H . M . S . V
A N Q U I S H E R ( D 5 4 )
Admiralty V-Class destroyer ordered from John
Brown, Clydebarik with 9th Order of the 1916-17 Build Programme
in June 1916. The ship was laid down on 27th September 1916 end launched on
18th August 1917 as the
1st RN warship to carry the name. Between the wars she served in the Atlantic
and Mediterranean Fleets and in
1938 was attached to the 1st Anti-Submarine Flotilla at Portland. After a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign in November 1941 she was 'adopted’ by the civil community of
Nuneaton in Warwickshire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1939-45 - DUNKIRK 1940 - ENGLISH CHANNNEL 1943-44 - NORMANDY 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field
White, a dexter arm the hand clenched Gold.
M o t t o
Pugna vinco pugno : 'I fight I
conquer with my fist'
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 in Western Approaches with
HM Destroyers MACKAY, VERSATILE, VIMY,
WALKER, WARWICK, WHIRLWIND and WINCHELSEA as 11th Destroyer Flotilla
October Under
repair, by HM-Dockyard, Devonport.
to
December
1 9 4 0
January On completion of repair and
trials resumed convoy defence with Flotilla.
to (For details of
naval activities in Home waters in 1940 before German attacks on Norway
April See Naval Staff History
and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett).
Deployed in
Channel and SW Approaches..
May Transferred to Dover
Command to assist with evacuation of allied troops from French and
Belgian coasts.
28th Deployed In evacuation from Dunkirk (Operation DYNAMO)
29th Embarked 241 troops and returned to Dover.
30th Embarked 582 troops and returned to Dover.
Returned for 3rd
trip and embarked 622 troops
Disembarked
troops at Dover
June
1st Embarked 640 troops and returned to Dover
Returned to Dunkirk and returned with 168 troops
3rd Embarked 37 troops and returned to Dover.
Returned for 7th
trip and embarked to 414 troops
Disembarked
troops at Dover,
(For details of
DYNAMO operation see THE NINE DAYS OF DUNKIRK by A D Divine
Naval Staff History and BEF SHIPS by J de Winser.)
12th Escorted French battleship JEAN BART during passage to Casablanca
19th Re-deployed for evacuation work from Bay of Biscay
ports (Operation AERIAL).
(See BEF ships)
Passage to St
Nazaire to assist in evacuation .
20th Passage to La Pallice
with demolition party but did not land.
22nd Returned to Plymouth.
See BEF SHIPS.
July Resumed convoy defence duties. Convoy defence end
patrol in continuation.
to (Note : Destroyers
also carried out anti-invasion interception patrols.)
August
September Joined 8th Escort Group based in Liverpool for
escort of Atlantic convoys.
Escorted Convoy OB216 Atlantic convoy escort duty in continuation.
October Atlantic
convoy deployment with Group in continuation.
November Atlantic
convoy defence and support duties with Group on UK - Gibraltar route.
to Deployed in Gibraltar
area as Amti-submarine Hunting Group.
December
1 9 4 1
January Atlantic
convoy escort duty in continuation with Group.
to Transferred to Freetown for Local Escort duties.
May Passage
to Freetown.
Deployed at Freetown for Atlantic convoy
June
13th Joined military convoy WS9A during Atlantic passage to Middle East
off coast of
West Africa with HM Destroyers VELOX and WILD SWAN.
as Local Escort for
final stage of passage into Freetown.
(Note : HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM was providing Ocean Escort.)
18th Detached from WS9A on arrival at Freetown.
20th Deployed with HM Destroyers BOREAS, VELOX and WILD SWAN for
Local
Escort of WS9A
during initial part of passage to Cape of Good Hope.
22nd Detached from WS9A and returned to Freetown with Local Escort.
(Note : HMS BIRMINGHAM provided Ocean Escort).
July
16th Joined military convoy WS9B on departure from Freetown as Local Escort during initial
part of passage to Cape of Good Hope with HM
Destroyers BOREAS, BRILLIANT and
VELOX.
18th Detached from WS9B with Local Escort and returned to Freetown.
(Note: HM
Cruiser GALATEA provided Ocean Escort.)
August Local
Escort duties at Freetown in continuation.
to Transferred to 10th
Escort Group.
October Nominated for return to Home
waters and took passage.
November Deployed in NW Approaches for
convoy defence.
