H . M . S
. V A N E S S
A ( D 2 9 )
"V" Claas destroyer in the 9th Order of the 1916-17 Programme
from Beardmore and laid down on l0th
May 1917. She was launched on 16th March 1918 and was
the 1st major RN warship to carry this name, although it was used for a yacht
hired in 1914 for patrol duties. Build was completed on 21st June 1918 but by December 1921 she had been placed in
Reserve at Rosyth. After being brought forward in
1939 this destroyer Joined the 17th Destroyer Flotilla for convoy defence.
Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in December 1941
she was ‘adopted’ by the civil community of Barry, Glamorgan.
B a t t
le H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1939-43
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge : On a Field White. a butterfly, Blue.
M o t t
o
Quandmeme J'arrive
: 'I get there when I arrive'
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
September Deployed
with 17th Destroyer Flotilla at Plymouth for convoy defence and
patrol in SW
Approaches.
5th Escorted Convoy GC from Clyde with HM Destroyers
VIVACIOUS, WAKEFUL and
VANQUISHER.
October Western
Approaches convoy defence deployment in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 0
January Convoy
defence in Channel and SW Approaches.
to (Note ´Not deployed for evacuation of
troops from Dunkirk or French Channel ports)
June
July During
escort of Convoy CW6 with HM Destroyer GALLANT came under air attacks.
Sustained
damage from near miss and towed to Dover by HMS GALLANT.
August Under repair by HM Dockyard, Chatham.
to
November
December Post refit trials.
Nominated for service in Western Approaches on completion.
1 9 4 1
January On
completion joined Western Approaches Command for Atlantic convoy defence.
February Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
to (Note : Western Approaches escorts
previously based at Plymouth transferred to Liverpool).
June
July Nominated
for conversion to Long Range Escort
See
V&W DESTROYERS by A Preston..
August Taken
in hand for conversion by Green and Silley Weir ahipyard, London.
September Under refit and conversion.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Under refit and conversion.
to
June
July Post
refit trials.
August Work-up for Atlantic escort duties.
to Nominated for service with 2nd Escort
Group.
October Joined
H M Destroyers HESPERUS, WHITEHALL, HM Corvettes CAMPANULA
SWEETBRIAR, CLEMATIS,
GENTIAN, HEATHER and MIGNONETTE in Group
for defence of Atlantic convoys.
Escorted Convoy HX213.
November Detached
from HX213 to join escort of Convoy SC107.
3rd Drove off U-Boat attacks on SC107 with
HM Corvette CELANDINE after detection of
radio transmissions from U-Boat.
For
details of tactics used in defence and attacks during Battle of the Atlantic see U-BOAT
WAR
IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO), THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D. MacIntyre
and
SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann).
December Escorted
Convoy HX219 with HMS HESPERUS.
30th Took part in
sustained depth charge attacks on U357 with HMS HESPERUS.
Submarine
forced to surface and rammed by both ships and sunk.
See
U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp. Seven of crew were rescued.
1 9 4 3
January Under repair to structural
damage.
Rejoined Group on completion.
February Part
of escort for Convoy SC118 with HM Destroyers VIMY and BEVERLEY, H M Corvettes
CAMPANULA,
MIGNONETTE, ABELIA, French LOBELIA and US Navy Coastguard Cutter
BIBB.
4th Detected
U-Boat wireless transmissions and despatched HMS VIMY and HMS BEVERLEY
to carrying out anti-submarine operations.
(Note : U187 was attacked by depth charges and forced to
surface after which she was engaged
by surface gunfire and sunk. See above references.45 survivors
were rescued..)
Convoy SC118 subsequently came under attacks by U-Boats of
PFEIL and
HAUDEGEN
U-boat Groups until 9th February. See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by
C
Blair and U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO).
March Atlantic
convoy defence with Group in continuation.
to Nominated for withdrawal from Atlantic convoy defence after new
escorts came into service.
December
1 9 4 4
January Operational
service terminated and prepared for conversion to Air Target Ship.
