V (VALENTINE)-Class Fleet destroyer of 8th
Emergency Flotilla ordered on 1st September 1941 from Swan Hunter at Wallsend, Newcastle. The ship was laid down on 16th
February 1942 and launched on 4th February 1943 as the 4th RN warship to carry the
name, previously used by a destroyer built in 1895. She was completed on 5th
November 1943. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in
December 1941 this ship had been adopted by the civil community of Newcastle
under Lyme.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC 1943-44 - NORTH CAPE 1943 - NORMANDY 1944 - MALAYA 1945
- BURMA 1945
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Black, a demi-wild and dishevelled woman Proper.
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 4 3
November Contractors trials and commissioned for
service in 26th Destroyer Flotilla.
5th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion of
trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up with ships of
Home Fleet.
December Worked up for service and joined 26th Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet.
15th Joined escort of Russian Convoy
JW55A with H M Destroyers ASHANTI, MILNE, METEOR,
MATCHLESS,
OPPORTUNE and ATHABASKAN (RCN).
21st Detached to join escort for return
convoy RA55 with same ships.
23rd Joined escort for returning Convoy
RA55.
25th Despatched by CinC
Home Fleet to reinforce escort for inward Russian Convoy JW55B with HM
Destroyers
MATCHLESS, MUSKETEER and OPPORTUNE.
(Note: Distant
Covering Force for JW55 included HM Battleship DUKE of YORK, and H M
Cruiser JAMAICA with further cover by HM Cruisers BELFAST, NORFOLK and
SHEFFIELD view of threat of attack by German battleship SCHARNHORST known
to be
deployed for this purpose.)
Joined JW55
escort.
26th Detached with other Fleet destroyers
and joined major Home Fleet units to carry out attacks on
SCHARNHORST.
After a series of
torpedo attacks by HM Destroyers SAVAGE, SCORPION, SAUMAREZ and
Norwegian
destroyer STORD carried out further further torpedo
attacks at close range with HM
Destroyers
MUSKETEER, OPPORTUNE and MATCHLESS.
(Note: The
destroyer torpedo attacks and the continuing accurate gunfire by HM Battleship
DUKE
OF YORK resulted in the destruction of the German warship.
There
were only 36 survivors from a crew of 1,986.
For
details see THE KOLA RUN by D MacIntyre and I Campbell
and Naval Staff
History.).
1 9 4 4
January
3rd Passage to Scapa Flow with Home Fleet ships.
21st Joined escort for Russian Convoy JW56A at Akureyi with HM Destroyers HARDY, OFFA,
INCONSTANT,
OBDURATE, SAVAGE, VENUS, VIGILANT and Norwegian destroyer
STORD.
29th Reinforced escort
of following Convoy JW56B.
February
1st Detached on arrival
at Kola Inlet and returned independently to Scapa
Flow.
12th Deployed with Home
Fleet in NW Approaches.
March Home Fleet Flotilla deployment in continuation.
April
3rd Part of destroyer
screen for HM Battleship ANSON, HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS,
FURIOUS, HM
Escort Carriers SEARCHER, EMPEROR, PURSUER, FENCER, HM Cruisers
ROYALIST,
BELFAST, SHEFFIELD, JAMAICA with destroyers of Home Fleet during
series of air
attacks on the German battleship TIRPITZ in Altenf jord.
(Note: This
operation also cover transit of Russian Convoys JW58 and returning RA58.)
21st Independent passage
to Kola Inlet to collect merchant ships and personnel waiting in North
Russia from
earlier Russian convoys.
(For details see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg and RUSSIAN CONVOYS by
R Woodman.).
28th Embarked 17 survivors and joined
escort for returning Convoy RA59 with HM Cruiser
DIADEM, HM Escort
Carrier FENCER and HM Destroyers BOADICEA, ULYSSES,
WHITEHALL, VERULAM
and WALKER.
May
3rd On arrival detached for duty with
Force S in Channel during Normandy landings.
