H .  M .  S .   W R Y N E C K   ( L 0 4)

 

W-Class destroyer included in the 10th Order of the 1916-17 Programme and ordered from Palmers at Jarrow., Newcastle on 16th December 1916. The ship was laid down in April 1917 and launched on 13th May 1918 as the 1st RN ship to carry the name. Build was completed on 11th November 1918 and she took part in operations in the Baltic against the Bolsheviks after acceptance into service. This ship was part of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet in 1921 that transferred in 1925 to the Mediterranean as the 1st Destroyer Flotilla. Reduced to Reserve during the economic taken in the 1930's. Whilst laid-up at Gibraltar in 1938 she was selected for conversion to a fast escort (WAIR - including 4-4in AA) by Dockyard, Gibraltar.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

LIBYA  1941 - MEDITERRANEAN - GREECE 1941

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge : On a Field Green a  Wryneck on a branch all Proper

 

M o t t o

' Lay on'

 

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

 

1 9 3 9

 

September             Under conversion at Gibraltar.

to

December

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Under conversion.

to                            Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to L04.

March                    Nominated for service with Mediterranean Fleet.

 

April                       Post conversion trials and commissioned for service.

                                Prepared for convoy defence based at Alexandria.

 

May                        Passage to Alexandria for convoy defence in eastern Mediterranean.

 

June                        Deployed for convoy escort based at Alexandria.

to

October

 

November              Part of escort for Convoy AS5 on passage to Piraeus.

 

December              Detached for support of military operations against Italian army in Egypt.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Resumed convoy defence duties and part of escort of military convoys to Greece.

to                            (Operation LUSTRE – For details, of naval activities in the Mediterranean see THE

March                    THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre and Naval Staff History

                                (HMSO, 2002)

 

April                       After Axis attack on Greece assisted in evacuation of allied troops.

                26th        Carried out rescue of troops from Nauphila with HM Destroyer DIAMOND.

                27th        During passage with HMS WRYNECK to Suda Bay assisted in rescue of survivors from

                                Dutch liner SLAMAT which had been hit and disabled in air attacks.

                                (Note :The two ships rescued 700 troops and then came under sustained air attack.

                                Both destroyers were hit and sank in position 36.30N 23.34E.

                                Only 50 survivors were found some hours later.

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS WRYNECK

by Don Kindell

 

Date convoy         Joined convoy      Convoy No.             Left convoy           Date convoy

sailed                     as escort                                                                                arrived

 

11/10/40            11/10/40                   MF 004                    13/10/40              13/10/40

10/11/40            10/11/40                  AS 005/1                  15/11/40              15/11/40

   19/01/41            19/01/41                  AN 013                     unknown            unknown

24/01/41            24/01/41                  AS 013/1                  27/01/41              27/01/41

18/03/41            18/03/41                  AG 007                     20/03/41              20/03/41

22/03/41            22/03/41                  ASF 021                   23/03/41              23/03/41