The V and W class was an amalgam of six similar classes of destroyer built for the Royal Navy under the 9th, 10th, 13th and 14th of fourteen War Emergency Programmes during the First World War and generally treated as one class. For their time they were among the most powerful and advanced ships of their type in the world, and set the trend for future British designs.
They arrived in time to see service in the First World War. During the interwar period these ships formed the backbone of the Royal Navy's destroyer flotillas until gradually replaced by new construction; by the mid-1930s most had been displaced to the reserve fleet. Most ships survived to make an extensive contribution to the Second World War effort, in the vital role of convoy escort, freeing up more modern ships for fleet action.
History
HMSVidette (Admiralty V class), showing the typical inter-war layout of a V and W-class destroyer. She is wearing the 1939-pattern funnel bands of the 16th Destroyer Flotilla based at Portsmouth; one red over one white.
The V and W class were the ultimate evolution of British destroyer design in the First World War, embodying the improvements of their predecessors as well as new technological advances. Their lineage can be traced to the River or E class of 1902 that had introduced the classic raised forecastle into the Royal Navy. The Tribal class of 1905 introduced oil-firing and the resultant economies in size, consumption and crew. The Parker-classflotilla leader of 1915 had introduced a raised shelter deck forwards, allowing two guns to be carried in the classic superfiring (i.e. one gun fires over the top of the one below and in front of it) "A" and "B" positions. The Yarrow Later M class, also of 1915, introduced a three-boiler, two-funnel layout allowing for a more compact hull and giving increased deckspace and the R class introduced geared turbines giving 30,000 shaft horsepower (22,000kW) on two shafts.
Design
The new design, originally known as the Admiralty V-class leader, incorporated all these improvements, and also a more sensible layout of the main armament, the amidships gun between the funnels being removed to the aft shelter deck, superfiring over the gun on the quarterdeck. This introduced the ubiquitous "A", "B", "X", "Y" layout for the main armament. New developments, such as director firing for the main armament, triple torpedo tubes and a heavier armament were introduced either from the outset, or as they became available. Ships with triple tubes became the Admiralty W class and those with their armament upgraded to the BL 4.7in gun became Admiralty Modified W-class ships.
The Admiralty V-class leaders were the initial five V-class ships ordered in April 1916 and were designed and built as flotilla leaders. These ships were necessary as the 36 knot speed of the new S class meant that existing flotilla leaders would no longer be able to keep pace with their charges. To speed construction time, these new vessels were based on the three-boiler, two-funnel machinery of the R class and as they were inevitably larger, a slight decrease in speed was accepted. The fore funnel was tall and narrow and the after one was shorter and wider.
They differed from the later Admiralty and the Thornycroft V classes in that they had a larger bridge structure, taller foremast, mainmast mounted further aft to accommodate an enlarged spread of wireless aerials, extra boats abreast the after funnel and the searchlight platform between the torpedo tubes was enlarged to accommodate an extra compass. Vampire trialled triple mounts for her torpedoes and as a result had a total of six tubes.
Ships
Valentine – built by Cammell Laird & Company, Birkenhead, laid down 8 August 1916, launched 24 March 1917, completed 27 June 1917, damaged by German aircraft, beached and abandoned off Terneuzen 15 May 1940, salvaged 1953 and broken up.
Valhalla – built by Cammell Laird, laid down 8 August 1916, launched 22 May 1917, completed 31 July 1917, sold for breaking up 17 December 1931.
The 23 vessels comprising the Admiralty V class were ordered in July 1916 under the 9th War Programme as repeats of the Admiralty V-class leaders (ordered three months earlier) to counter the threat posed by reports of a new class of powerful German destroyers (see SMSS113). They omitted the flotilla leader function and as such differed in detail from the leader predecessor.
While all 23 ships were completed with two twin torpedo tubes (Voyager, which was completed with triple tubes, was an Admiralty W-class unit ordered in December 1916), in 1921 all Admiralty V class had their forward bank replaced by a triple bank, for a total of five torpedoes; and from 1923 onwards most ships had their aft bank (twin tubes) replaced by a triple bank, for a total of six torpedoes, except in Vimy, Vanoc, Velox, Versatile and Vortigern in which only the forward bank was replaced.
