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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 WHITSHED (D 77) -  V & W-class Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Whitshed (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

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Modified W-Class Destroyer ordered under 1918-19 Programme (14th Order) from Swan Hunter at Wallsend on Tyne, Newcastle in April 1918. The ship was launched on 31st January 1919 and was the first RN warship to carry this name. She was completed in 1919 and had paid off into Reserve for economic reasons by 1930. (See General Information details). During WW2 following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 this destroyer was adopted by the civil community of Whitby, then in the North Riding of Yorkshire

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s 

ATLANTIC 1940 - DUNKIRK 1940 - NORTH SEA 1941-45 - DOVER STRAITS 1941 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942-44 - NORMANDY 1944

H e r a l d i c   D a ta

Badge: On a Field Red, a Demi-Lion rampant Gold, holding

a trefoil Gree.

 

M o t t o

Libertas et natale: 'Freedom and Fatherland only'

 

 

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             Destroyer Flotilla at Portland for escort and patrol duties In the English Channel and SW

to                            Approaches.

December

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Convoy escort and patrol duty in Channel and SW Approaches In continuation.

                30th        Took part in sinking of U55 by surface gun action with HM Sloop FOWEY and an RAF aircraft

                                from 228 Squadron in SW Approaches whilst escorting Convoy OA30G.

 

February                Channel and SW Approaches convoy escort duty in continuation.

to

March

 

April                       Transferred to 19th Destroyer Flotilla at Dover to assist with support operations off Belgian an
                               
Netherlands coasts

 

May                        Took part in demolition and evacuation at Ijmuiden and Amsterdam.

                                (Operation XD(A) - See Naval Staff History).

                13th        Carried supplies to Dunkirk and embarked Irish Guards.

                14th        Assisted in evacuation at Hook of Holland (Operation ORDNANCE).

                16th        Assisted in evacuation at Ostend until 18th May.

                22nd       Escorted ships taking Guards Battalions to Boulogne.

                23rd        Under shore fire at Bolougne and sustained damage and casualties.

                                Provided naval gunfire support to cover sailing of HM Destroyers KEITH and VIMY which

                                were taking personnel back to UK.

                26th        Deployed on evacuation of allied troops from Dunkirk (Operation DYNAMO).

                                (For details of evacuation operations see Naval Staff History (HMSO, 2002) and BEF SHIPS

                                by J de Winser.)

                                Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to I77 to conform with changes to

                                all RN ships.

 

June                        On completion of DYNAMO resumed Flotilla duties at Harwich for convoy escort and patrol

                                in North Sea and English Channel.

                                (Note: This ship was one off the few destroyers not requiring major repair after the evacuation.)

 

July                         Convoy escort and anti-invasion patrol duties in continuation.

                31st         Sustained serious structural damage after detonating a mine off Harwich.

                                Towed to Harwich by HM Destroyer WILD SWAN.

 

August                  Under repair.

to

December

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  On completion rejoined Flotilla at Harwich in continuation of escort and patrol.

 

February

                14th        Escorted Mater Torpedo Boats for mine lay in North Sea and came under air attacks.

 

March                    North Sea convoy escort and patrol duty in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  North Sea convoy escort and patrol duty in continuation.

 

February                Joined HM Destroyers MACKAY and WALPOLE  of the 21st Destroyer Flotilla

                                with HM Destroyers CAMPBELL, WORCESTER, and VIVACIOUS of the 16th Destroyer Flotilla.

                12th        Carried out torpedo attack on German battleships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU which

                                with the cruiser PRINZ EUGEN had broken out of Brest and taken passage via Dover Straits to

                                Wilhelmshaven.

                                For details see THE CHANNEL DASH by T Robertson, Naval Staff History and ENGAGE THE

                                ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).

 

March                    North Sea and English Channel convoy escort and patrol duty in continuation.

to                            (Note: The armament of the ship was altered for this duty by replacement of one of the forward

December              4.7in gun mountings by an army twin 6lb weapon which was very suitable for defence

                                of convoys under attack by E-Boats during passage off east coast.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Convoy escort and patrol duty in North Sea and English Channel in continuation.

to

October

 

November              In action against E-Boats in defence of Convoy CW221 off Hastings with two Motor Gunboats

                                and four Motor Launches of Coastal Forces.

 

December              Convoy escort and patrol duty in Channel and North Sea in continuation.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Convoy escort and patrol duty in continuation.

to

March

 

April

                18th        In action with E-Boats carrying out minelay in English Channel.