13th Joined military convoy WS12Z in Clyde with HM
Destroyers BADSWORTH, EXMOOR,
WITCH and WHITEHALL as Local Escort during passage in NW
Approaches.
16th Detached from WS12Z with Local Escort and returned to Clyde.
December
13th Joined military convoy WS14 during passage to Freetown in NW Approaches as Local
Escort with HM
Destroyers WITCH and VOLUNTEER.
14th Detached from Local Escort and returned to Clyde.
(Note : HM Battleship RAMILLIES and HM Armed Merchant Cruiser
CILICIA provided
the Ocean Escort.)
1 9 4 2
January
12th Joined
military convoy WS15 in Clyde with HM Destroyers VANOC, VOLUNTEER,
WALKER and
WITHERINGTON as Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches
17th Detached from WS15 with HMS VOLUNTEER and HMS WITHERINGTON on
relief by
Polish destroyer ORP GARLAND and HM Destroyer NORMAN.
Returned to Clyde.
(Note : Details of escorts for WS convoys were provided by D Klhdell, Ohio USA and is
gratefully acknowledged.)
February Detached for duty with 1st
Minelaying Squadron.
18th Escorted ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron for minelay in
Northern Barrage
(Operation SN84
- For details of all minelaying operations see Naval
Staff History
(MINING) (HMSO).).
March Resumed
convoy escort duties.
to Nominated for
conversion to Long Range Escort.
August (For details of Atlantic
convoy defence tactics see BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D
Maclntyre and
CONVOY ESCORT COMMANDER by P Gretton).
September Taken in hand fbr
conversion at HM Dockyard Portsmouth.
November Under
conversion.
to (See BRITISH
DESTROYERS by E. March and V AND W DESTROYERS by A Preston.)
December
1 9 4 3
January Under conversion
to
March
April Carried out post refit
Harbour and sea Trials
Worked-up for operational service.
May On
completion of work-up resumed escort duty in Western
Approaches with 6th Escort Group.
. Joined HM
Destroyer FAME, m Frigate DEVERON, HM Corvettes KINGCUP, Norwegian
Corvettes
VERVAIN, ROSE, EGLANTINE, ACANTHUS and POTENTILLA for defence
of Atlantic convoys.
June Deployed with Group for Atlantic convoy
defence.
to (For
details of changes in convoy defence tactics and weapons see U-BOAT WAR IN
September THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO) and SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann)
October Deployed with ships of 6th and
7th Escort Groups for escort of Convoy ON206.
(See HITLERS
U-BOAT WAR by C Blair Volume 2. for details.)0
(Note : Ships of 7th Escort Group included HM Destroyers
DUNCAN, VIDETTE, HM
Corvettes PINK and SUNFLOWER.
15th Under sustained U-Boat attacks with
ships of escort.
16th Drove off determined attempts by U844 with HMS DUNCAN and HMS
VIDETTE
(Note : This submarine was later sunk by an RAF aircraft
which was itself shot down by
from U844.
See U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp and above reference)
November Group deployment for Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Western Approaches convoy
escort in continuation with Group.
February Escorted ONS29 with Group.
March Deployed
for Atlantic convoy defence.
to
April
May Nominated for duty in
Escort Group 106 with HM Frigate STRULE, HM Corvettes
ABELIA, BALSAM
and Motor Launches from Light Coastal Forces.
(Operation NEPTUNE - See
OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and NORMANDY
LANDINGS, June 1944 (HMSO)
for details of naval activities before and during landings).
June Commenced duty in Escort
Group 106 at Milford Haven.
4th Joined Convoy EBM3 apprising 11 empty Motor Transport ships
In Irish Sea with
Group
supplemented by two additions! Corvettes and HM Trawlers CALDY and GWEAL
5th Passage to Start Point
delayed when 'D Day' postponed for 24 hours.
6th Transports loaded at south coast ports.
7th Passage through swept channel to
beachhead.
8th Convoy arrived in Western Task Force (US) area for
discharge.
10th Escorted build-up convoys from Falmouth.
July After release from NEPTUNE resumed
escort duty with 6th Escort Group for mercantile
convoys
August Atlantic convoy defence
deployment with Group in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Atlantic
and coastal convoy defence in continuation.
to (Note : During this
period German 'Schnorkel' fitted submarines were
concentrating
March their attacks in convoy
focal points In SW Approaches. See ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett and SEEK AND
STRIKE by W
Hackmann).
