W-Class destroyer ordered from
Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn, Newcastle on 9th December
1916 under the 1916-17 Programme in the 10th Destroyer order. The ship was laid down on 25th
May 1917 and launched on 12 March 1918 that as the first RN warship to carry the name. Build was completed
on 11th May 1918 and she served in the Grand Fleet during WW1. She attended the surrender of the German High
Seas Fleet on 12th November 1918 and later with the 6th Destroyer Flotilla in
the Atlantic Fleet. This ship was attached to the Torpedo School at Portsmouth
during the inter-war years and remained in commission after the mobilisation in
1939.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1939-1940
H e r a l d i c
D a t a
Crest: On a
Field Gold, the Dragon of Egbert, Red.
M o t t o
Proles militum:
'Offspring of soldiers'
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 Took-up War Station with
17th Destroyer Flotilla at Plymouth.
Joined HM
Destroyers KEPPEL, VANESSA, VISCOUNT, VIVACIOUS, VORTIGERN,
WAKEFUL and
VESPER for convoy defence and patrol in English Channel and SW Approaches.
(Note:
Flotilla was later designated 13th Destroyer Flotilla.)
October Plymouth deployment
in continuation.
to December. (Note: Ships to and from
Thames estuary were escorted to join Atlantic convoys through
the English
Channel.)
1 9 4 0
January Convoy defence in
continuation.
to March
April Transferred to
Nore Command for support of military operations and convoy defence.
May
14th Embarked British
Naval Attache to Netherlands at Hook of Holland for return to UK
after German
invasion.
Deployed in
Dover Command for support of military in defence against German advance
into Belgium
and France.
24th Despatched from
Dover to bombard enemy troop formations advancing on Calais with
HM Destroyers
VIMIERA, WOLFHOUND and Polish ORP BURZA.
Came under
sustained dive bombing attack by Stuka aircraft soon after start of bombardment.
Hit by three
bombs and sank quickly. Survivors were rescued by HMS VIMIERA which
sustained
serious damage and had to withdraw.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
WESSEX (i)
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
23/09/39
|
23/09/39
|
BC 003R
|
25/09/39
|
25/09/39
|
06/10/39
|
06/10/39
|
BC 009/1
|
08/10/39
|
08/10/39
|
08/10/39
|
08/10/39
|
BC 008R
|
10/10/39
|
10/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
BC 011/1
|
17/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
28/10/39
|
HX 005
|
29/10/39
|
29/10/39
|
17/12/39
|
17/12/39
|
BC 019/1
|
19/12/39
|
19/12/39
|
10/01/40
|
10/01/40
|
BC 022/1
|
12/01/40
|
12/01/40
|
26/04/40
|
01/05/40
|
HX 038
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
unknown
|
OA 147
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)