Nominated for
naval gunfire support during assault (Operation NEPTUNE).
Took passage to
Channel to take part in final rehearsal for landings. (Exercise FABIUS).
4th Took part in assault landing exercise west of
Littlehampton by Force S.
18th Took part in defence exercise with
Forces S, J and G off Brighton.
(Note: Simulated
attacks were carried out by E-Boats, aircraft and submersibles as well
as
incursions by minelayers (Exercise CANTAB).
On completion
returned to Portsmouth to ensure full availability for NEPTUNE.
(LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO)).
June
5th Escorted Convoy S70W HQ Ship LARGS,
three Landing Ships (Infantry), one Landing Craft
(Support), an RAF
High Speed Launch and three US Navy Cutters, with HM Destroyers
VERULAM and
KELVIN, HM Escort Destroyer EGLINTON and five Motor Torpedo Boats.
6th Arrived off SWORD beach head at 0400.
Deployed with
Bombarding Force D during assault phase.
Bombarded Beach
Defences at Lion-sur-Mer with HM Destroyers VERULAM
and SERAPIS
in accordance with
Pre-Arranged Fire Plan.
(See above
reference and OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards).
8th Deployed on patrol and escort duty
during Post Assault Phase as required by the Eastern Task
Force Commander.
27th Remained in Channel on completion of
NEPTUNE.
July Patrol and escort duty
in Eastern Bridgehead area continued.
On release from detached
service took passage to Scapa Flow to Home Fleet
duties with Flotilla.
August
8th Took part in rehearsal for Operation
OFFSPRING.
10th Escorted HM Aircraft Carriers
INDEFATIGABLE, TRUMPETER and NABOB with HM
Cruisers KENT, HM
Cruiser DEVONSHIRE and Home Fleet destroyers for air minelaying in
areas JOAN and
DERBY between Lepsoy and Hamaramsa
Island..
(Note: Airfield
at Gossen and
coastal shipping were also attacked by FAA aircraft .
Operation OFFSPRING -For details see Naval Staff History (Mining).
September
17th Escorted HM Battleship RODNEY, HM
Cruiser DIADEM, HM Escort Carriers CAMPANIA
and STRIKER with HM Cruiser CUMBERLAND and Home
Fleet destroyers to provide cover
for the transit
of Russian Convoy JW60 and return Convoy RA60.
(See CONVOYS TO RUSSIA for
details).
October
3rd Detached from RA60 and returned to Scapa Flow for Flotilla duties.
November Nominated for duty in Eastern
Fleet with 26th Flotilla and prepared for foreign service at
Chatham.
December Under refit by HM Dockyard,
Chatham.
Took passage to
Ceylon.
1 9 4 5
January Passage via Mediterranean.
Worked up with Flotilla for
operations in Indian Ocean and Burma coast.
For details of
operations in Indian Ocean and off Burma in support of military see
OPERATION
PACIFIC by E Gray and
WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
February
24th Escorted HM Escort Carriers EMPRESS
and AMEER with HM Cruiser KENYA,
HM Destroyers
VIGILANT, VOLAGE and Eastern Fleet frigates for air photo-reconnaissance
of Malacca Straits areas (Operation STACEY).
Bombarded
targets in Andamans on outward and return passages.
March Deployed on patrol in
Indian Ocean off Sumatra and Straits of Malacca.
26th In successful action against
Japanese convoy sinking several ships.
April
8th Escorted HM Battleship QUEEN
ELIZABETH, French battleship RICHELIEU, HM Escort
Carriers
EMPEROR, KHEDIVE, HM Cruisers CUMBERLAND and LONDON with HM
Destroyers
SAUMAREZ, VIGILANT, VERULAM and HMS VENUS of 26th Flotilla for
bombardment of
shore targets in Sumatra and aircraft operations in Indian Ocean and Malacca
Straits.
11th Bombarded Sabang
with Fleet units.
28th Sailed to join Fleet units to
provide cover for planned landings in Burma.
