W-Class Destroyer ordered from Swan Hunter at Wallsend
on 9th December 1916 under the 1916 17
Programme
as part of the 10th Destroyer Order. The ship was laid down in May 1917 and
launched on
15th
December 1917 as the first RN warship to carry this
name. Build was
completed on 15th March 1918
and the design included a minelaying
capability. After joining the Fleet this destroyer took part in the raids
on Zeebrugge and Ostend. After the armistice she was deployed in
the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet
before being placed in Reserve.
B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
ZEEBRUGGE 1918 -
OSTEND 1918 - ATLANTIC
1939-40 - NORWAY 1940
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Crest: On a Field Blue. a
head proper with wind issuant.
from the mouth
M o t t o
Tot itinera
tot venti: 'Every voyage has its gales'
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
August
Commissioned from Reserve manned by Royal Fleet Reserve and RNVR personnel
to attend Royal Review of Reserve Fleet in
Weymouth by HM King George VI.
Remained in commission when Fleet mobilised and
took passage to War Station.
September
Joined 11th Destroyer Flotilla for convoy defence in Western Approaches based at
Plymouth
(Note:
Other ships in Flotilla were:
HM Destroyers MACKAY, VANQUISHER, VERSATILE,
VIMY
WALKER, WARWICK and WINCHELSEA.)
13th Escorted outward Convoy OB4 with HM Destroyer WESTCOTT during
passage
SW Approaches.
16th Detached from OB4 when convoy dispersed in position 44.28N 15.44W.
October
Convoy defence duties based at Plymouth in continuation.
to
November
December
28th Joined outward Convoy OG12 on formation in SW Approaches with HM
Destroyers
VANOC, WHITEHALL and WIVERN for escort during
initial stage of passage to
Gibraltar.
29th Detached from OG12 with escort and returned to Plymouth
1 9 4 0
January
21st Joined outward Convoy OG15 on formation in SW Approaches with HM
Destroyers
KEITH and WITHERINGTON for escort during initial
stage of passage to Gibraltar.
22nd Detached from OG15 with escort and returned to Plymouth.
February
27th Joined outward Convoy OG20F on formation in SW approaches with
Destroyer VANOC,
HM Sloops SCARBOROUGH and WELLINGTON for escort
during passage to Gibraltar.
Detached later from HG20F and took passage to
join HM Destroyer VANOC for
escort of inward Convoy HG20F during passage in
SW Approaches.
28th Deployed with HM Sloop SANDWICH and HMS VANOC as escort for HG20F during
passage in SW Approaches to Liverpool.
Later detached from HG20F and returned to
Plymouth with HMS VANOC.
March
SW Approaches convoy defence in continuation.
4th Carried out unsuccessful anti-submarine search operation with HM
Destroyers
WILD SWAN, VETERAN and VOLUNTEER.
5th Joined outward Convoy OG21F on formation in SW Approaches with HM
Destroyer
VOLUNTEER, HM Sloops ENCHANTRESS, SANDWICH for
escort during passage
to Gibraltar.
6th Detached from OG21F with HMS VOLUNTEER and took passage to join HM
Destroyer
WITCH for escort of inward Convoy HG21F during
passage to Liverpool.
7th Joined HG21F with HMS WITCH and relieved two French warships as
escort during
passage in SW Approaches.
10th Detached from HG21F and took passage to Plymouth.
April
8th Detached for duty with Home Fleet after German invasion of Norway
and took passage
to Scapa Flow for escort of military convoys to
Norway.
11th Deployed with HM Destroyers WITHERINGTON, VANOC, VOLUNTEER and
HIGHLANDER as screen for HM Cruisers MANCHESTER,
BIRMINGHAM, CAIRO
and HM Netlayer PROTECTOR as escort for military
convoy NP1 during passage from
Greenock to Narvik (Operation R4/RUPERT)
For details see Naval Staff History, NARVIK by D
Macintyre, THE DOOMED
EXPEDITION by Adams and CARRIER GLORIOUS by J
Winton.
14th Detached from NP1 with HMS MANCHESTER, HMS BIRMINGHAM, HMS CAIRO,
HMS VANOC and HMS HIGHLANDER as escort for
troopships CHOBRY and rms
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA to Norway.