Vanquisher, Vanoc, Velox, Vehement, Venturous, Versatile, Vimiera, Vittoria and Vortigern were built with the ability to be converted into minelayers within 24 hours. For this purpose they would land their torpedo tubes and "Y" gun on the quarterdeck and have screens fitted to protect the mines, of which up to sixty could be carried. They could be distinguished by the permanent mine chutes at the stern.
Ships
Vancouver – built by William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir, laid down 15 March 1917, launched 28 December 1917, completed 9 March 1918. Renamed Vimy on 1 April 1928 to release the name Vancouver for another destroyer acquired by the Royal Canadian Navy. Sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Vanessa – built by Beardmore, laid down 16 May 1917, launched 16 March 1918, completed 27 April 1918. Given pennant number G18. Sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Vanity – built by Beardmore, laid down 28 July 1917, launched 3 May 1918, completed 21 June 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Vanoc – built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, laid down 20 September 1916, launched 14 June 1917, completed 15 August 1917, sold for breaking up 26 July 1945, wrecked off Penryn en route to breakers in June 1946, later salved and scrapped at Falmouth.
Vanquisher – built by John Brown, laid down 27 September 1916, launched 18 August 1917, completed 2 October 1917. Given pennant number D54, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Vectis – built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, laid down 7 December 1916, launched 4 September 1917, completed 5 December 1917, sold for breaking up 25 August 1936.
Vega – built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Pallion, laid down 11 December 1916, launched 1 September 1917, completed 14 December 1917, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Venetia – built by Fairfield, laid down 2 February 1917, launched 29 October 1917, completed 19 December 1917, mined and sunk in Thames estuary 19 October 1940.
Venturous – built by Denny, laid down 9 October 1916, launched 21 September 1917, completed 29 November 1917, sold for breaking up 24 August 1936.
Verdun – built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn, laid down 13 January 1917, launched 21 August 1917, completed 3 November 1917, sold for breaking up March 1946.
Versatile – built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 31 January 1917, launched 21 August 1917, completed 3 November 1917, sold for scrapping 1946
Verulam – built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 1917, launched 3 October 1917, mined and sunk off Seiskari Island in Gulf of Finland on night of 3/4 September 1919.
Vesper – built by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Linthouse, laid down 7 December 1916, launched 15 December 1917, completed 20 February 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Vidette – built by Stephen, laid down 1 February 1917, launched 28 February 1918, completed 27 April 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Violent – built by Swan Hunter, launched 1 September 1917, sold for breaking up 8 March 1937.
Vittoria – built by Swan Hunter, 29 October 1917, torpedoed and sunk by Bolshevik submarine Pantera off Seiskari Island in Gulf of Finland 1 September 1919.
Vivacious – built by Yarrow & Company, laid down July 1916, launched 13 November 1917, completed 29 December 1917, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Vivien – built by Yarrow, laid down July 1916, launched 16 February 1918, completed 28 May 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
Vortigern – built by White, laid down 17 January 1917, launched 15 October 1917, completed 25 January 1918, torpedoed and sunk by GermanE-boat off Cromer 15 March 1942.
Admiralty W class
HMAS Waterhen (D22)
General characteristics (Admiralty W class)
Displacement
1,100tons
Draught
9ft standard, 11ft 3in deep
Propulsion
3 Yarrow type Water-tube boilers (White-Forster type in Winchelsea, Winchester), Brown-Curtis steam turbines (Parsons in Waterhen, Wrestler, Wryneck), 2 shafts, 27,000shp
The Admiralty W class comprised 21 vessels, all ordered in December 1916 under the 10th War Programme, although the two ships ordered from Yarrow were cancelled in April 1917 and replaced by the orders for two Yarrow S class (Tomahawk and Torch). The Admiralty W-class ships were a follow on from the Admiralty V class, with minimal changes, primarily in that the triple torpedo tube mounting was now ready and all these vessels shipped two of these mountings from new. They also had a taller mainmast.
Walpole – built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Pallion, laid down May 1917, launched 12 February 1918, completed 7 August 1918, mined in North Sea 6 January 1945 and written off as constructive total loss, sold for breaking up 8 February 1945.
