Modified Thornycroft
W-Class destroyer included in the 13th Order
of the 1918-19 Programme for
build by Thornycroft
at Woolston
and ordered in January 1918. She was laid down
on 13th June 1918 and launched
on 11th November 1919 as the first RN ship to
carry this name. Completion was
delayed by the end of hostilities and the ship
was towed to HM Dockyard Devonport
after launch. Build was completed in March
1924.
She saw little Fleet service and was placed in
Reserve with other ships of the
Class. She remained in and Care and
Maintenance at Rosyth.
In 1939 she was brought forward for the Royal
Review of the Reserve Fleet and
remained in. commission after the
outbreak of war. She was adopted by the civil
community of Northwich,
Cheshire following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in March 1942.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1941-43 - NORWAY 1940 - NORTH
SEA 1944
H
e r a l d ic
D a t a
Badge: On
a Field Blue, a cat
affronte
cantant Black,
before a crescent
moon silver.
M
o t t o
'I'll do and I'll
do'
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
Remained in service.
Completed to war complement and embarked war
stores.
3rd
Joined 15th Destroyer Flotilla based at
Rosyth for East coast convoy defence with
Rosyth
Escort Force.
October
Transferred to Western Approaches Command
for Atlantic convoy escort.
November
Atlantic deployment in continuation.
to
December
1 9
4 0
January
Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
11th
Joined HM Sloops ABERDEEN, BIDEFORD and
LEITH in escort for inward
Convoy HG14F with HM Destroyers WARWICK and
WANDERER to supplement escort during
passage in SW Approaches to Liverpool from
Gibraltar.
12th
HMS LEITH detached.
13th
Detached with escort on arrival of HG14F in
Liverpool.
February
Western Approaches convoy defence and patrol
in continuation.
(See above reference and U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO).)
March
7th
Joined inward Convoy HG21F in SW Approaches
with HM Destroyer WHIRLWIND as relief for
escort during final stage of passage to
Liverpool from Gibraltar.
10th
Detached from HG21F with HMS WHIRLWIND on
arrival at Liverpool.
(Note: All escorts for convoys in Western
Approaches Command were based at Liverpool after
headquarters transferred from Plymouth.)
19th
Joined inward Convoy HG22 during passage to
Liverpool in SW approaches with HM Destroyers
WATCHMAN and VORTIGERN in place of HM
Destroyer VANQUISHER as escort for final
stage of passage from Gibraltar.
21st
Detached from HG22 and returned to base.
April
8th
Joined inward Convoy HG25F in SW Approaches
with HM Sloop ROCHESTER,
HM Destroyers VIMY and VISCOUNT as escort
for passage into Liverpool
from Gibraltar.
9th
Detached from HG25F with HMS VIMY and took
passage to Scapa Flow for service with Home
Fleet for escort of military convoys to
Norway after German invasion.
(Operation RUPERT/R4)
22nd
Deployed with HM Destroyers VANSITTART,
CAMPBELL, IVANHOE, ICARUS and
IMPULSIVE
as screen for HM
Cruisers GALATEA,
SHEFFIELD
and GLASGOW during
passage from
Rosyth for reinforcement of troops at
Andalsnes (Operation SICKLE)
(Note: Destroyers embarked 60 troops each.
See Naval Staff History (HMSO-2001)
23rd
Arrived at Molde.
May
Escort and support of military operations in
Norway in continuation.
11th
Joined H M Cruisers COVENTRY and CALCUTTA
with H M Destroyers ISIS, CAMPBELL
and
ZULU as escort for
the damaged cruiser HMS PENELOPE for
passage to
Greenock.
On release from
detached Home Fleet service rejoined
Flotilla for coastal convoy escort.
(Note: Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to I89 to conform
with new identities introduced for RN
warships.)
June
East coast convoy escort, and North Sea patrol duties in continuation.
to
December
1 9
4 1
January
Deployed on coastal convoy escort, in North Sea.
to
Transferred to Western Approaches for convoy
defence with 10th Escort Group.
July
Deployed in NW Approaches. August
5th
Deployed as Local Escort for military convoy
WS10 for passage in NW Approaches
with HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers
WHITEHALL, WINCHESTER, BROADWAY,
GURKHA,
LANCE, LEGION,
Dutch ISAAC SWEERS and Polish ORP PIORUN.
(Note: HM Cruiser LONDON was
the Ocean Escort for this convoy to
Freetown.)
7th
Detached from WS10 and returned to Clyde
with Local Escort.
9th
Deployed as Escort for military convoy WS8C
for passage from
Clyde to Scapa
Flow
(Note: Part of planned occupation of
Azores which was later cancelled.)
