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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMS  WARWICK (D 25) -  V & W-class Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Warwick (Navy Photos/Mark Teadham, click to enlarge)

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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.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ZEEBRUGGE 1918 - OSTEND 1918 - ATLANTIC 1939-44 - BISCAY 1943

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Black, a a Bear Silver muzzled in chains Gold

bearing a ragged staff Silver.

 

Mo t t o

Es Nostra vocarus: 'We claim the deeds of our ancestors'

 

 

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             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).

 

 S p e c i a l   N o t e

 

Another unsung heroine of the Battle of the Atlantic. Her best memorial is the fact that 70 percent of Atlantic convoys arrived unscathed.  It is often forgotten that re-routing of convoys and the vastness of the ocean  has enabled the losses to be reduced, together with improvements in weapons and tactics assisted by air cover and availability of radar. The other enemy was the weather and the need for continual vigilance by ship's companies was ever present.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS WARWICK

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

 

 

 

 

 

13/09/39

13/09/39

OB 004

16/09/39

16/09/39

19/09/39

19/09/39

OB 007

20/09/39

23/09/39

01/10/39

02/10/39

OB 013

04/10/39

04/10/39

13/10/39

14/10/39

OB 019

16/10/39

18/10/39

26/09/39

15/10/39

KJ 002

17/10/39

18/10/39

23/10/39

23/10/39

OB 024

26/10/39

26/10/39

02/11/39

03/11/39

OB 029

05/11/39

07/11/39

25/10/39

06/11/39

HX 006

unknown

06/11/39

12/11/39

13/11/39

OB 034

15/11/39

18/11/39

22/11/39

22/11/39

OB 039

25/11/39

25/11/39

08/12/39

08/12/39

OB 049

11/12/39

12/12/39

18/12/39

18/12/39

OB 055

20/12/39

20/12/39

21/12/39

21/12/39

OG 011

21/12/39

26/12/39

28/12/39

28/12/39

OB 062

31/12/39

31/12/39

20/12/39

02/01/40

HX 013

04/01/40

04/01/40

07/01/40

07/01/40

OB 068

10/01/40

10/01/40

10/01/40

10/01/40

OG 014F

10/01/40

15/01/40

05/01/40

11/01/40

HG 014F

15/01/40

15/01/40

20/01/40

20/01/40

OB 076

23/01/40

23/01/40

29/01/40

29/01/40

OB 082

01/02/40

02/02/40

22/01/40

03/02/40

HX 017

07/02/40

07/02/40

18/03/40

27/03/40

HX 028

28/03/40

02/04/40

06/04/40

06/04/40

OB 124

09/04/40

10/04/40

29/03/40

09/04/40

HX 031

11/04/40

13/04/40

18/04/40

18/04/40

OB 132

21/04/40

22/04/40

10/04/40

23/04/40

HX 034

26/04/40

26/04/40

23/04/40

01/05/40

FP 003

05/05/40

05/05/40

18/06/40

18/06/40

OB 170

21/06/40

23/06/40

08/06/40

22/06/40

SL 035

25/06/40

25/06/40

15/07/40

15/07/40

OB 184

18/07/40

18/07/40

07/07/40

19/07/40

HX 056

22/07/40

22/07/40

27/07/40

27/07/40

OB 190

30/07/40

31/07/40

19/07/40

31/07/40

HX 059

03/08/40

03/08/40

06/08/40

06/08/40

OB 194

09/08/40

10/08/40

28/07/40

10/08/40

SL 041F

14/08/40

14/08/40

16/08/40

16/08/40

OB 199

20/08/40

20/08/40

08/08/40

20/08/40

HX 064

23/08/40

23/08/40

20/08/40

31/08/40

HX 067

04/09/40

04/09/40

11/09/40

11/09/40

OB 212

14/09/40

16/09/40

04/09/40

14/09/40

HG 043

18/09/40

18/09/40

11/11/40

11/11/40

OB 242

14/11/40

15/11/40

31/10/40

15/11/40

HG 046

19/11/40

19/11/40

24/11/40

24/11/40

OB 249

28/11/40

28/11/40

17/11/40

28/11/40

HX 089

01/12/40

01/12/40

30/05/42

30/05/42

TO 003

01/06/42

01/06/42

05/06/42

05/06/42

OT 006

09/06/42

09/06/42

10/06/42

10/06/42

TO 006

13/06/42

13/06/42

16/06/42

16/06/42

OT 009

20/06/42

20/06/42

22/06/42

22/06/42

TO 009

24/06/42

24/06/42

02/07/42

02/07/42

TAW 001

03/07/42

10/07/42

05/07/42

05/07/42

TAW 002

14/07/42

14/07/42

17/07/42

17/07/42

WAT 006

26/07/42

26/07/42

31/07/42

31/07/42

TAW 010

09/08/42

09/08/42

13/08/42

13/08/42

WAT 014

23/08/42

23/08/42

07/10/42

07/10/42

TA 024

14/10/42

14/10/42

11/11/42

11/11/42

GN 019

17/11/42

17/11/42

28/11/42

28/11/42

NG 325

06/12/42

06/12/42

09/12/42

09/12/42

GN 026

18/12/42

18/12/42

21/12/42

21/12/42

HX 220

26/12/42

09/01/43

27/12/42

04/01/43

SC 115

15/01/43

15/01/43

05/09/43

05/09/43

XK 011

14/09/43

20/09/43

30/09/43

30/09/43

UA 002

09/10/43

09/10/43

17/10/43

26/10/43

KMS 030G

28/10/43

01/11/43

13/01/44

14/01/44

ONS 027

21/01/44

31/01/44

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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