Walrus – built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, laid down 1917, launched 27 December 1917, completed 8 March 1918, stranded in Scarborough North Bay 12 February 1938 and written off as constructive total loss, sold for breaking up 5 March 1938.
Wessex – built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 23 May 1917, launched 12 March 1918, completed 11 May 1918, bombed by German aircraft off Calais 24 May 1940.
Westcott – built by Denny, laid down 30 March 1917, launched 14 February 1918, completed 12 March 1918, sold for breaking up 8 January 1946. Notable as first vessel to be fitted with the Hedgehog depth charge mortar in August 1941.
Whitley (ex-Whitby) – built by Doxford, laid down June 1917, launched 13 April 1918, completed 14 October 1918, bombed by German aircraft and beached off Ostend 19 May 1940.
Winchelsea – built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, laid down 25 May 1917, launched 15 December 1917, completed 15 March 1918, sold for breaking up 20 March 1945.
Winchester – built by White, laid down 12 June 1917, launched 1 February 1918, completed 29 April 1918, sold for breaking up 5 March 1946.
Windsor – built by Scotts, laid down April 1917, launched 21 June 1918, completed 28 August 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Wolfhound – built by Fairfield, laid down April 1917, launched 14 March 1918, completed 27 April 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1948.
Wrestler – built by Swan Hunter, laid down April 1917, launched 25 February 1918, completed 15 May 1918, mined off Juno Beach 6 June 1944 and written off as constructive total loss, sold for breaking up 20 July 1944.
Wryneck – built by Palmers, laid down April 1917, launched 13 May 1918, completed 11 November 1918, bombed by German aircraft off Morea, Greece 27 April 1941.
Wayfarer – ordered from Yarrow but not laid down, order cancelled April 1917.
Woodpecker – ordered from Yarrow but not laid down, order cancelled April 1917.
Thornycroft V and W class
General characteristics (Thornycroft V and W class)
The Thornycroft V and W class were two V class and two W class specials built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited to Admiralty specifications. They were ordered in pairs six months apart, on 30 July 1916 and 9 December 1916, respectively. They could be recognised by a higher freeboard and shorter mainmast than the Admiralty type and the flat-sided funnels typical of Thornycroft. The large boiler room (two units) was aft with the single unit forward, the fore funnel therefore being narrower. This arrangement was transposed in the Thornycroft Modified W class. The V-class ships had twin torpedo tubes and those of the W-class triple units. The second pair had slightly more displacement and a guaranteed (by contract) speed of 36 knots compared with the 35 knots guaranteed for the first pair. Early in their careers the specified anti-aircraft gun, the QF 2 pounder, was replaced by a single QF 12 pdr 20 cwt Mark I weapon, on a platform between the after funnel and the forward torpedo tubes.
All except Viscount, which became a long range escort, were modified to WAIR type fast anti-aircraft escorts. Their conversions were non-standard in that they carried a pair of QF 2 pdr Mark VIII guns on platforms amidships – en echelon in Woolston only – and that Viceroy retained a bank of torpedoes for some time.
Viscount, built by Thornycroft, laid down 20 December 1916, launched 29 December 1917, completed 25 March 1918, sold for breaking up 20 March 1945 but actually broken up in May 1947.
Wolsey, built by Thornycroft, laid down 28 March 1917, launched 16 March 1918, completed 1 May 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Woolston, built by Thornycroft, laid down 25 April 1917, launched 27 April 1918, completed 28 June 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
Thornycroft modified W class
General characteristics (Thornycroft modified W class)
The Thornycroft Modified W class were a private design by Thornycroft based on the Thornycroft V and W class to Admiralty specifications. These two ships were ordered in January 1918, at the same time as the first batch of Modified W class. In these two ships, the position of the boiler rooms was reversed, with the two-boiler room forward and the single unit aft. As a result, the funnel arrangements were transposed, with the thick funnel forwards and the narrow funnel aft. In common with other Thornycroft designs, they had characteristic broad, flat-sided funnels. Like the Admiralty modified ships, the Thornycrofts were up-gunned with the BL 4.7 inch Mark I weapon, and they received triple banks of torpedo tubes from the outset. Another feature of recognition was that the QF 2 pdr guns were mounted en echelon amidships, between the funnels.