10th
Return passage to Clyde.
15th
Deployed as Escort for military convoy WS10X
for passage from
Liverpool to Clyde
with
Dutch cruiser HEEMSKERCK and HM Destroyers
WHITEHALL
17th
Detached from WS10X on arrival in Clyde.
September
17th
Deployed as Escort for military convoy WS11X
for passage from
Clyde to
Gibraltar with HM
Destroyers BLANKNEY, LAFOREY, LIGHTNING,
ORIBI, WHITEHALL, Dutch ISAAC
SWEERS, Polish ORP GARLAND and PIORUN.
(Note: Operation HALBERD - Malta relief
convoy with cover by HM Battleship
PRINCE OF
WALES, HM Cruisers EURYALUS and KENYA.)
26th
Passage to UK on release from HALBERD.
October
1st
Deployed as Local Escort for military convoy
WS12 for passage in NW Approaches with HM
Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers VERITY,
WHITEHALL, BLANKNEY, STANLEY,
ASSINIBOINE (RCN), SAGUENAY (RCN),
BADSWORTH, BRADFORD, BRIGHTON,
LANCASTER and NEWARK.
(Note: HM Cruiser DORSETSHIRE was deployed
as Ocean Escort.
4th
Return passage to Clyde with Local Escort.
November
13th
Deployed as Local Escort for military convoy
WS12Z for passage in NW Approaches with HM
Destroyers VERITY, BADSWORTH, EXMOOR,
VANQUISHER, WHITEHALL and
MAORI.
16th
Return passage to Clyde with Local Escort
December
13th
Deployed as Local Escort for military convoy
WS14 for passage in NW Approaches with HM
Destroyers VANQUISHER, VOLUNTEER, BADSWORTH
and BEAUFORT.
(Note: HM Battleship RAMILLIES was deployed
as Ocean Escort)
15th
Return passage to Clyde with Local Escort
1 9
4 2
January
Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
to
Nominated for conversion to Short Range
Escort.
August
Taken in hand for refit and conversion.
(For details of conversion see V&W
DESTROYERS 1917-45 by A Preston).
September
On completion of trials and work-up resumed
Atlantic convoy escort duties.
Part of escort for Convoy ON127.
October
Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
to
(See above references and THE BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by Donald Macintyre).
November
December
Deployed with 5th British Escort Group for
convoy defence in Caribbean.
1 9
4 3
January
Part of escort for
Tanker Convoy TM1 from
West
Indies to Gibraltar with Group.
Under U-Boat attacks
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair and
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO)
February
Part of escort for outward Convoy ON168 from
UK to Halifax, NS.
(For details of development of new weapons
and tactics used by both sides in the
struggle for
dominance of the Atlantic sea routes see
above references and WAR BENEATH THE SEA
by P Padfield).
Deployed with 2nd Escort Group for escort
for inward Convoy SC118 during Atlantic
passage
to Clyde and threat of attack by PFEIL
U-Boat Group.
4th
Carried out anti-submarine operations
against PFEIL Group with HM Destroyers
VANESSA, VIMY,
BEVERLEY, HM Corvettes ABELIA (Free French),
LOBELIA and MIGNONETTE.
(Note: During these operations U187 was sunk
by HMS VIMY after detection of wireless
traffic
which enabled escorts to locate by using HF
D/F.
For details see HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair and SEEK AND STRIKE by W
Hackmann.)
5th
Deployed for defence of SC118 but no attacks
were made due to weather conditions.
Detached to refuel.
Resumed duties with Group on completion.
Nominated for convoy defence at
Freetown.
March
16th
Deployed as escort for military convoy WS28
during passage to Freetown with HM
Destroyers
MALCOLM, QUADRANT and WOLVERINE.
27th
Detached from WS28 on arrival at Freetown
with Escort.
April
26th
Deployed as Local Escort for military convoy
WS29 during passage into Freetown with HM
Destroyers MALCOLM and WOLVERINE.
28th
Detached from WS29 on arrival at Freetown.
May
6th
Deployed as Local Escort, for military
convoy WS29 on departure from Freetown
with HM
Destroyers BOREAS, MALCOLM, RAPID and
WOLVERINE.
8th
Detached from WS29 and returned to Freetown
with Local Escort.
June
3rd
Deployed as Local Escort for military convoy
WS30 on departure from Freetown
with HM
Destroyers BOADICEA, RAPID and WOLVERINE.
9th
Detached from WS29 on. relief by HM
Destroyers
NORMAN, QUADRANT and REDOUBT.
