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).