Admiralty
V-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from
J S Write, Cowes, IoW under the
1916-17 Programme Build (9th Order)
and laid down
on 17th January 1917. The ship was
launched on 5th October 1917 as the
first RN
warship to carry the name. She was
completed on 21st January 1918 and
could be
used a minelayer. After brief
wartime service she was deployed in
the Baltic
during 1919 and later with the 1st
Destroyer Flotilla. This ship was
placed in
Reserve and brought forward during
1939 to attend the Review of the
Reserve
Fleet by HM King George VI in August
that year.
1
9 3 9
September
3rd
Deployed with 17th Destroyer
Flotilla
at Plymouth for anti-submarine patrol and
convoy
defence in SW Approaches and English
Channel.
October
Convoy
defence in SW Approaches in
continuation.
to
For details of activities in
Home Waters
during 1939, see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
December
CLOSELY by Corelli Bamett).
1
9 4 0
January
Nominated
for service at Gibraltar with 13th Destroyer Flotilla.
13th
Deployed with HM Destroyer VELOX
to
replace HM Sloop ENCHANTRESS as
escort for0
outward
Convoy OG14F on passage in SW
approaches to Gibraltar
15th
Detached from
OG14F on arrival at Gibraltar.
Joined
Flotilla for convoy defence at
Gibraltar.
February
6th
Joined HM Sloops ENCHANTRESS and
FOLKESTONE, HM Minesweeper
GOSSAMER and
HM
Submarine OTWAY on departure of
inward Convoy HG18F as part of
escort during
initial
stage
of passage to Liverpool.
Detached
from HG18F and returned to Gibraltar.
March
1st
Joined HM Sloops SCARBOROUGH and
WELLINGTON
escorting inward Convoy OG20F
on
passage
in Atlantic from Liverpool to Gibraltar.
2nd
Detached from OG20F with escort
and
took passage to Gibraltar.
12th
Deployed with HM Destroyer
WATCHMAN as
escort for inward Convoy HG22
during
passage from Gibraltar to Liverpool.
19th
Detached from HG22 with HMS
WATCHMAN on
relief by HM Destroyers WITCH
and
VANQUISHER.
29th
Joined outward Convoy OG24 with
HMS
WATCHMAN on formation in SW
Approaches as
escort
for passage to Gibraltar.
April
2nd
HM Destroyer WISHART joined OG24
escort
from Gibraltar.
4th
Detached from
OG24F with escort on arrival
at Gibraltar.
14th
Joined inward Convoy OG25 during
passage
in Atlantic
to supplement escort by two
French
warships
for final stage of passage into
Gibraltar.
16th
Detached from OG25
on arrival at Gibraltar.
May
Pennant
Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to I
37
to conform with changes
introduced
for all RN warships.
June
Passage to Gibraltar
to join
Flotilla.
July
3rd
Took part in the action against
French
Fleet at Oran (Operation CATAPULT)
(For details see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY and RELUCTANT
ENEMIES
by W
Tute).
6th
Part of escort for HM
Battlecruiser
HOOD, HM Battleship VALIANT, HM
Aircraft
Carrier
ARK ROYAL, HM Cruisers ARETHUSA
and ENTERPRISE
with destroyers of
13th
and 8th Destroyer Flotillas during
air attacks on the French
battleship
DUNKERQUE
(Operation
LEVER).
8th
Joined HM Destroyers FAULKNOR,
FOXHOUND, FEARLESS, FORESTER,
ESCORT,
DOUGLAS,
ACTIVE, VELOX and WRESTLER
as screen for HMS HOOD, HMS
VALIANT,
HM
Battleship RESOLUTION, HMS ARK
ROYAL, HMS ARETHUSA and HM
Cruiser
DELHI
during planned air attacks
from HMS ARK ROYAL on Cagliari.
(Note:
Operation was abandoned after
heavy air attacks.)
12th
Passage to UK
August
Deployed
for convoy defence in Home
waters pending refit and
conversion.
5th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
FORTUNE,
FURY and WATCHMAN as Local
Escort for
military
convoy WS2 during passage from Clyde
in NW Approaches.
7th
Detached from WS2 with Local
Escort and
returned to Clyde.
September
Taken
in hand for refit and conversion
for use as Short Range Escort.
October
Under refit and conversion.
November
On
completion of Post Refit trials
joined 12th Destroyer Flotilla
based
at
Rosyth for North
Sea convoy
defence.
(For
details of North Sea activities see THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by Peter
Scott and
THREE CORVETTES by N
Monsarrat).
December
9th
Part of escort
for east coast Convoy FN53 and
under attack by seaplane off
Aldeburgh.
1
9 4 1
North
Sea
convoy defence and
interception patrol against
E-Boat incursions
(Note:
See THE BATTLE
OF THE EAST
COAST
by J P Foynes.)
1
9 4 2
January
North
Sea
convoy escort and patrol
duties in continuation.
to
February
March
15th
Sunk off Cromer by E-Boat S104
during
defence of Coastal Convoy with
HM
Corvette
GUILLEMOT.
Casualty
List was published on 16th
May 1942.
(Note:
110 of ships’ company were
killed with only 14
survivors.
This
was the heaviest loss of life of
RN personnel in any one ship in
defence
of an
east coast convoy.)