H . M . S
. V I V I E N ( L 3 3 )
V-Class Destroyer ordered from Yarrow's of Scotstoun Glasgow with the 9th Order of the 1916-17
Programme in June 1916. The ship was laid down in July of that year and
launched on 16th February 1917. She was the first RN warship to carry the name
and completed on 28th May 1918. Following a brief period of operational use she
was placed in Reserve with a reduced complement at Rosyth in the 9th, later 7th
Destroyer Flotilla. In 1938 she was nominated for conversion into an AA Escort
and taken in hand by HM Dockyard Chatham in December (See General Information). Work was completed in October 1939 and she commissioned for service in Nore
Command. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in December
1941 this ship was adopted by Bromyard in
Herefordshire. (For further details of this Class of Destroyer see V AND W
DESTROYERS 1917-45 by A Preston).
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
NORTH SEA 1940-45
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Black, a
Book, re with Gold ornaments, encircled by a snake Gold.
M o t t
o
'Trust me in all'
D e t a i
l s of
W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
September Under conversion for use as an Escort Destroyer by HM
Dockyard, Chatham.
(Note : This ship was selected for conversion to a WAIR
anti-aircraft escort
as part of the re-armament programme.)
Commissioned for trials.
Carried
out post refit harbour and sea trials .
(Note : Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed
to L23 to suit change
of type of warship.)
October Commissioned for service in
Rosyth Escort Force,
Passage to Rosyth and completion
of work-up
November Deployed
for North
Sea
convoy escort.
1 9 4 0
January North Sea convoy defence and patrol duty
in continuation.
to (Note : This ship was not used
for evacuation of allied troops from Dunkirk or other
May Channel ports.)
June
10th Part of escort for
first east coast convoy to be attacked by E-Boats.
July Convoy
defence duties for East Coast convoys.
to
December
1 9 4 1
January North Sea deployment in
continuation.
to (For details of North Sea convoy defence see THREE
CORVETTES by N Monsarrat and
December THE
BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by P Scott,.)
1 9 4 2
January North Sea deployment in
continuation.
to (Note : Fire central radar Type
285 fitted for 4" AA armament.
December For
details of development and use of radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse)
1 9 4 3
January North Sea deployment in
continuation.
February
24th In action with HM Escort Destroyer
EGLINTON against minelaying E- Boats which had
attacked
Convoy FS137 ESE of Great Yarmouth.
March North Sea convoy defence and patrol duty
in continuation.
January North Sea convoy defence and patrol in
continuation.
to (Note : Not deployed for defence
of military convoys during allied landings in
December Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE - See LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944
HMSO)
Ships
were also fitted with a surface warning radar and radio telephone equipment to
provide efficient inter communication with ships and
aircraft.
1945
January North Sea duties in
Nore Command in continuation.
to (Note : During this period there
was an increase in minelaying in Thames Estuary
April and
southern North Sea which placed an increased
requirement for Escorts).
May Withdrawn from operational
service and placed in Reserve.
Special Note
HIS VIVIEN although ideal for the escort of coastal
convoys from air and sea attack, in common with many of the other types of escort deployed in the North Sea
received little publicity. Ships employed in the North Sea for convoy escort were
frequently in action against E-Boats and aircraft. In addition the mine
infested waters and need for constant vigilance against air attack presented
ever present hazards as well as the dangers of
navigation in difficult waters.