May
1st Covered landings
at Rangoon with Eastern Fleet (Operation DRACULA).
(See OPERATION
PACIFIC and above reference.).
5th Escorted HM
Cruisers PHOEBE and ROYALIST, HM Escort Carriers HUNTER, STALKER,
EMPEROR and
KHEDIVE deployed as 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron during air attacks on
bases along Burmese
coast with HMS SAUMAREZ, VENUS and VIGILANT.
(Operation
SUNFISH).
10th Deployed with
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, French battleship RICHELIEU, Dutch cruiser
VAN TROMP, HMS
CUMBERLAND, 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron (see above) destroyers
of 26th
Flotilla to intercept Japanese evacuation convoys from Burma. (Operation
MITRE).
14th Detached with 21st Aircraft Carrier
Squadron and destroyers of 26th Flotilla as Force 61 to
carry out
offensive air and surface sweep in 6 Degree Channel north of Sumatra.
15th After aircraft from
HM Escort Carrier SHAH sighted the Japanese cruiser HAGURO and
destroyer
KAMIKAZE, further aircraft sorties were unable to be carried out because of
catapult
defect in HMS
SHAH.
Deployed with
Flotilla to intercept enemy warships.
16th Carried out
night search and located enemy ships using radar.
Took part in
classic night torpedo attack resulting in sinking of HAGURO.
(For full
details see SINK THE HAGURO by John Winton).
June Deployed with Eastern
Fleet on interception patrols and offensive sweeps in the Indian Ocean.
July Prepared for planned Malayan coast landings (Operation ZIPPER)
(Note: This
operation was subject to delay until it had been approved by US government and
also by the implementation of the PYTHON Release Scheme to return long serving
personnel from SEAC.)
August
Deployed with Eastern Fleet to cover Malayan
coast landings (Operation ZIPPER).
27th Deployed with Eastern Fleet to
cover landing operations in Malaya.
September
Operation ZIPPER authorised as a re-occupation move after VJ Day.
9th Part of covering
force for landings at Sepang near Port Dickson and Morib, south of Port
Swettenham with HM Battleship NELSON, French battleship
RICHELIEU, HM Cruisers
NIGERIA,
CEYLON, CLEOPATRA and ships of 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron
(Operation
ZIPPER).
P o s t W a r
N o t e s .
HMS VIRAGO was retained in the Far East based at Hong Kong
with the British Pacific Fleet after VJ Day and returned to Chatham on 11th
December 1945. She re-commissioned for service with the 3rd Destroyer
Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet in 1946. After Fleet service with the
Flotilla she returned to UK in 1949 and reduced to Reserve status at Chatham in 1949. This ship was selected
to be converted into a Type 15 Anti-submarine Frigate and on completion in 1953
spent two years in the 6th Frigate Squadron, Home Fleet before again returning
to Reserve at Chatham. In 1962 she again briefly resumed operational service in
the 17th Frigate Squadron. This ended in 1963 and she paid off into Reserve at Devonport. This ship was placed on the Disposal List the
next year and sold to BISCO for demolition by Shipbreaking
Industries. She arrived in tow at Faslane to be
broken up on 4th June 1965.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS VIRAGO
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
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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12/12/43
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15/12/43
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JW 055A
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21/12/43
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22/12/43
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22/12/43
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23/12/43
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RA 055A
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25/12/43
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01/01/44
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20/12/43
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25/12/43
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JW 055B
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26/12/43
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30/12/43
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12/01/44
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21/01/44
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JW 056A
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27/01/44
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28/01/44
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22/01/44
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29/01/44
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JW 056B
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01/02/44
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01/02/44
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28/04/44
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28/04/44
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RA 059
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03/05/44
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06/05/44
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15/09/44
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17/09/44
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JW 060
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23/09/44
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23/09/44
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28/09/44
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28/09/44
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RA 060
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03/10/44
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05/10/44
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(Note on Convoys)
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