Took passage to
Freetown
with Local Escort
July
10th
Joined military convoy WS31 during passage
from
Freetown to Cape of Good Hope
with HM
Corvette ARMERIA.
12th
Detached from WS31 escort on arrival of HM
Destroyer RAPID and returned to
Freetown.
August
Freetown deployment in continuation.
to
Nominated for return to UK.
December
December
1 9
4 4
January
Withdrawn from Ocean escort duties and took
passage to Home waters for escort of
to
coastal convoys in the North Sea.
April
(Note: This change was made because of the
availability of new escorts which had
improved
accommodation and better weapons for this
type of work than those fitted in a ship
built in 1917.
See V&W DESTROYERS by A Preston)
May
Deployed for North Sea convoy defence.
June
Remained in North Sea for coastal convoy
defence and not deployed for support of the
allied
invasion of Normandy (Operation. NEPTUNE).
(See OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, JUNE 1944
(HMSO).
July
North Sea convoy defence and patrol in
continuation.
to
December
1 9
4 5
January
North sea convoy escort and patrol in
continuation.
to
(Note: During this period German minelaying
operations and attacks by SCHNORKEL
May
fitted submarines and submersibles were
extensively carried cut.
Additional patrols in
the
Thames
estuary were necessary
(See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by
P Smith and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY).
June
Deployed for local port duties and support
of re-occupation.
to
Nominated for reduction to Reserve status.
August
S
p e c i a l N o t e
This
destroyer although deployed for much of her
service in
the Atlantic, was another of the ships which
received little publicity. Her
contribution to the safe passage of convoys
can be measured by the knowledge
that German records establish that only 10%
of
all convoys were attacked by the U-Boat
and of the
75,000 ships escorted less than 1% were sunk
- another of the ‘unsung’
heroines.
P
o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS
WITCH
was Paid-off and placed In Reserve after VJ
Day. She was put on the Disposal
List and sold to BISCO on 12th July 1946 for
demolition by G Brunton.
Later the ship arrived in tow at the
breakers yard
in Granton on
the Forth.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
WITCH
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
14/10/39
|
14/10/39
|
FS
0021
|
16/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
27/10/39
|
27/10/39
|
OA
026
|
02/11/39
|
02/11/39
|
10/11/39
|
11/11/39
|
OA
033
|
12/11/39
|
15/11/39
|
20/11/39
|
20/11/39
|
OA
038
|
unknown
|
23/11/39
|
04/12/39
|
04/12/39
|
OA
047
|
05/12/39
|
08/12/39
|
08/12/39
|
08/12/39
|
OA
049
|
09/12/39
|
11/12/39
|
16/12/39
|
16/12/39
|
OA
054
|
unknown
|
19/12/39
|
01/01/40
|
01/01/40
|
OA
064
|
03/01/40
|
04/01/40
|
05/01/40
|
11/01/40
|
HG
014F
|
15/01/40
|
15/01/40
|
10/02/40
|
11/02/40
|
OA
089
|
12/02/40
|
13/02/40
|
04/02/40
|
14/02/40
|
HXF
019
|
17/02/40
|
17/02/40
|
02/02/40
|
18/02/40
|
OA
084
|
unknown
|
05/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
29/02/40
|
HX
020
|
04/03/40
|
04/03/40
|
01/03/40
|
07/03/40
|
HG
021F
|
10/03/40
|
10/03/40
|
11/03/40
|
11/03/40
|
OA
108GF
|
13/03/40
|
13/03/40
|
12/03/40
|
19/03/40
|
HG
022
|
