Admiralty W-Class destroyers
ordered from John Brown of Clyde
bank under the 1916-17 Programme
in the 10th Order on 9 December
1916. The ship was laid down on
17th January 1917 and launched on
2 December 1917. She was the 1st
RN warships to carry the name.
After completion
on 26th January 1918 she served in
the Grand Fleet. This ship was
deployed in
the Baltic during 1919 and was in
action against Russian warships.
In 1921 she
was in the 1st Destroyer Flotilla
and later placed in Reserve (See
General
Information). Brought forward for
service in 1939 the ship was
deployed at
Gibraltar for contraband control
and convoy defence duty. Following
a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign during November
1941 she was
adopted by the civil community of
Erlerley Hill then part of
Staffordshire.
1
9 3 9
September
Deployed
at Gibraltar
with 13th Destroyer Flotilla
for contraband control patrol
duties.
October
Patrol
and convoy defence in
continuation with Flotilla.
1
9 4 0
January
Gibraltar
patrol and convoy escort in
continuation
8th
Deployed as escort for inward
Convoy
HG12 during initial stage of
passage to
Liverpool
10th
Detached from escort and
returned to
Gibraltar.
February
Deployment with Flotilla at
Gibraltar
in
continuation.
March
12th
Deployed with HM Destroyer
VORTIGERN as
escort for inward convoy HG22
during passage from
Gibraltar
to Liverpool.
18th
Detached from HG22
on relief by Local Escort
from Plymouth
in SW
Approaches.
(Note:
HM Destroyers VORTIGERN and
WISHART were also part of
escort.)
29th
Deployed as escort for outward
Convoy OG24F during passage to
Gibraltar from formation in SW
Approaches.
April
4th
Detached from escort of OG24F
on
arrival at Gibraltar
5th
Deployed with HM Sloops
BIDEFORD and
FOWEY as escort for inward
convoy HG25 during
initial
stage of passage from
Gibraltar.
7th
Detached from HG25 and
returned to
Gibraltar.
May
Pennant
Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to I26 in
conformity with
changes
made to all RN ships.
Gibraltar
deployment in
continuation.
June
12th
Attacked Italian submarine
CAPALLANI off
Gibraltar.
(Note:
Result was later assessed as
severe damage.)
26th
Flotilla placed at disposal of
Force H
on formation, as required.
(For
details of Force H operation
in 1940 see ENGAGE
THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett
and Naval Staff History HMSO
(2002). ).
July
Gibraltar
duties in
continuation.
Nominated
for return to UK.
August
Passage to UK
for convoy
escort duty in Western
Approaches.
5th
Joined military convoy WS2
with HM
Destroyers HARVESTER,
HAVELOCK,
HIGHLANDER,
HURRICANE,
FORTUNE, FURY and VORTIGERN
for Local Escort during
passage in the NW
Approaches.
7th
Detached from WS2 with Local
Escort
and returned to Clyde.
September
Joined
6th Escort Group based at
Liverpool.
October
Atlantic
convoy escort duty in
continuation.
Deployed
with Rosyth Escort Force.
November
1st
Under air attack during escort
of
North
Sea
convoy with HM Corvette
PINTAIL and HM
Destroyer
VERDUN
December
Deployed
with Group in Western
Approaches.
1
9 4 1
January
12th
Joined military convoy WS5b in
Clyde
with HM Destroyers
WITHERINGTON,
HARVESTER,
BEAGLE, FEARLESS, HIGHLANDER,
JACKAL,
LEAMINGTON,
LINCOLN,
VANSITTART and Free French
destroyer LEOPARD.
16th
Detached from WS5B with Local
Escort and
returned to Clyde.
February
Deployment
with Group for Atlantic convoy
defence In
continuation.
to
(For
details of U-Boat deployments
in 1941 see U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO))
June
and HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair.)
July
Transferred
to 8th Escort Group for
Atlantic convoy escort.
August
Part of escort for outward
Convoy HX143 with Group.
September
Atlantic escort with Group
in continuation.
October
Part
of escort for outward Convoys
ONS23 and ON30 with Group.
November
Part
of escort for outward convoy
HX160 with Group.
December
Part
of escort for outward convoy
ON51 with Group.
1
9 4 2
January
Deployment with 8th Escort
Group in continuation.
to
March
April
Transferred
to 1st British Escort Group
and joined H M Destroyers
HURRICANE and
ROCKINGHAM,
HM Corvettes BORAGE, DAHLIA,
MEADOWSWEET, MONKSHOOD,
WALLFLOWER
and ANCHUSA.
