Admiralty
W-Class Destroyer ordered from
William Denny of Dumbarton under
the 10th Order of
the 1916-17 Programme on 9th
December 1916. The ship was laid
down on 26th March 1917 and was
launched as
the first RN warship to bear the
name on 29th November 1917. Build
was completed on 12th February
1918 and
included facilities for use as a
minelayer. She served briefly in
WW1. After the Armistice she was
deployed in
the Baltic was in action against
Russian warships. In 1921 she was
in 1st Destroyer Flotilla,
Atlantic Fleet and
went into Reserve after 1930. She
was brought forward for service in
1939 before
the outbreak of war as part of the
mobilisation of the Reserve Fleet.
Following a successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign
during March
1942 this ship was adopted by the
civil community of Sale, then in
the County
of Cheshire.
(for
more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site
Search)
1
9 3 9
August
Commissioned
at Devonport with Reserve
complement.
(Note:
Ship was to attend Review of
Reserve Fleet by HM King
George VI in Weymouth
Bay)
Remained
in commission after Review
when Fleet mobilised.
Passage to
Plymouth
to prepare
for war service.
(Note:
War Station allocated to join
11th Destroyer Flotilla.
September
Joined
11th Destroyer Flotilla based
at Plymouth
for convoy defence and anti-
submarine
patrol
in
English Channel and SW Approaches.
9th
Escorted Convoy
OB2 with HM Destroyers
VANQUISHER and WINCHELSEA.
10th
During passage after leaving
convoy
sustained major damage in
collision with
HM
Destroyer
VANQUISHER.
Embarked
injured from VANQUISHER.
(Note:
HMS VANQUISHER was disabled
and later proceeded to Plymouth
with difficulty for
repair.
HM
Aircraft Carrier COURAGEOUS
was in vicinity but did not
provide any
assistance
despite
the lack of a Medical Officer
on board.)
14th
Taken in hand for
repair by HM Dockyard
Devonport.
October
Under repair by HM Dockyard.
to
Rejoined Flotilla on
completion.
December
1
9 4 0
January
13th
Detached and took passage to
join inward Convoy HG15F with
HM
Destroyers BROKE,
KEPPEL,
WALKER and HM Sloop
ENCHANTRESS as escort during
passage to
Liverpool.
15th
HMS BROKE detached.
17th
HMS AMAZON joined escort on
relief by HM Destroyer KEPPEL.
19th
Detached from HG15F.
February
Western Approaches convoy
defence in continuation.
March
25th
Joined outward Convoy OG23 on
formation in SW approaches
with
HM Destroyers CAMPBELL,
VOLUNTEER and
WANDERER for escort in Western
Approaches during passage in Atlantic
to
Gibraltar.
26th
Detached from OG23 on relief
by two
French warships.
Joined escort
for inward Convoy HG23 during
passage to Liverpool
from Gibraltar.
27th
Joined HM Sloops SCARBOROUGH
and WELLINGTON
in escort for HG23 with
HMS
VOLUNTEER and HMS CAMPBELL.
30th
Detached from HG23 with
escort on
arrival at Liverpool.
April
8th
Transferred to
Home Fleet after German
invasion of
Norway.
Escorted
military convoys in
support of allied landings
(Operation
RUPERT/R4).
9th
Sustained slight damage
during air
attacks in defence of
convoy.
30th
Assisted with
evacuation of allied
troops from Andalsnes and
Molde.
Subjected
to sustained
air attacks.
Ferried
personnel from shore to HM
Cruiser SHEFFIELD
with HM
Destroyer WESTCOTT
for
passage to UK.
May
1st
Covered final evacuation from
Andalsnes under further heavy
air attacks.
Continued
convoy defence and support
of military operations in Norway.
Pennant
No for visual signalling
changed to 127 to conform with
changes made for all RN ships.
28th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
BEAGLE, FAME
and HAVELOCK
to provide naval gunfire
support
in Rombaks
Fjord during
military operations to capture
Narvik.
See
Naval Staff History
(HMSO, 2002) for
details.
June
8th
Escorted final evacuation
convoy from
Harstad.
Last ship
to leave Narvik area.
(For
details of the disastrous
naval operations off Norway
and the evacuation of allied
troops
see
NARVIK by Donald Macintyre,
CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton
and the Naval Staff
History).
