Modified
W-Class
Destroyer ordered under 1918-19 Programme
(14th Order) from Swan Hunter at Wallsend
on
Tyne, Newcastle in April 1918. The ship
was
launched on 31st January 1919
and was the first RN warship
to
carry
this name. She was completed
in 1919 and had paid off into Reserve for
economic reasons by 1930. (See General
Information details). During WW2
following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings
campaign
in February 1942 this
destroyer was adopted by the civil
community of Whitby, then in the North
Riding
of
Yorkshire
B
a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1940 -
DUNKIRK
1940 - NORTH SEA 1941-45 - DOVER STRAITS
1941 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942-44 -
NORMANDY
1944
H
e r a l d i c D a ta
Badge:
On a Field Red, a
Demi-Lion rampant Gold, holding
a
trefoil Gree.
M
o t t o
Libertas
et natale:
'Freedom and Fatherland
only'
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
Destroyer Flotilla at Portland for escort and patrol duties In the
English
Channel and SW
to
Approaches.
December
1
9 4 0
January
Convoy escort and patrol duty in Channel
and SW Approaches In continuation.
30th
Took part in sinking of U55 by surface gun
action with HM Sloop FOWEY and an RAF
aircraft
from 228 Squadron in SW Approaches whilst
escorting Convoy OA30G.
February
Channel and SW Approaches convoy escort
duty in continuation.
to
March
April
Transferred to 19th Destroyer Flotilla at
Dover to assist with support operations
off Belgian an
Netherlands
coasts
May
Took part in
demolition and evacuation at
Ijmuiden
and Amsterdam.
(Operation XD(A)
- See Naval Staff History).
13th
Carried supplies to Dunkirk and embarked
Irish Guards.
14th
Assisted in evacuation at Hook of Holland
(Operation ORDNANCE).
16th
Assisted in evacuation at Ostend until
18th May.
22nd
Escorted ships taking Guards Battalions to
Boulogne.
23rd
Under shore fire at Bolougne and sustained
damage and casualties.
Provided naval gunfire support to cover
sailing of HM Destroyers KEITH and VIMY
which
were taking
personnel back to UK.
26th
Deployed on evacuation of allied troops
from Dunkirk (Operation DYNAMO).
(For details of evacuation operations see
Naval Staff History (HMSO, 2002) and BEF
SHIPS
by J de Winser.)
Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to I77 to conform with
changes to
all RN ships.
June
On completion of DYNAMO resumed Flotilla
duties at Harwich for convoy escort and
patrol
in North Sea and English Channel.
(Note: This ship was one off the few
destroyers not requiring major repair
after
the evacuation.)
July
Convoy escort and anti-invasion patrol duties in continuation.
31st
Sustained serious structural damage after
detonating a mine off Harwich.
Towed to Harwich by HM Destroyer WILD
SWAN.
August
Under repair.
to
December
1
9 4 1
January
On completion rejoined Flotilla at Harwich
in continuation of escort and patrol.
February
14th
Escorted Mater
Torpedo Boats for mine lay in
North Sea and came under air attacks.
March
North Sea convoy escort and patrol duty in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 2
January
North Sea convoy escort and patrol duty in
continuation.
February
Joined HM Destroyers MACKAY and WALPOLE
of the 21st
Destroyer
Flotilla
with HM Destroyers CAMPBELL, WORCESTER,
and VIVACIOUS of the 16th
Destroyer
Flotilla.
12th
Carried out torpedo attack on German
battleships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU
which
with the cruiser
PRINZ EUGEN had broken out of
Brest
and taken passage via Dover Straits
to
Wilhelmshaven.
For details see THE CHANNEL DASH by T
Robertson, Naval Staff History and ENGAGE
THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
March
North Sea and English Channel convoy
escort and patrol duty in continuation.
to
(Note: The armament of the ship was
altered for this duty by replacement of
one of
the forward
December
4.7in gun mountings by an army twin 6lb
weapon which was very suitable
for defence
of convoys under attack by E-Boats during
passage off east coast.
1
9 4 3
January
Convoy escort and patrol duty in North Sea and English
Channel in continuation.
to
October
November
In action
against E-Boats in defence of Convoy
CW221 off
Hastings
with two Motor
Gunboats
and four Motor Launches of Coastal Forces.
December
Convoy escort
and patrol duty in Channel and North
Sea in continuation.
1
9 4 4
January
Convoy escort and patrol duty in
continuation.
to
March
April
18th
In action with
E-Boats carrying out minelay in
English
Channel.
(Note: Enemy craft abandoned their attacks
after sustaining damage.
May
Nominated for duty with Escort Group 104
based at Nore for defence of convoys to
Normandy
beachhead with HM Destroyer MONTROSE, HM
Corvette BORAGE and HM Corvette
LOOSESTRIFE
during planned allied landings
(Operation
NEPTUNE).