February Under
conversion
to
June
July Deployed
as Target Ship for training of aircrew in shipping attacks.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Air
Target Ship duty in continuation
to
August
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS VANESSA was paid off and
reduced to Reserve status after VJ Day. The ship remained in Reserve until
placed on the Disposal List. She was sold to BISCO for breaking up on 4th March
1947 and towed to the breaker's yard at Charlestown
near Rosyth where she arrived in February 194 9.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS VANESSA
by Don Kindell
Date convoy
Joined
convoy
Convoy
No.
Left convoy Date
convoy
sailed as
escort
arrived
05/09/39 05/09/39 RED 1 06/09/39 27/09/39
11/09/39 12/09/39 OB 003 unknown 16/09/39
24/09/39 24/09/39 BC 005/1 26/09/39 26/09/39
02/10/39 02/10/39 BC 006R 03/10/39 03/10/39
06/10/39 06/10/39 BC 009/1 08/10/39 08/10/39
08/10/39 08/10/39 BC 008R 10/10/39 10/10/39
26/09/39 15/10/39 KJ 002 17/10/39 18/10/39
12/11/39 12/11/39 OB 034 13/11/39 18/11/39
15/11/39 15/11/39 BC 015/1 17/11/39 17/11/39
25/11/39 25/11/39 BC 015R unknown unknown
18/12/39 21/12/39 OA 055G 21/12/39 21/12/39
26/12/39 26/12/39 OA 060G 28/12/39 28/12/39
01/01/40 03/01/40 OA 064 04/01/40 04/01/40
09/01/40 09/01/40 OA 069 11/01/40 unknown
06/01/40 18/01/40 HX 015 19/01/40 19/01/40
21/01/40 21/01/40 OA 077 22/01/40 24/01/40
29/01/40 29/01/40 OA 082 30/01/40 unknown
22/01/40 03/02/40 HX 017 07/02/40 07/02/40
07/02/40 07/02/40 OA 087 08/02/40 09/02/40
15/02/40 16/02/40 OA 092 18/02/40 18/02/40
07/02/40 19/02/40 HX 019 22/02/40 22/02/40
23/02/40 23/02/40 OA 097 25/02/40 26/02/40
29/02/40 01/03/40 OA 101 02/03/40 03/03/40
08/03/40 08/03/40 OA 106 09/03/40 unknown
13/03/40 15/03/40 OA 109 16/03/40 16/03/40
05/03/40 18/03/40 HX 025 20/03/40 20/03/40
26/03/40 27/03/40 OA 117 unknown 29/03/40
18/03/40 28/03/40 HX 028 02/04/40 02/04/40
02/04/40 02/04/40 OA 122 04/04/40 05/04/40
27/06/40 27/06/40 OA 175 27/06/40 unknown
01/07/40 01/07/40 OA 177G 01/07/40 03/07/40
05/07/40 05/07/40 FN 0214 07/07/40 07/07/40
22/05/42 23/05/42 ON 097 02/06/42 05/06/42
05/06/42 08/06/42 SC 086 19/06/42 20/06/42
26/06/42 27/06/42 ON 107 05/07/42 09/07/42
12/07/42 15/07/42 HX 198 22/07/42 23/07/42
02/08/42 03/08/42 ON 118 14/08/42 20/08/42
16/08/42 19/08/42 HX 203 27/08/42 28/08/42
11/10/42 13/10/42 ON 138 28/10/42 03/11/42
26/10/42 31/10/42 HX 213 10/11/42 10/11/42
24/10/42 02/11/42 SC 107 05/11/42 10/11/42
23/11/42 26/11/42 ON 148 06/12/42 13/12/42
13/12/42 19/12/42 HX 219 28/12/42 29/12/42
04/01/43 05/01/43 ON 159 14/01/43 20/01/43
24/01/43 31/01/43 SC 118 11/02/43 12/02/43
03/03/43 03/03/43 ON 170 12/03/43 20/03/43
14/03/43 21/03/43 SC 123 01/04/43 03/04/43
28/10/43 28/10/43 DS 046 30/10/43 30/10/43
02/11/43 02/11/43 SD 046 04/11/43 04/11/43
27/11/43 27/11/43 DS 047 29/11/43 29/11/43
02/12/43 02/12/43 SD 047 04/12/43 04/12/43
15/12/43 17/12/43 ONS 025 20/12/43 03/01/44
(Note
on Convoys)