Another ‘unsung’ heroine of the
East Coast.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS VIVIEN Paid off and was reduced to Reserve status
after the end of hostilities. She was placed on the Disposal List in 1947 and sold to BISCO on 18th February
1948 for demolition by Metal Industries. The ship arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard at Charlestown, near Rosyth in
April that year.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS VIVIEN
by Don Kindell
(not cross-checked with
above history)
Date convoy
Joined convoy
Convoy
No. Left convoy Date convoy
sailed as escort arrived
14/10/39 14/10/39 FS 0021 16/10/39 16/10/39
30/10/39 30/10/39 FS 0029 01/11/39 01/11/39
05/11/39 05/11/39 FS 0032 07/11/39 07/11/39
07/12/39 07/12/39 FS 0051 08/12/39 08/12/39
13/12/39 13/12/39 FS 0054 14/12/39 14/12/39
25/12/39 25/12/39 FS 0059 27/12/39 27/12/39
28/12/39 28/12/39 FN 0060 29/12/39 29/12/39
04/01/40 04/01/40 FS 0064 06/01/40 06/01/40
15/01/40 15/01/40 FS 0073 17/01/40 17/01/40
24/01/40 24/01/40 FN 0079A 25/01/40 25/01/40
28/01/40 28/01/40 FS 0083 30/01/40 30/01/40
08/02/40 08/02/40 FS 0091 10/02/40 10/02/40
15/02/40 15/02/40 FS 0097 17/02/40 17/02/40
19/02/40 19/02/40 FN 0098 21/02/40 21/02/40
28/02/40 28/02/40 FS 0108 01/03/40 01/03/40
07/03/40 07/03/40 FS 0115 09/03/40 09/03/40
10/03/40 10/03/40 FN 0117 12/03/40 12/03/40
18/03/40 18/03/40 FN 0123 20/03/40 20/03/40
27/03/40 27/03/40 FS 0131 29/03/40 29/03/40
03/04/40 03/04/40 FS 0137 05/04/40 05/04/40
12/04/40 12/04/40 FS 0144 14/04/40 14/04/40
25/04/40 25/04/40 FS 0155 27/04/40 27/04/40
03/05/40 03/05/40 FS 0161 05/05/40 05/05/40
23/05/40 23/05/40 FS 0178 25/05/40 25/05/40
30/05/40 30/05/40 FS 0183 01/06/40 01/06/40
06/06/40 06/06/40 FS 0189 08/06/40 08/06/40
18/06/40 18/06/40 FS 0198 20/06/40 20/06/40
21/06/40 21/06/40 FN 0201 23/06/40 23/06/40
25/06/40 25/06/40 FS 0204 27/06/40 27/06/40
28/06/40 28/06/40 FN 0207 30/06/40 30/06/40
21/07/40 21/07/40 FS 0227 22/07/40 22/07/40
23/07/40 23/07/40 FN 0230 25/07/40 25/07/40
27/07/40 27/07/40 FS 0234 29/07/40 29/07/40
30/07/40 30/07/40 FN 0237 01/08/40 01/08/40
03/08/40 03/08/40 FS 0241 05/08/40 05/08/40
06/08/40 06/08/40 FN 0244 08/08/40 08/08/40
13/08/40 13/08/40 FS 0251 15/08/40 15/08/40
20/08/40 20/08/40 FS 0258 22/08/40 22/08/40
28/08/40 28/08/40 FS 0265 30/08/40 30/08/40
31/08/40 31/08/40 FN 0268 02/09/40 02/09/40
04/09/40 04/09/40 FS 0272 06/09/40 06/09/40
09/09/40 09/09/40 FN 0277A 11/09/40 11/09/40
16/09/40 16/09/40 FS 0283 19/09/40 19/09/40
19/09/40 19/09/40 FN 0285 21/09/40 21/09/40
26/09/40 26/09/40 FS 0292 28/09/40 28/09/40
29/09/40 29/09/40 FN 0294 01/10/40 01/10/40
04/10/40 04/10/40 FS 0300 06/10/40 06/10/40
07/10/40 07/10/40 FN 0302 08/10/40 09/10/40
12/10/40 12/10/40 FS 0307 14/10/40 14/10/40
15/10/40 15/10/40 FN 0309 18/10/40 18/10/40
24/10/40 24/10/40 FS 0319 27/10/40 27/10/40
27/10/40 27/10/40 FN 0321 29/10/40 29/10/40
31/10/40 31/10/40 FS 0324 02/11/40 02/11/40
03/11/40 03/11/40 FN 0326 05/11/40 05/11/40
08/11/40 08/11/40 FS 0331 10/11/40 10/11/40
11/11/40 11/11/40 FN 0332 14/11/40 14/11/40
26/11/40 26/11/40 FN 0344 28/11/40 28/11/40
30/11/40 30/11/40 FS 0349 02/12/40 02/12/40
04/12/40 04/12/40 FN 0350 06/12/40 06/12/40
08/12/40 08/12/40 FS 0357 11/12/40 11/12/40
12/12/40 12/12/40 FN 0358 14/12/40 14/12/40
19/12/40 19/12/40 FS 0364 22/12/40 22/12/40
27/12/40 27/12/40 FS 0372 29/12/40 29/12/40
04/01/41 04/01/41 FS 0379 06/01/41 06/01/41
15/01/41 15/01/41 FS 0389 17/01/41 17/01/41
26/01/41 26/01/41 FS 0396 28/01/41 28/01/41
29/01/41 29/01/41 FN 0395 31/01/41 31/01/41
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
17/03/41 18/03/41 OG 056 21/03/41 02/04/41
31/03/41 31/03/41 OB 304 03/04/41 04/04/41
20/03/41 04/04/41 SC 026 05/04/41 08/04/41
(Note
on Convoys)