April Part of escort for Convoy ONA265.
10th Participated in sinking of U878 with HM Corvettes
TINTAGEL CASTLE west of St
Nazaire in position 47.35N 10.33W.
There were no
survivors from the submarine.
May Withdrawn from
operational service after VE Day.
June Paid-off and reduced to
Reserve status.
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMS
VANQUISHER was placed on the Disposal List In 1947 and sold to BISCO for
demolition by Metal Industries
on 4th May 1947. She arrived in tow at Charleston, Fife in
October 1948.
Addenda
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS VANQUISHER
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
09/09/39 09/09/39 OB 002 13/09/39 14/09/39
08/11/39 23/11/39 SL 008 24/11/39 24/11/39
06/01/40 18/01/40 HX 015 19/01/40 19/01/40
21/01/40 21/01/40 OB 077 24/01/40 24/01/40
09/02/40 16/02/40 HG 018 19/02/40 19/02/40
21/02/40 21/02/40 OB 096 24/02/40 24/02/40
14/02/40 25/02/40 SL 020F 28/02/40 28/02/40
29/02/40 29/02/40 OB 101 03/03/40 03/03/40
05/03/40 05/03/40 OB 104 08/03/40 08/03/40
15/03/40 15/03/40 OB 110 18/03/40 18/03/40
12/03/40 19/03/40 HG 022 21/03/40 22/03/40
24/03/40 24/03/40 OB 116 26/03/40 27/03/40
01/04/40 01/04/40 OB 121 04/04/40 04/04/40
22/03/40 05/04/40 SL 025 08/04/40 08/04/40
10/04/40 10/04/40 OB 127 13/04/40 14/04/40
02/04/40 13/04/40 HX 032 15/04/40 17/04/40
03/05/40 03/05/40 OB 141 06/05/40 06/05/40
11/05/40 11/05/40 OB 146 13/05/40 13/05/40
25/06/40 08/07/40 HX 053 09/07/40 10/07/40
13/07/40 13/07/40 OB 183 16/07/40 17/07/40
01/07/40 17/07/40 SL 038 20/07/40 20/07/40
23/07/40 29/07/40 TC 006 01/08/40 01/08/40
04/08/40 04/08/40 OB 193 07/08/40 07/08/40
27/07/40 08/08/40 HX 061 11/08/40 11/08/40
09/09/40 10/09/40 OB 211 12/09/40 13/09/40
01/09/40 13/09/40 HX 070 16/09/40 16/09/40
19/09/40 19/09/40 OB 216 23/09/40 23/09/40
10/09/40 23/09/40 SC 004 26/09/40 26/09/40
28/09/40 28/09/40 OL 005 30/09/40 30/09/40
19/09/40 30/09/40 SC 005 04/10/40 04/10/40
27/09/40 09/10/40 SC 006 12/10/40 12/10/40
02/11/40 02/11/40 OB 238 05/11/40 05/11/40
22/10/40 06/11/40 SL 052F 10/11/40 10/11/40
28/11/40 28/11/40 OB 251 01/12/40 01/12/40
21/11/40 unknown HX
090 05/12/40 05/12/40
12/12/40 12/12/40 OB 258 15/12/40 15/12/40
28/11/40 15/12/40 SL 057 unknown 19/12/40
18/12/40 unknown HX
097 unknown 03/01/41
26/12/40 29/12/40 OB 265 30/12/40 30/12/40
08/01/41 08/01/41 OB 271 12/01/41 12/01/41
01/01/41 13/01/41 HX 100 16/01/41 18/01/41
22/01/41 22/01/41 OB 277 27/01/41 27/01/41
15/01/41 27/01/41 HX 103 unknown 01/02/41
05/02/41 05/02/41 OG 052 09/02/41 21/02/41
23/02/41 23/02/41 OB 290 26/02/41 27/02/14
10/03/41 10/03/41 OB 296 15/03/41 15/03/41
28/02/41 15/03/41 SC 024 19/03/41 19/03/41
28/03/41 28/03/41 OB 303 02/04/41 03/04/41