The completion of Witch was delayed by the end of the war, and she was eventually towed to Devonport and completed there at HM Dockyard. Both were converted to the Short Range Escort type during World War II.
Other characteristics as per Thornycroft modified W class
The two batches of orders placed in 1918 introduced the new BL 4.7 inch Mark I gun, as well as providing triple torpedo tubes as standard.
Ships
Fourteen vessels were ordered to this revised design in January 1918 under the 13th War Programme (as well as the two Thornycroft ships to a variant design), of which seven were subsequently cancelled.
Vantage – also from Beardmore, renamed Vimy 1918, laid down 16 September 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Venomous (ex-Venom) – built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, laid down 31 May 1918, launched 21 December 1918, completed 24 August 1919, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Verity – built by John Brown, laid down 17 May 1918, launched 19 March 1919, completed 17 September 1919, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
Whitehead – also by Swan Hunter, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
Wren – built by Yarrow & Company, laid down June 1918, launched 11 November 1919, completed by HM Dockyard Pembroke Dock 27 January 1923, bombed and sunk by German aircraft off of Aldeburgh 27 July 1940.
Wye – also by Yarrow, laid down January 1918, order cancelled September 1919.
A further thirty-eight vessels were ordered to this design in April 1918 under the 14th War Programme, of which thirty-one were subsequently cancelled and only seven completed. These ships had a thick fore funnel and a thin after funnel.
Vengeful – also from Beardmore, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Veteran – built by John Brown, laid down 30 August 1918, launched 26 April 1919, completed 13 November 1919, torpedoed and sunk by German submarineU-404 in Western Atlantic 26 September 1942.
Vigo – also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Vigorous – also from John Brown, renamed Wistful June 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Virulent – also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Volage – also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Volcano – also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Wager – built by Denny, laid down 2 August 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
Wake – also from Denny, laid down 14 October 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Waldegrave – also from Denny, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Walton – also from Denny, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Whitaker – also from Denny, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Watson – ordered from Fairfield, order transferred to Devonport Dockyard where laid down 1918, order cancelled September 1919.
Wave – also from Fairfield, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Weazel – also from Fairfield, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
White Bear – also from Fairfield, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Wellesley – built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 30 August 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Wheeler – built by Scotts, laid down July 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
Whip – also from Scotts, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Whippet – also from Scotts, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Whelp – also from Scotts, order transferred to Pembroke Dockyard, order cancelled September 1918.
Whitshed – built by Swan Hunter, laid down 3 June 1918, launched 31 January 1919, completed 11 July 1919, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
Wild Swan – built by Swan Hunter, laid down July 1918, launched 17 May 1919, completed 14 November 1919, bombed and damaged by German aircraft and collided with a Spanish trawler 100 miles off of France, lost on 17 June 1942.
Willoughby – also from Swan Hunter, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Winter – also from Swan Hunter, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
Witherington – built by J. Samuel White & Company, laid down 27 September 1918, launched 16 January 1919, completed 10 October 1919, sold for breaking up 20 March 1947, wrecked while en route Charlestown 29 April 1947.
Wivern – built by White, laid down 19 August 1918, launched 16 April 1919, completed 23 December 1919, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
Wolverine – built by White, laid down 8 October 1918, launched 17 July 1919, completed 27 February 1920, sold for breaking up January 1946.
Worcester – built by White, laid down 20 December 1918, launched 24 October 1919, completed by HM Dockyard Portsmouth 20 September 1922, mined and damaged in North Sea 23 December 1943, written off as constructive total loss and used as accommodation hulk Yeoman, broken up September 1946.
Wrangler – ordered from Yarrow, order later transferred to White, laid down 3 February 1919, order cancelled September 1919.
Werewolf – ordered from Swan Hunter but transferred to White, launched 17 July 1919 but not completed, order cancelled September 1919.
