Admiralty
V-class Destroyer ordered from
Yarrow's of Scotstoun, Glasgow with
the 9th Order of the 1916-17
Programme. The
ship was laid down in July 1916 and
launched on 3rd November that year
as the
1st RN warship to carry this name.
She was completed in December 1917
and was
fitted for use as a minelayer.
During 1919-1920 this ship was
deployed in the
Baltic and was in action against
Russian warships. Later she served
in the
Atlantic and Mediterranean Fleets
until the mid 1930’s when placed in
Maintenance Reserve at Rosyth and
brought forward in August 1939 for
the Review
of the Reserve Fleet by HM King
George VI at Weymouth. The ship
remained in
commission and began war service in
Western Approaches. After a
successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in March 1942 this ship was
adopted by
the civil community of Solihull,
then in Warwickshire.
1
9 3 9
August
Brought
forward for Review of Reserve
Fleet by HM King George VI at
Weymouth
Manned
by Reservists
September
Remained
in commission when war was
declared and took-up allocated
war station.
Deployed
with 17th Destroyer Flotilla
based at
Plymouth
for convoy escort and
anti-submarine
patrol in Channel and SW
Approaches.
10th
Deployed with HM Destroyer KEITH
as
escort for BEF convoy of 18
ships taking stores,
ammunition
and vehicles to
Cherbourg.
October
Deployed
in SW Approaches and English Channel with Flotilla for
to
convoy
defence based at
Plymouth.
November
December
15th
Deployed as escort for inward
Convoy
HG10 during passage to Liverpool
from
Gibraltar in SW Approaches.
16th
Detached from HG10 on arrival
and took
passage to Plymouth
1
9 4 0
January
Western
Approaches deployment for convoy
defence based at
Plymouth
in
to
continuation
March
April
12th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
BROKE and
VERITY join inward Convoy HG25
during
passage from
Gibraltar
to
Liverpool
in Western Approaches.
Joined HM
Sloops BIDEFORD and FOWEY
escorting HG25.
15th
Detached from HG25
with escort on arrival at
Liverpool.
Transferred
to Liverpool
as base following move of
headquarters of Western
Approaches
Command to Liverpool.
26th
Nominated for
deployment in support of
evacuation of allied troops
from Dunkirk.
(Operation
DYNAMO - For details see
THE NINE DAYS OF
DUNKIRK
by AD
Divine,
BEF SHIPS by J de Winser
and Naval Staff History
(HMSO-2002).
Deployed
from Dover with HM Cruiser
CALCUTTA,
HM Destroyers GALLANT,
GRIFFIN,
GREYHOUND, IMPULSIVE, SABRE
and WAKEFUL to assist in
evacuation.
27th
Deployed for patrol off beaches
to
intercept any attack by E-Boats
and provided
AA
defence,
28th
Made two trips to
Dunkirk
and embarked 326 and 359 men
respectively for passage to
Dover.
30th
Landed 537 men at Dover
from Dunkirk.
31st
Under fire from
shore howitzers off Bray and
sustained 15 casualties.
(Note:
Pennant Number for visual
signalling purposes changed
to 136 to conform with
changes
made for all RN warships.).
June
1st
Landed 427 men at
Dover
3rd
Deployed for operation to block
harbour at Dunkirk
(Operation OK)
Returned
to Dover with crews of blockships..
(Note:
This ship carried a total of
1,649 passengers to
Dover
during DYNAMO.)
7th
Transferred to Sheerness to join
21st
Destroyer Flotilla for convoy
defence
July
Deployed
for convoy escort in North Sea.
August
Carried
out convoy defence duty and
anti-invasion patrols in
North
Sea,
September
North
Sea
duties in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 1
January
Deployed
in North
Sea
for convoy defence and E-Boat
patrol in
North
Sea.
to
(For
details of North
Sea
convoy defence see THREE
CORVETTES by
N
Monsarrat
December
THE BATTLE
FOR THE NARROW
SEAS
by P Scott).
1
9 4 2
January
North
Sea
deployment
with Flotilla in continuation.
February
12th
During Flotilla exercises with
HM
Destroyers CAMPBELL and WORCESTER
of the 21st Destroyer Flotilla,
and MACKAY, WHITSHED and WALPOLE
of the 16th Destroyer Flotilla,
ordered by Admiralty to make torpedo attack
on German battleships
SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU then
on passage
through
English Channel with the cruiser PRINZ EUGEN from
Brest
to
Wilhelmshaven.
First
ship to make an attack and
escaped without serious damage
or casualties.
(Note:
This attempt to prevent the
enemy ships was unsuccessful but
they later
detonated
mines whilst entering harbour in
Germany.
See
Naval Staff History for
details.)
Resumed
convoy defence in North
Sea,
March
Escort
and patrol duty in North Sea in continuation.
to
(Note: This ship was not
converted for use as a Long
Range Escort
December
See
V AND
W DESTROYERS 1917-45 by A
Preston.
Classified
as Short
Range
Escort).
1
9 4 3
January
North
Sea
convoy and patrol in
continuation.
Nominated
for detached service in Home
Fleet..
February
5th
Deployed as part of escort for
returning Russian Convoy RA52
for final stage of
passage
with HM Escort Destroyers
BLANKNEY and MIDDLETON.
March
Home
Fleet deployment in
continuation.
Deployed
as part of escort for returning
Russian Convoy RA53 for final
stage of passage
with
HM Escort Destroyers MEYNELL and
PYTCHLEY.
April
Resumed
service with Flotilla for
North Sea convoy defence.
May
Deployed in North
Sea
for convoy
defence and E-Boat patrol.
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
North
Sea
deployment in
continuation.
to
April
May
Nominated
for duty with HM Destroyer
CAMPBELL, HM Corvettes CLOVER,
PENNYWORT
and Motor Launches of Light
Coastal Forces as Escort Group
103
in
Force L for escort of Follow-up
convoys
during planned allied landings
in
Normandy
(Operation NEPTUNE -For details
of naval activities before and
during
landings
see OPERATION NEPTUNE by K
Edwards and LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY,
June
1944 (HMSO).).
June
Began service with 103rd
Escort Group in
Thames Estuary.
8th
Escorted Convoy
ETM3
comprising 14 Motor Transport
ships) from Thames
to
Solent
with
Group supplemented by HM
Corvettes POPPY and STATICE.
9th
Passage from
Solent
to Eastern Task Force area as
escort to Convoys ETM33 and Etm3W
with
Group.
Returned to
Nore after arrival off
beachhead.
10th
Continued Follow-up convoy
escort duty
from Thames
to beach head with Group.
July
After
release from NEPTUNE
resumed convoy escort
and patrol duties in the English
Channel and
North
Sea
with
Flotilla.
September
Flotilla duties in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
North
See
and Channel escort and patrol in
continuation.
to
(Note: During this period there
was in increase in German
minelaying in
Thames
estuary and
April
North
Sea
by E-Boats
and submersibles.
In
addition ‘Schnorkel’
fitted U-Boats were
concentrating attacks in convoy
focal
points
and increased escorts were
deployed . - See HOLD THE
NARROW
SEAS
by P
Smith
and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett).
May
After
VE Day deployed in support of
reoccupation operations.
15th
Escorted minesweepers with HM
Destroyer
WOOLSTON during mine clearance
operations
prior
to entry of allied warships into
Bergen.
June
Paid-off
and reduced to Reserve status.
to
August