May
Deployed with Group for
convoy defence in Atlantic.
to
(For
details of development and use
of new weapons by both escorts
and U-Boats
July
see
SEEK AND
STRIKE by
W
Hackmann
and THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC
by D
MacIntyre)
August
Carried
out trial of prototype Radar
Plan Display (PPI) - Later
Outfit JE.
(For
details of development and use
of radar by RN see RADAR AT
SEA
by D Howse).
September
Atlantic convoy defence with
Group in continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 3
January
Atlantic convoy defence with
Group in continuation.
to
Nominated
for conversion to Long Range
Escort.
March
(For
details o this crucial stage
of the Atlantic war see ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY
and above references.)
April
Taken
in hand for refit and
conversion by commercial
shipyard at
Liverpool.
May
Under refit and conversion.
to
See
BRITISH DESTROYERS by E March
and V
AND
W DESTROYERS by A
Preston).
July
(Note:
Ahead Throwing Anti-submarine
weapon (HEDGEHOG) was
fitted
See
SEEK AND
STRIKE by
W
Hackmann.)
August
Post
refit
harbour and trials.
Passage
to work-up
On
completion of work-up rejoined
EGB1 for escort of
Gibraltar
convoys.
September
Deployed
for escort of UK-Gibraltar
convoys with Group.
to
October
November
Transferred
to Gibraltar
Escort Force.
18th
Despatched from
Gibraltar
to reinforce escort of merged
Convoys MKS30
and SL139 with
HM
Destroyer WINCHELSEA.
19th
Joined convoy which was under
sustained
U-Boat attacks by SCHILL
Group.
21st
Under attack by Hs293 Glider
bombs from
He117 aircraft which were
repulsed by the
AA fire
from the escort although one
mercantile was sunk and
another damaged.
December
Atlantic convoy defence with
Group in continuation.
1
9 4 4
January
Nominated
for Russian Convoy escort duty
with Home Fleet.
February
Escorted
HM Escort Carrier CHASER with
HM Destroyer WANDERER, HM
Frigates
BYRON
and STRULE during passage to
join Russian Convoy JW57
22nd
Joined JW57 escort.
26th
Detached from JW57 and resumed
Atlantic
convoy defence duty.
March
Atlantic
convoy defence in
continuation.
to
April
May
Nominated for escort of
assault convoys to Normandy
beach head
(Operation NEFTUNE).
Transferred
to join HM Canadian Corvette
LINDSAY, HM Trawlers SCALPAY
and
GANILLY as
Escort Group 138.
(For
details of naval activities
prior to and during
Normandy
assault landings see OPERATION
NEPTUNE
by K Edwards, LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY
June 1944 (HMSO) and D
DAY
SHIPS
by J de Winser
).
June
Passage to Milford Haven for
escort of Convoy
EBC3 with Group.
5th
Departure of
convoy delayed by 24 hours
when D-Day postponed.
6th
Escorted 11
Stores Coasters, three Empty
MT Ships, two
2
Armament Stores Carriers and a
Water
Tanker to
Solent.
8th
Passage through swept channel
to
Western Task Force area as
escort for MT Ships, Armament
Carriers
and Water Carrier
Attack
by E-Boats during passage
driven off.
11th
After arrival detached from
convoy and
returned to Milford Haven.
13th
Commenced escort of Build -Up
convoys to
beachhead.
On release
from
NEPTUNE
deployed in English
Channel for coastal convoy defence and patrol.
July
Channel
deployment in continuation.
August
21st
During escort of convoy off Beachy
Head
with HM Destroyers MELBREAK
and
FORESTER
drove
off attacks by E-Boats of 8th
German
MTB
Flotilla.
September
Channel
deployment in continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Convoy
defence in English
Channel and SW Approaches in continuation.
to
(Note: Atlantic convoys were
re-routed via Channel in this
period and “Schnorkel”
March
fitted
U-Boats were concentrating
attacks in focal points. See
above references)
April
Part of escort for military
convoy VWP16 in Channel.
6th
Sank U1195 by HEDGEHOG after
attack on
convoy.
(Note:
This submarine had sunk the
troop transport
CUBA
in the convoy
For
full details see U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp.)
May
Withdrawn
from operational service after
VE-Day and paid off into
Reserve.
June
Placed
on the Disposal List.
July
23rd
Sold to T W Ward
for breaking-up.
August
Awaiting
demolition.