17th Deployed with HM Destroyer VANOC as screen for troopship CHOBRY
during passage
from Lillesjona to Namsos (Operation MAURICE)
For details see Naval Staff History.
May Norwegian support and escort of convoys in
continuation.
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes
changed to I30 to conform with new
identities introduced for RN warships.
June Released from support of evacuation operations and
resumed service in Western Approaches
Command for Atlantic convoy defence.
28th Deployed with HM Cruiser CUMBERLAND, HM Destroyers HARVESTER,
HIGHLANDER and VOLUNTEER as escort for rms QUEEN
MARY, rms AQUITANIA
and rms MAURETANIA during passage in NW Approaches as Convoy WS1.
(Note: WS1 was carrying reinforcements to
Egypt and destined for
Ceylon where
troops would be transferred for onward passage
in Red Sea.)
30th Detached from WS1 with escort and returned to Clyde.
July Deployed in SW Approaches for anti-submarine search
operation.
4th Hit by torpedo from U34 and sustained serious damage which disabled
ship.
57 of ship’s company were killed and survivors
rescued by HM Destroyer WESTCOTT.
Hulk was sunk four hours later by HMS WESTCOTT
in position 120 miles west of
Lands End.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
WHIRLWIND
(i)
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been
cross-checked with the text above
|
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
|
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|
|
|
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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
|
23/09/39
|
23/09/39
|
OB 009
|
26/09/39
|
26/09/39
|
03/10/39
|
04/10/39
|
OB 014
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unknown
|
06/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
OB 020
|
18/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
18/10/39
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OG 003
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19/10/39
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26/10/39
|
25/10/39
|
25/10/39
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OB 025
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28/10/39
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30/10/39
|
02/11/39
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03/11/39
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OB 029
|
05/11/39
|
07/11/39
|
25/10/39
|
06/11/39
|
HX 006
|
unknown
|
06/11/39
|
12/11/39
|
12/11/39
|
OB 034
|
15/11/39
|
18/11/39
|
06/12/39
|
06/12/39
|
OB 048
|
09/12/39
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10/12/39
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24/11/39
|
10/12/39
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SL 010
|
10/12/39
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10/12/39
|
16/12/39
|
16/12/39
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OB 054
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19/12/39
|
19/12/39
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26/12/39
|
26/12/39
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OB 060
|
28/12/39
|
28/12/39
|
28/12/39
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28/12/39
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OG 012
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29/12/39
|
04/01/40
|
19/01/40
|
19/01/40
|
OB 075
|
21/01/40
|
21/01/40
|
21/01/40
|
21/01/40
|
OG 015
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22/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
24/02/40
|
24/02/40
|
OB 098
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27/02/40
|
27/02/40
|
27/02/40
|
27/02/40
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OG 020F
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27/02/40
|
02/03/40
|
22/02/40
|
28/02/40
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HG 020F
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28/02/40
|
03/03/40
|
03/03/40
|
03/03/40
|
OB 103
|
05/03/40
|
05/03/40
|
05/03/40
|
05/03/40
|
OG 021F
|
06/03/40
|
11/03/40
|
01/03/40
|
07/03/40
|
HG 021F
|
10/03/40
|
10/03/40
|
16/03/40
|
16/03/40
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OB 111
|
19/03/40
|
20/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
25/03/40
|
OB 116
|
27/03/40
|
27/03/40
|
11/04/40
|
11/04/40
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NP 001
|
15/04/40
|
15/04/40
|
23/04/40
|
01/05/40
|
FP 003
|
05/05/40
|
05/05/40
|
12/06/40
|
12/06/40
|
HEBREW
|
14/06/40
|
14/06/40
|
21/06/40
|
21/06/40
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OB 172
|
24/06/40
|
16/06/40
|
13/06/40
|
25/06/40
|
HX 050
|
27/06/40
|
30/06/40
|
29/06/40
|
29/06/40
|
WS 001
|
30/06/40
|
29/07/40
|
03/07/40
|
03/07/40
|
OB 178
|
05/07/40
|
07/07/40
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)