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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 WINCHESTER (L 55) -  V & W-class Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Westcott, W-class sister ship (CyberHeritage, click to enlarge)

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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.

 

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revised 12/7/11
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