July
2nd
Carried out
unsuccessful attack on U47
aster the sinking of rms
ANDORA STAR.
(Note:
This ship was taking German
and Italian Prisoners of War
to Canada
HM
Canadian Destroyer ST
LAURENT carried out rescue
work during which over 800 of
the
1,676 on board. See HITLER'S
U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
On
return taken in hand for
repair
August
Under repair.
to
September
October
Carried
out post repair trials
to
Resumed convoy defence duties
Convoy
escort in Western Approaches
December
1
9 4 1
January
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
February
Joined
5th Escort Group in Western
Approaches Command as Senior
Officer's Ship.
(Note:
Other ships in Group were HM
Destroyers VANOC, VOLUNTEER
and CALDWELL
based
at Liverpool.
Deployed
with Group in Western
Approaches.
March
Part
of escort for Convoy HX112.
17th
Took pert in
search for U100 with HM
Destroyer VANOC.
Submarine forced to surface
after
sustained
hunt
(Note:
U100 was sunk after
being rammed by HMS VANOC.)
During
rescue of six survivors from
U100 detected U99 also taking
part in the
attacks
on
HX
112
Carried
cut depth charge attacks on
U99 which surfaced and abandoned by crew.
.
Rescued 40
survivors.
(Note:
U100 was commanded by Joachim
Schepke
and U99 by Otto
Kretschmer
who
was
Germany
most successful U-Boat
Commanders at that date.
For
details see THE GOLDEN
HORSESHOE by T Robertson, THE
BATTLE OF THE
THE
ATLANTIC
by D Macintyre and HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR by C Blair..
Captain
D MacIntyre was Senior Officer
of EG5.)
Reunions
of the survivors of U99 and
crew of HMS WALKER
have been held since
1963).
April
Atlantic
convoy defence with Group in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 2
January
Deployed in Western Approaches
Command.
12th
Joined military convoy WS15 in
Clyde
with HM Destroyers VANOC,
WITHERINGTON
and
VOLUNTEER as
Local Escort for passage in NW
Approaches.
(Note: Convoy
comprised 22 troopships and
was on passage to Suez,
Bombay
and Singapore.
February
15th
Detached from WS15 and took
passage with HMS WALKER to
return
to Clyde
17th
Joined military convoy WS16 in
Clyde
with HM Destroyers ACTIVE,
ANTHONY,
BLANKNEY,
CROOME, DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE,
LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, VERITY and
WITHERINGTON
as Local Escort during
passage in NW Approaches.
21st
Remained with WS16 as escort
with HMS VERITY and HMS
WITHERINGTON when the other
Home Fleet
destroyers detached for escort
of major warships to Gibraltar.
(Note: HM Battleship
MALAYA,
HM Aircraft Carriers EAGLE and
FORMIDABLE, HM Cruiser
HERMIONE also
detached)
22nd
Detached from WS16 with HMS
VERITY and HMS WITHERINGTON
when
HM Destroyer
PALADIN and HM
Cruiser NEWCASTLE
joined as Ocean Escort.
(Note: Convoy
comprised 21 troopships on
passage to Suez
and Bombay.)
March
Deployment in Western
Approaches for convoy defence
in continuation.
to
(Note:
For details of changes in
U-Boat tactics and weapons
used for convoy attacks
see
December
SEEK AND
STRIKE by W
Hackmann,
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair, U-BOAT
WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO) and THE BATTLE
OF THE ATLANTIC
by
D
Macintyre.)
Nominated
for conversion as a Long
Range Escort.
(See
General Information and
V&W DESTROYERS by A Preston.)
1
9 4 3
January
Taken
in hind, for conversion by Thames shipyard.
February
Under
conversion
to
April
May
Carried
out harbour and sea post refit
trials.
June
Worked-up
for operational service.
July
Transferred
to 4th Escort Group for convoy
escort and support in Atlantic.
(For
details of changes in tactics
and introduction of new
weapons for defence of Atlantic
convoys
see SEEK AND
STRIKE, BUSINESS IN GREAT
WATERS and ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett).
August
Deployed
with Group in NW Approaches in
convoy escort and support
role.
September
Convoy
support and escort duty in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Detached
for service in Home Fleet for
escort of Russian convoys.
(For
details of all Russian Convoy
operations see CONVOY I
by P Kemp, CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA
by RA Ruegg,
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield
and ARCTIC
CONVOYS by
R Woodman.)