21/03/41 04/04/41 HX 116 09/04/41 09/04/41
26/04/41 26/04/41 OG 060 30/04/41 10/05/41
09/04/41 30/04/41 SL 071 05/05/41 04/05/41
11/05/41 12/05/41 OB 321 17/05/41 17/05/41
06/05/41 16/05/41 HG 061 20/05/41 20/05/41
25/05/41 26/05/41 OG 063 27/05/41 07/06/41
10/05/41 30/05/41 SL 074 02/06/41 04/06/41
21/07/41 26/07/41 TC 012 29/07/41 29/07/41
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
25/02/42 28/02/42 CT 011 09/03/42 09/03/42
01/03/42 01/03/42 BB 144 02/03/42 02/03/42
15/03/42 15/03/42 HX 180 19/03/42 27/03/42
17/03/42 26/03/42 ON 077 28/03/42 28/03/42
08/04/42 08/04/42 HX 184 12/04/42 20/04/42
02/04/42 15/04/42 ON 082 18/04/42 18/04/42
30/04/42 30/04/42 SC 082 04/05/42 16/05/42
01/05/42 11/05/42 ON 091 15/05/42 15/05/42
31/05/42 31/05/42 HX 192 03/06/42 11/06/42
26/05/42 07/06/42 ON 098 unknown 12/06/42
21/06/42 21/06/42 HX 195 24/06/42 02/07/42
16/06/42 27/06/42 ON 104 unknown 02/07/42
29/06/42 29/06/42 HX 196 02/07/42 10/07/42
09/07/42 09/07/42 BX 028 11/07/42 11/07/42
12/07/42 12/07/42 HX 198 15/07/42 23/07/42
06/07/42 20/07/42 ON 110 unknown 26/07/42
02/08/42 02/08/42 HX 201 05/08/42 14/08/42
31/07/42 10/08/42 ON 117 unknown 15/08/42
16/08/42 16/08/42 BX 033C 18/08/42 18/08/42
23/08/42 23/08/42 HX 204 26/08/42 04/09/42
01/05/43 01/05/43 PW 332 03/05/43 03/05/43
16/06/43 17/06/43 ON 189 24/06/43 01/07/43
24/06/43 27/06/43 KMS 018B 03/07/43 10/07/43
30/06/43 06/07/43 HX 246 13/07/43 14/07/43
24/07/43 25/07/43 ON 194 02/08/43 07/08/43
08/08/43 13/08/43 HX 251 22/08/43 23/08/43
31/08/43 02/09/43 ONS 017 12/09/43 16/09/43
16/09/43 22/09/43 HX 257 29/09/43 30/09/43
11/10/43 12/10/43 ON 206 21/10/43 27/10/43
09/10/43 18/10/43 ONS 020 19/10/43 26/10/43
24/10/43 28/10/43 SC 145 06/11/43 07/11/43
19/11/43 20/11/43 ON 212 29/11/43 05/12/43
02/12/43 06/12/43 SC 148 15/12/43 16/12/43
31/12/43 02/01/44 ON 218 11/01/44 18/01/44
14/01/44 18/01/44 SC 151 30/01/44 31/01/44
14/03/44 14/03/44 KMF 029B 22/03/44 22/03/44
03/06/44 03/06/44 EBM 003 unknown 07/06/44
19/06/44 19/06/44 EBC 016 23/06/44 23/06/44
29/06/44 29/06/44 EBC 026 01/07/44 01/07/44
14/07/44 14/07/44 EBC 041 16/07/44 16/07/44
21/07/44 21/07/44 EBC 048 23/07/44 23/07/44
28/07/44 28/07/44 EBC 055 30/07/44 30/07/44
31/07/44 31/07/44 FBC 042 02/08/44 02/08/44
16/07/44 16/08/44 FBC 029 18/08/44 18/07/44
10/02/45 10/02/45 ON 284 13/02/45 01/03/45
02/02/45 14/02/45 HX 336 17/02/45 14/02/45
22/03/45 22/03/45 ON 292 26/03/45 08/04/45
14/03/45 26/03/45 HX 344 30/03/45 28/03/45
07/04/45 07/04/45 ON 295 11/04/45 26/04/45
29/03/45 13/04/45 HX 347 14/04/45 14/04/45
06/05/45 06/05/45 ON 301 11/05/45 22/05/45
29/04/45 11/05/45 HX 353 16/05/45 15/05/45
(Note
on Convoys)
link to
BALTIC CRUISE
1921
from the diary of Yeoman of Signals George Smith
