfolk against
anticipated E-Boat attack.
25th
Engaged E-Boats of 4th German
Flotilla off Cromer with HMS
MACKAY
and Coastal Forces craft.
Enemy was attempting torpedo
attacks on convoys
and these were repelled. Four
E Boats did not return to
Ijmuiden.
For details see above
reference and THE BATTLE OF
THE NARROW
SEAS.
November
North Sea convoy defence and
interception patrol in
continuation.
December
Deployed for interception
patrol and convoy escort based
at Harwich.
23rd
Mined off Smiths Knoll and
stern structure destroyed.
Taken in tow to Yarmouth.
1
9 4 4
January
Under repair and Survey
to
April
Declared beyond economic
repair for operational use.
Paid-off and de-stored.
May
Selected for user as an
Accommodation Ship in London
after completion
to
December
of repair and de-equipping.
1
9 4 5
January
Passage London under tow and
prepared for use locally.
to
May
June
Formally commissioned as HMS
YEOMAN and continued nominated
role.
to
August
P
o s
t W a
r N o t e s
HMS
WORCESTER
remained in use under her new
identity after VJ Day until
placed on
the Disposal List in
1946. She was subsequently
sold to BISCO and towed to the
Breaker’s yard at
Grays, Essex to be broken-up
in February 1947.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
WORCESTER
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been
cross-checked with the text
above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy
sailed
|
Joined
convoy
as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy
arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
20/05/40
|
26/05/40
|
HG
031F
|
29/05/40
|
29/05/40
|
29/12/40
|
29/12/40
|
FS
0374
|
01/01/41
|
01/01/41
|
04/02/41
|
04/02/41
|
FN
0400
|
06/02/41
|
06/02/41
|
02/09/42
|
10/09/42
|
PQ
018
|
10/09/42
|
21/09/42
|
13/09/42
|
unknown
|
QP
014
|
25/09/42
|
26/09/42
|
20/11/42
|
20/11/42
|
CW
135
|
21/11/42
|
21/11/42
|
21/11/42
|
21/11/42
|
CE
133
|
22/11/42
|
22/11/42
|
15/12/42
|
15/12/42
|
CE
139
|
16/12/42
|
16/12/42
|
30/12/42
|
07/01/43
|
RA
051
|
10/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
19/03/43
|
19/03/43
|
CW
164
|
20/03/43
|
20/03/43
|
20/03/43
|
20/03/43
|
CE
162
|
21/03/43
|
21/03/43
|
22/05/43
|
22/05/43
|
CW
180
|
23/05/43
|
23/06/43
|
23/05/43
|
23/05/43
|
CE
178
|
24/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
19/06/43
|
19/06/43
|
CW
187
|
20/06/43
|
20/06/43
|
20/06/43
|
20/06/43
|
CE
185
|
21/06/43
|
21/06/43
|
25/07/43
|
25/07/43
|
CW
196
|
26/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
CE
194
|
27/07/43
|
27/07/43
|
02/08/43
|
02/08/43
|
CW
198
|
03/08/43
|
03/08/43
|
03/08/43
|
03/08/43
|
CE
196
|
04/08/43
|
04/08/43
|
22/08/43
|
22/08/43
|
CW
203
|
23/08/43
|
23/08/43
|
23/08/43
|
23/08/43
|
CE
201
|
24/08/43
|
24/08/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)