February
Joined
Close Escort for Russian
Convoy JW57 with HM Destroyers
BEAGLE, BOADICEA,
KEPPEL and
four FLOWER Class Corvettes.
28th
Detached on arrival at Kola
Inlet
without loss of any convoyed
ship.
Air
and submarine attacks were
held off by air cover and
escorting ships.
March
2nd
Joined
Close Escort for return
Convoy RA57 with same ships.
4th
Under attack by
U-Boats.
10th
Detached from RA57
on arrival at Loch Ewe.
29th
Joined HM Sloops STARLING,
MAGPIE, WILD
GOOSE, WREN and WHIMBREL of
2nd
Escort
Group
with HM
Destroyers BEAGLE, BOADICEA
and KEPPEL for support of
Russian
Convoy
JW58.
April
4th
Arrived
at
Kola Inlet after series of
air and submarine attacks.
7th
Joined Ocean Escort for return
Convoy
RA58 with HM Destroyers
BEAGLE, BOADICEA,
INCONSTANT,
KEPPEL, VENUS, WESTCOTT, WHITEHALL
and
WRESTLER.
12th
Detached from RA58
before arrival at Loch Ewe
after undetected passage.
20th
Passage to Kola Inlet with HM
Cruiser
DIADEM, HM Escort Carriers
ACTIVITY FENCER,
15
Home Fleet destroyers and
three Canadian frigates
escorting a merchant
ship
(NEA
HELLAS)
to
collect ships and personnel
from Russian ports.
23rd
Arrived at Kola
Inlet without NEA HELLAS
which had returned with
defects.
28th
Embarked 13 USN
ratings for passage to UK.
(Note:
Soviet Navy personnel were
also embarked on other
returning warships to
UK
to man
warship awaiting
transfer
to Russia.)
Joined
escort for returning convoy
RA59 with HMS DIADEM, HMS
FENCER and escorts from
Home Fleet
and Western Approaches
Commands.
May
Nominated for duty in
support of Normandy
landings
(Operation NEPTUNE).
3rd
Detached from RA59 after
experiencing
atrocious weather conditions
with U-Boat
attacks
lasting
two
days.
On
arrival prepared for detached
duty with HM Corvette
HONEYSUCKLE, the French LA
NANTAISE
and HM Trawler LINCOLNSHIRE
as Escort
Group 137.
June
Passage to Milford Haven for
escort of
military convoy E2B2Z.
4th
Escorted Convoy of 32
Transports
taking US Build-up Division to
Western Task Force area.
(Note:
Escort was supplemented by
144th Escort Group and two
Trawlers.)
For
details of Normandy landing operations see OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K Edwards,
LANDINGS
IN NORMANDY,
June 1944
(HMSO).
8th
Arrived off Beachhead and
returned to
Milford Haven
10th
Deployed for escort of
Follow-up Convoys
to American beach heads.
On
release from NEPTUNE resumed Atlantic convoy defence with Group.
July
Atlantic
Convoy defence and support in
continuation.
to
September
October
Detached
for duty with 8th Escort Group
to escort of Russian convoy.
20th
Joined HM Sloop LAPWING and HM
Sloop LARK
and three FLOWER Class
corvettes as
Close
Escort for Russian Convoy
JW61.
28th
Detached on
arrival at Kola Inlet after
safe passage with no losses.
November
2nd
Joined
escort for returning Convoy
RA61 with same ships.
9th
Detached on
arrival of convoy at Loch
Ewe.
December
Resumed
convoy escort and support in
NW Approaches.
30th
Joined escort for Russian
Convoy JW63
with HMS KEPPEL, HMS WESTCOTT
and Sloops
of
8th Escort Group.
1
9 4 5
January
8th
Detached
on
arrival at Kola after
uninterrupted passage.
11th
Escorted returning
RA63 in atrocious weather
which delayed progress.
Remained
with HMS KEPPEL and HMS
WESTCOTT as Local Escort.
23rd
Detached from RA63
on arrival in Clyde.
February
Resumed
Atlantic convoy defence.
(Note:
Convoys were re-routed through
English Channel and some escorts were
re-deployed
in coastal areas to counter
the increased threat
by U-Boats
fitted
with
SCHNORKEL equipment
operating at convoy focal
points.
March
Deployed
in Home waters for convoy
defence and anti-submarine
operations.