H . M . S
. W R E N ( D 8 8 )
Modified W-Class
destroyer ordered from Yarrow, at Scotstoun with 13th
Order of the 1918-19 Programme in April 1918. The ship was laid down in June
1918 and launched on 11 November 1919. She was the 3rd RN warship to carry this
name which was introduced in 1653. After launch she was towed to HM Dockyard,
Pembroke Dock for completion which was delayed until 23rd January 1923. This
ship was deployed as rescue ship for Home Fleet aircraft carriers in 1938.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1939-40 - NORWAY 1940
- ATLANTIC 1943-45* - BISCAY 1943-44* - NORMANDY 1944*
- ARCTIC 1944*
(* Awarded to HM Sloop WREN)
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Blue, a Wren on a branch, all Gold.
M o t t
o
Ex parvalis magna: 'from small things (come) great'
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
September Transferred to 16th Destroyer
Flotilla at Portsmouth for convoy defence and anti- submarine
patrol in English
Channel and SW Approaches.
7th Deployed for escort of
troop convoy from Portsmouth to Cherbourg
13th Deployed with HM
Destroyer VENOMOUS for escort of military convoy MB2 during passage
in English Channel.
14th Deployed with HMS
VENOMOUS for escort of military convoy DB2 in English Channel.
October Channel deployment in
continuation.
November Transferred to More Command
for convoy defence in North Sea.
December North Sea convoy defence in continuation.
1 9 4 0
January Deployed with 18th
Destroyer Flotilla, Western Approaches Command
for convoy defence
in SW Approaches.
February Deployed in SW Approaches.
20th Passage to meet
inward Convoy HG19F from Gibraltar as relief for two French warships
21st Joined HG19F as
escort during passage to Liverpool.
23rd Detached from HG19F
on arrival at Liverpool.
April
8th Transferred to Home
Fleet for after German invasion of Norway to escort military convoys
to Norway.
May Convoy defence in
support of allied operations in Norway in continuation.
12th Deployed with HM
Battleship RESOLUTION, HM Cruisers AURORA, EFFINGHAM.
VINDICTIVE, HM
Destroyers FAME, BASILISK HAVELOCK, SOMALI and HM
Netlayer PROTECTOR
for support of planned military operation to capture Narvik.
13th Provided naval gunfire
support during landings at Bjerkvik
On release from
landing operations resumed convoy defence duties
(Note : This ship
did not take part in the later evacuation operations.
See Naval Staff
History (HMSO-2002)
June
25th Resumed convoy escort
and patrol duties in with 16th Destroyer Flotilla based at
Harwich in Nore
Command.
July
27th Deployed with HM
Destroyer MONTROSE to provide AA protection during
minesweeping
operations by six trawlers off Aldeburgh Suffolk.
Under heavy and
sustained dive bombing attacks by fifteen aircraft.
Damaged by several
near misses which holed her below the waterline causing
extensive flooding
due to collapse of bulkheads.
Ship sank quickly
in position 52. 10N 02.06E although stern structure was exposed,
37 of the ship's
company lost their lives.
Survivors were
rescued by trawlers.
(Note : HMS
MONTROSE was badly damaged in this and later attacks but remained
afloat and was
towed to Harwich.)
Special Note
HM Sloop WREN was the fourth ship to carry the name and
was completed in February 1943. She was one of the BLACK SWAN Class and built on the Clyde by Denny of
Dumbarton. This ship served with an Escort Group in the Atlantic and took part
in the sinking of five U-Boats.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
WREN
by Don Kindell
Date convoy
Joined
convoy
Convoy
No.
Left convoy Date
convoy
sailed as
escort
arrived
15/09/39 15/09/39 DB 002 16/09/39 16/09/39
13/10/39 19/10/39 HG 003 21/10/39 21/10/39
02/11/39 02/11/39 OB 029 unknown 07/11/39
11/11/39 11/11/39 OG 006 11/11/39 14/11/39
10/11/39 11/11/39 OA 033 12/11/39 15/11/39
31/10/39 16/11/39 SL 007 16/11/39 16/11/39
20/11/39 20/11/39 OA 038 unknown 23/11/39
26/11/39 28/11/39 OA 042 unknown 30/11/39
04/12/39 04/12/39 OA 047 07/12/39 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
19/12/39 28/12/39 HXF 013 29/12/39 30/12/39
01/01/40 01/01/40 OA 064 03/01/40 04/01/40
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
28/01/40 28/01/40 OA 081 30/01/40 31/01/40
16/01/40 02/02/40 SL 017 04/02/40 04/02/40
07/02/40 07/02/40 OA 087 09/02/40 09/02/40
16/02/40 18/02/40 OA 093GF 19/02/40 19/02/40
14/02/40 21/02/40 HG 019F 23/02/40 23/02/40
24/02/40 24/02/40 OA 098GF 26/02/40 27/02/40
22/02/40 06/03/40 HX 022 09/03/40 09/03/40