21/03/40
|
22/03/40
|
25/03/40
|
06/04/40
|
HX
030
|
09/04/40
|
09/04/40
|
02/04/40
|
08/04/40
|
HG
025F
|
09/04/40
|
11/04/40
|
18/04/40
|
26/04/40
|
FS
002
|
01/05/40
|
01/05/40
|
02/07/40
|
02/07/40
|
HGY
|
10/07/40
|
14/07/40
|
22/08/40
|
23/08/40
|
OB
202
|
25/08/40
|
26/08/40
|
01/09/40
|
02/09/40
|
OB
207
|
unknown
|
06/09/40
|
02/09/40
|
15/09/40
|
SC
003
|
18/09/40
|
18/09/40
|
05/01/41
|
05/01/41
|
OB
270
|
08/01/41
|
08/01/41
|
22/12/40
|
09/01/41
|
SL
060
|
13/01/41
|
13/01/41
|
18/01/41
|
18/01/41
|
OB
275
|
22/01/41
|
23/01/41
|
11/01/41
|
23/01/41
|
HX
102
|
25/01/41
|
29/01/41
|
01/02/41
|
01/02/41
|
OB
281
|
05/02/41
|
05/02/41
|
25/01/41
|
06/02/41
|
HX
105
|
09/02/41
|
09/02/41
|
16/02/41
|
17/02/41
|
OB
287
|
unknown
|
21/02/41
|
09/02/41
|
24/02/41
|
HX
108
|
27/02/41
|
27/02/41
|
05/03/41
|
05/03/41
|
OB
294
|
09/03/41
|
09/03/41
|
18/02/41
|
10/03/41
|
SL
066
|
14/03/41
|
14/03/41
|
10/08/41
|
22/08/41
|
HX
144
|
22/08/41
|
30/08/41
|
16/08/41
|
29/08/41
|
HX
145
|
unknown
|
31/08/41
|
04/09/41
|
12/09/41
|
HX
148
|
13/09/41
|
17/09/41
|
16/09/41
|
25/09/41
|
HX
150
|
28/09/41
|
30/09/41
|
05/10/41
|
23/10/41
|
SL
089
|
25/10/41
|
26/10/41
|
14/12/41
|
23/12/41
|
HG
076
|
29/12/41
|
30/12/41
|
02/02/42
|
02/02/42
|
ON
063
|
07/02/42
|
13/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
28/02/42
|
CT
011
|
09/03/42
|
09/03/42
|
12/03/42
|
12/03/42
|
SC
074
|
18/03/42
|
28/03/42
|
09/03/42
|
20/03/42
|
ON
074
|
25/03/42
|
25/03/42
|
02/04/42
|
02/04/42
|
HX
183
|
06/04/42
|
15/04/42
|
27/03/42
|
10/04/42
|
ON
080
|
14/04/42
|
15/04/42
|
23/04/42
|
23/04/42
|
SC
081
|
27/04/42
|
09/05/42
|
23/04/42
|
02/05/42
|
ON
089
|
unknown
|
05/05/42
|
17/05/42
|
17/05/42
|
HX
190
|
20/05/42
|
28/05/42
|
15/05/42
|
25/05/42
|
ON
095
|
27/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
02/06/42
|
02/06/42
|
BX
022
|
04/06/42
|
04/06/42
|
12/06/42
|
12/06/42
|
SC
087
|
15/06/42
|
27/06/42
|
12/06/42
|
21/06/42
|
ON
103
|
27/06/42
|
26/06/42
|
27/06/42
|
27/06/42
|
BX
026B
|
29/06/42
|
29/06/42
|
03/07/42
|
03/07/42
|
SC
090
|
06/07/42
|
16/07/42
|
03/07/42
|
11/07/42
|
ON
109
|
16/07/42
|
18/07/42
|
19/07/42
|
19/07/42
|
BX
029B
|
21/07/42
|
21/07/42
|
24/07/42
|
24/07/42
|
SC
093
|
26/07/42
|
07/08/42
|
24/07/42
|
02/08/42
|
ON
115
|
unknown
|
08/08/42
|
11/08/42
|
11/08/42
|
SC
096
|
15/08/42
|
27/08/42
|
12/08/42
|
20/08/42
|
ON
121
|
unknown
|
27/08/42
|
28/08/42
|
28/08/42
|
BX
035B
|
30/08/42
|
30/08/42
|
05/09/42
|
05/09/42
|
SC
099
|
09/09/42
|
20/09/42
|
04/09/42
|
13/09/42
|
ON
127
|
18/09/42
|
20/09/42
|
01/10/42
|
04/10/42
|
HX
210
|
07/10/42
|
16/10/42
|
26/09/42
|
10/10/42
|
ON
134
|
14/10/42
|
17/10/42
|
26/10/42
|
26/10/42
|
HX
213
|
29/10/42
|
10/11/42
|
07/11/42
|
12/11/42
|
TA
026
|
13/11/42
|
13/11/42
|
12/01/43
|
12/01/43
|
SC
117
|
16/01/43
|
03/02/43
|
24/01/43
|
01/02/43
|
SC
118
|
04/02/43
|
12/02/43
|
26/05/43
|
26/05/43
|
ST
067
|
02/06/43
|
02/06/43
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
TS
047
|
20/07/43
|
20/07/43
|
25/08/43
|
26/08/43
|
CF
013B
|
31/08/43
|
31/08/43
|
13/09/43
|
13/09/43
|
MKS
024G
|
14/09/43
|
14/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
MKS
025G
|
04/10/43
|
08/10/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)