Continued escort of mercantile convoys.
June
Joined Escort Group 104 at Southend..
4th
Escorted Convoy EIL1 comprising 12 Landing
Ships, Tank and 24 Landing Craft, Tank
from Southend to Eastern Task Force Area.
6th
Arrived in Area with convoy and then
returned to Southend with Escort Group
for escort of
Build-Up convoys.
July
Released from NEPTUNE and reamed convoy
escort and patrol duties at Harwich.
August
Convoy escort duty in North Sea and
Channel in continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Convoy escort and Interception patrols In
North Sea against enemy minelaying by E-
to
Boats and submersibles.
April
(Note: During this period Schnorkel fitted
submarines were concentrating attacks
in coastal
voters and Atlantic convoys were being
routed via English Channel)
May
Deployed in support of re-occupation
operations.
June
Nominated for reduction to Reserve status.
S p e c i a l N o t e
Attention
is drawn to a book
written by Lieut. Cdr. Stitt - HMS
WIDEAWAKE which gives an account of the
wartime activities of HMS WHITSHED. This
book would have been constrained by
security rules at the time of writing.
Po s t W a r N o t e s
HMS WHITSHED was not deployed again operationally
and after the
end of hostilities she was Paid-off and
reduced to
Reserve status. The ship
was placed on the Disposal List in 1946
and sold to BISCO in February 1947 for
demolition by T J King. The
ship arrived at the breakers’ yard to at
Gateshead in April 1948.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
WHITSHED
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
30/12/39
|
30/12/39
|
OA
063GF
|
unknown
|
31/12/39
|
07/01/40
|
07/01/40
|
OA
068GF
|
08/01/40
|
unknown
|
29/12/39
|
09/01/40
|
HX
014
|
12/01/40
|
12/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
OA
080G
|
31/01/40
|
31/01/40
|
31/01/40
|
31/01/40
|
OG
016
|
31/01/40
|
04/02/40
|
17/02/40
|
24/02/40
|
HG
019
|
27/02/40
|
27/02/40
|
05/03/40
|
20/03/40
|
SL
023
|
22/03/40
|
22/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
OA
116
|
26/03/40
|
28/03/40
|
26/03/40
|
26/03/40
|
OA
117
|
27/03/40
|
29/03/40
|
07/06/43
|
07/06/43
|
CW
184
|
08/06/43
|
08/06/43
|
08/06/43
|
08/06/43
|
CE
182
|
09/06/43
|
09/06/43
|
06/08/43
|
06/08/43
|
CW
199
|
07/08/43
|
07/08/43
|
07/08/43
|
07/08/43
|
CE
197
|
08/08/43
|
08/08/43
|
09/10/43
|
09/10/43
|
CW
215
|
10/10/43
|
10/10/43
|
10/10/43
|
10/10/43
|
CE
213
|
11/10/43
|
11/10/43
|
02/11/43
|
02/11/43
|
CW
221
|
03/11/43
|
03/11/43
|
04/11/43
|
04/11/43
|
CE
219
|
05/11/43
|
05/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
CW
227
|
27/11/43
|
27/11/43
|
28/11/43
|
28/11/43
|
CE
225
|
29/11/43
|
29/11/43
|
16/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
CE
245
|
17/02/44
|
17/02/44
|
10/03/44
|
10/03/44
|
CW
253
|
11/03/44
|
11/03/44
|
11/03/44
|
11/03/44
|
CE
251
|
12/03/44
|
14/03/44
|
12/06/44
|
12/06/44
|
ETM
007
|
13/06/44
|
13/06/44
|
13/06/44
|
13/06/44
|
FTM
006
|
14/06/44
|
14/06/44
|
16/06/44
|
16/06/44
|
ETM
011
|
17/06/44
|
17/06/44
|
24/06/44
|
24/06/44
|
ETM
016
|
25/06/44
|
25/06/44
|
29/06/44
|
29/06/44
|
ETM
021
|
30/06/44
|
30/06/44
|
01/07/44
|
01/07/44
|
FTM
024
|
02/07/44
|
02/07/44
|
04/07/44
|
04/07/44
|
ETM
026
|
05/07/44
|
05/07/44
|
06/07/44
|
06/07/44
|
FTM
029
|
07/07/44
|
07/07/44
|
12/07/44
|
12/07/44
|
ETC
035
|
13/07/44
|
13/07/44
|
14/07/44
|
14/07/44
|
FTC
036
|
15/07/44
|
15/07/44
|
24/07/44
|
24/07/44
|
ETM
044
|
25/07/44
|
25/07/44
|
26/07/44
|
26/07/44
|
FTM
049
|
27/07/44
|
27/07/44
|
29/07/44
|
29/07/44
|
ETM
049
|
30/07/44
|
30/07/44
|
06/08/44
|
06/08/44
|
ETM
057
|
07/08/44
|
07/08/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)