Admiralty W-Class
Fleet Destroyer ordered from JS White, Cowes IoW in
1916-17 Programme (10th Order) and laid down on 12th
June 1917.The ship was launched on 1st February 1918 as the 7th RN warship to
carry to carry the name, introduced in 1693 and last used for 6th rate in 1861.
Her completion date was 29th April 1918 and after brief service with
the Fleet in WW1 she was later deployed in the Baltic during the operations
against the Bolsheviks. As part of the rearmament programme in 1939 this ship
was selected for conversion into an Escort Destroyer
and fitted with improve Anti-Aircraft weapons for convoy defence.
B a t t
l e H
o n o u r s
BURMA 1852-53
- CHINA 1856-60 - NORTH SEA 1940-44
- ENGLISH CHANNEL 1943
- ATLANTIC 1944
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field,
Party
per fess Silver and red., in chief a
Tudor rose red in base a castle Silver.
M o t t
o
'Valour makyth
the man'
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 Under
conversion to Escort Destroyer (WAIR) at Portsmouth
(See
V AND W DESTROYERS 1917-1945 by A Preston and BRITISH DESTROYERS
by
Edgar
March for
further details).
1 9 4 0
January Under
conversion.
to
March
April Post
refit trials and prepared for operational service.
May Deployed
on coastal convoy defence.
Detached to reinforce French naval AA defence at Dunkirk (Operation FA).
12th Assisted
in evacuation from Flushing, Holland.
13th Damaged
in action with aircraft off Scheldt.
Returned under own power to
Dover.
June Under
repair at Liverpool.
to
August
September Post repair
trials and work-up.
Joined Rosyth Escort Force.
October Deployed on
coastal convoy escort in English Channel and North Sea.
November Coastal convoy
escort in continuation.
8th Under heavy dive bomber
attacks during escort of Convoy FN29 in Barrow Deep.
Claimed destruction of two aircraft and sustained some damage.
(See
THE BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST by J P Foynes
December (For
details of activities In Home waters see HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith).
1 9 4 1
January Coastal
convoy escort and patrol in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Deployed for
coastal convoy defence in North Sea and English
Channel.
to Warning
radar Type 286M fitted.
December (For details of
development and use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
1 9 4 3
January Coastal
convoy defence in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Coastal convoy defence in
continuation. Resumed coastal convoy escort in
North Sea.
to
February
March
Detached for loan service with 4th Escort Group for
Atlantic convoy defence.
April Atlantic
escort in continuation
to
July
August Resumed
coastal convoy defence in North Sea after service with 4th Escort Group.
September North Sea
duties in continuation
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Nominated for withdrawal and
to be reduced to Reserve status when Atlantic convoys
re-routed through Channel and threat of air attack had been reduced.
February Paid off,
reduced to Reserve and deployed as an Accommodation Ship at Rosyth.
March
Accommodation Ship duty in continuation
to
August
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS WINCHESTER was placed on the Disposal List after the end of
hostilities. Sold to BISCO in March 1946 the ship was broken up at
Inverkeithing.
Addenda
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
WINCHESTER
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
22/04/40
|
22/04/40
|
FS 0153
|
24/04/40
|
24/04/40
|
06/05/40
|
06/05/40
|
FS 0164
|
08/05/40
|
08/05/40
|
28/06/40
|
28/06/40
|
FN 0207
|
30/06/40
|
30/06/40
|
02/07/40
|
02/07/40
|
FS 0210
|
03/07/40
|
03/07/40
|
05/07/40
|
05/07/40
|
FN 0214
|
07/07/40
|
07/07/40
|
10/07/40
|
10/07/40
|
FS 0218
|
11/07/40
|
11/07/40
|
13/07/40
|
13/07/40
|
FN 0221
|
15/07/40
|
15/07/40
|
22/07/40
|
22/07/40
|
FS 0229
|
24/07/40
|
24/07/40
|
25/07/40
|
25/07/40
|
FN 0232
|
27/07/40
|
27/07/40
|
29/07/40
|
29/07/40
|
FS 0236
|
31/07/40
|
31/07/40
|
01/08/40
|
01/08/40
|
FN 0239
|
03/08/40
|
03/08/40
|
06/08/40
|
06/08/40
|
FS 0244
|
08/08/40
|
08/08/40
|
09/08/40
|
09/08/40
|
FN 0247
|
11/08/40
|
11/08/40
|
17/08/40
|
17/08/40
|
FS 0255
|
19/08/40
|
19/08/40
|
20/08/40
|
20/08/40
|
FN 0258
|
22/08/40
|
22/08/40
|
24/08/40
|
24/08/40
|
FS 0261
|
26/08/40
|
26/08/40
|
27/08/40
|
27/08/40
|
FN 0264
|
29/08/40
|
29/08/40
|
31/08/40
|
01/09/40
|
FS 0268
|
02/09/40
|
02/09/40
|
13/09/40
|
13/09/40
|
FS 0280
|
15/09/40
|
15/09/40
|
16/09/40
|
16/09/40
|
FN 0282
|
18/09/40
|
18/09/40
|
20/09/40
|
20/09/40
|
FS 0287
|
22/09/40
|
22/09/40
|
23/09/40
|
23/09/40
|
FN 0289
|
25/09/40
|
25/09/40
|
27/09/40
|
27/09/40
|
FS 0293
|
29/09/40
|
29/09/40
|
30/09/40
|
30/09/40
|
FN 0295
|
02/10/40
|
02/10/40
|
07/10/40
|
07/10/40
|
FS 0303
|
09/10/40
|
09/10/40
|
10/10/40
|
10/10/40
|
FN 0305
|
12/10/40
|
12/10/40
|
15/10/40
|
15/10/40
|
FS 0310
|
18/10/40
|
18/10/40
|
19/10/40
|
19/10/40
|
FN 0312
|
21/10/40
|
21/10/40
|
26/10/40
|
26/10/40
|
FN 0320
|
28/10/40
|
28/10/40
|
05/11/40
|
05/11/40
|
FS 0328
|
07/11/40
|
07/11/40
|
08/11/40
|
08/11/40
|
FN 0329
|
09/11/40
|
10/11/40
|
12/12/40
|
12/12/40
|
OB 258
|
15/12/40
|
15/12/40
|
12/04/43
|
12/04/43
|
CW 170
|
13/04/43
|
13/04/43
|
13/04/43
|
13/04/43
|
CE 168
|
14/04/43
|
14/04/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
MORE DETAILED MOVEMENTS OF HMS WINCHESTER
by Don Kindell
(These movements have not been reconciled with the main
text)
WINCHESTER was out of service from 8 November 1940 to 6 June
1941 with bomb and mine damage. From there she worked up at Scapa Flow from 17
to 26 June 1941 before returning to the Rosyth Escort Force.
She was in a collision with collier ARKWRIGHT on 19 Feb 42,
repairing at Rosyth from 21 Feb to 11 March..
Refitting 20 August to 8 October 1942 and 28 February to 12 May
1944.
On 8 August 1944 she was damaged with an iron hulled pilot cutter and deemed
not economically repairable. So nothing after 8 August 1944, back on the East
Coast.