                                (Note: Enemy craft abandoned their attacks after sustaining damage.

 

May                        Nominated for duty with Escort Group 104 based at Nore for defence of convoys to Normandy

                                beachhead with HM Destroyer MONTROSE, HM Corvette BORAGE and HM Corvette

                                LOOSESTRIFE during planned allied landings (Operation NEPTUNE).

                                Continued escort of mercantile convoys.

 

June                        Joined Escort Group 104 at Southend..

                4th          Escorted Convoy EIL1 comprising 12 Landing Ships, Tank and 24 Landing Craft, Tank

                                from Southend to Eastern Task Force Area.

                6th          Arrived in Area with convoy and then returned to Southend with Escort Group for escort of

                                Build-Up convoys.

 

July                         Released from NEPTUNE and reamed convoy escort and patrol duties at Harwich.

 

August                  Convoy escort duty in North Sea and Channel in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Convoy escort and Interception patrols In North Sea against enemy minelaying by E-

to                            Boats and submersibles.

April                       (Note: During this period Schnorkel fitted submarines were concentrating attacks in coastal

                                voters and Atlantic convoys were being routed via English Channel)

 

May                        Deployed in support of re-occupation operations.

 

June                        Nominated for reduction to Reserve status.

  

S p e c i a l    N o t e

 

Attention is drawn to a book written by Lieut. Cdr. Stitt - HMS WIDEAWAKE which gives an account of the wartime activities of HMS WHITSHED. This book would have been constrained by security rules at the time of writing.

 

Po s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS WHITSHED was not deployed again operationally and after the end of hostilities she was Paid-off and reduced to Reserve status. The ship was placed on the Disposal List in 1946 and sold to BISCO in February 1947 for demolition by T J King. The ship arrived at the breakers’ yard to at Gateshead in April 1948.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS WHITSHED

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

 

 

 

 

 

30/12/39

30/12/39

OA 063GF

unknown

31/12/39

07/01/40

07/01/40

OA 068GF

08/01/40

unknown

29/12/39

09/01/40

HX 014

12/01/40

12/01/40

27/01/40

27/01/40

OA 080G

31/01/40

31/01/40

31/01/40

31/01/40

OG 016

31/01/40

04/02/40

17/02/40

24/02/40

HG 019

27/02/40

27/02/40

05/03/40

20/03/40

SL 023

22/03/40

22/03/40

24/03/40

24/03/40

OA 116

26/03/40

28/03/40

26/03/40

26/03/40

OA 117

27/03/40

29/03/40

07/06/43

07/06/43

CW 184

08/06/43

08/06/43

08/06/43

08/06/43

CE 182

09/06/43

09/06/43

06/08/43

06/08/43

CW 199

07/08/43

07/08/43

07/08/43

07/08/43

CE 197

08/08/43

08/08/43

09/10/43

09/10/43

CW 215

10/10/43

10/10/43

10/10/43

10/10/43

CE 213

11/10/43

11/10/43

02/11/43

02/11/43

CW 221

03/11/43

03/11/43

04/11/43

04/11/43

CE 219

05/11/43

05/11/43

26/11/43

26/11/43

CW 227

27/11/43

27/11/43

28/11/43

28/11/43

CE 225

29/11/43

29/11/43

16/02/44

16/02/44

CE 245

17/02/44

17/02/44

10/03/44

10/03/44

CW 253

11/03/44

11/03/44

11/03/44

11/03/44

CE 251

12/03/44

14/03/44

12/06/44

12/06/44

ETM 007

13/06/44

13/06/44

13/06/44

13/06/44

FTM 006

14/06/44

14/06/44

16/06/44

16/06/44

ETM 011

17/06/44

17/06/44

24/06/44

24/06/44

ETM 016

25/06/44

25/06/44

29/06/44

29/06/44

ETM 021

30/06/44

30/06/44

01/07/44

01/07/44

FTM 024

02/07/44

02/07/44

04/07/44

04/07/44

ETM 026

05/07/44

05/07/44

06/07/44

06/07/44

FTM 029

07/07/44

07/07/44

12/07/44

12/07/44

ETC 035

13/07/44

13/07/44

14/07/44

14/07/44

FTC 036

15/07/44

15/07/44

24/07/44

24/07/44

ETM 044

25/07/44

25/07/44

26/07/44

26/07/44

FTM 049

27/07/44

27/07/44

29/07/44

29/07/44

ETM 049

30/07/44

30/07/44

06/08/44

06/08/44

ETM 057

07/08/44

07/08/44

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 12/7/11
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