Westphal – ordered from Swan Hunter but transferred to White, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
Westward Ho – ordered from Swan Hunter but transferred to White, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
Yeoman – ordered from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
Zealous – also from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
Zebra – also from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
Zodiac – also from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
Australian ships
Four of the above ships along with destroyer leader Stuart were transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in October 1933. The ships all served in World War II with three being sunk or scuttled during 1941 and 1942. During their war service in the Mediterranean the five transferred ships made up a group that became famous as the Scrap Iron Flotilla.
From 1937 the disposal of elderly V and W class vessels ceased, and most survivors were converted to fast escort vessels. The onset of the Second World War put a stop to lengthy conversions, but many ships were converted for convoy escort duty.
Long-range escort
HMS Velox in 1944 after conversion to a long range escort (LRE).
The V and W class were designed to support the Grand Fleet in its actions in the North Sea, for which they were required to make fairly short, high speed dashes. Thus, they were unsuitable for the Mid-Ocean Escort Force role to which they found themselves allocated in the Second World War, where speeds over 20 knots were of limited value (as ASDIC rapidly lost efficiency) and endurance was desirable over firepower.
To remedy such shortcomings, a number of V and W class were modified into long-range escorts to suit them to this sort of warfare. The small, single-unit boiler room was struck and the resulting space divided into fuel tanks (lower) and accommodation (upper). Not only did this both lower fuel consumption and increase bunkerage, but it provided much needed space for ballooning wartime crews. 'A' and 'Y' guns were landed and replaced with a Hedgehogahead-throwing weapon and depth charge stowage and launchers, respectively. The torpedo tubes were replaced with a QF 12 pdr anti-aircraft gun and platforms for a pair of 20 mm Oerlikon guns amidships, with a further pair in the bridge wings. Type 271 target indication radar was added in its distinctive "lantern" dome on the bridge and Type 291 air warning radar was added at the masthead, with High Frequency Direction Finding (HF/DF) fitted in some ships. The maximum speed of the conversions was around 24.5kn (45.4km/h; 28.2mph).
Converted long-range escorts were (in order of date):
Vimy (Jan – April 1941)
Viscount (Jul – Nov 1941)
Vanessa (Sep 1941 – Jun 1942)
Winchelsea (Feb – Mar 1942)
Whitehall (Jun – Jul 1942)
Volunteer (Aug – Dec 1942)
Vidette (Oct – Dec 1942)
Vanquisher (Nov 1942 – Mar 1943)
Wrestler (Jan – Apr 1943)
Westcott (Jan – Jun 1943)
Vesper (Jan – Jul 1943)
Walker (Feb – Apr 1943)
Warwick (Feb – Apr 1943)
Wanderer (Feb – Apr 1943)
Vansittart (Feb – May 1943)
Versatile (Feb – Aug 1943)
Watchman (May – Jul 1943)
Verity (May – Sep 1943)
Vanoc (May – Oct 1943)
Velox (Jan – Apr 1944)
WAIR
The WAIR type conversion supplemented the construction of Hunt and Black Swan-class escorts with their emphasis on anti-aircraft capabilities for east coast service (the exact meaning of 'WAIR' has fallen into obscurity; it is often capitalised suggesting an abbreviation or acronym, but it is most likely derived from W-class anti-AIRcraft). The Thornycroft type leaderWallace was also given a WAIR conversion, but as a larger ship she also received a quadruple QF 2 pdr Mark VII mounting.
Converted ships were cleared to the main deck level, leaving only the funnels and after shelter deckhouse. The armament was replaced with four QF 4 inch L/45 Mark XVI guns in two twin mountings HA/LA Mark XIX, shipped on the fore and aft main decks. The armament was controlled by a Mark II(W) rangefinder - director, fitted with Type 285 radar for target ranging as soon as it became available. A new tower bridge, reminiscent of the Hunt class, was built and the metric Radar Type 286 air warning was added at the foremast head, replaced by Type 291 radar as it became available. The armament was completed by a pair of quadruple 0.5 inch Vickers machine guns on a platform amidships, although sometimes single QF 2 pdr Mark VIII were carried in lieu. These guns were generally sided, but a number of ships had them arranged en echelon to allow cross-deck fire. These light weapons proved to be generally ineffective and were replaced by the 20 mm Oerlikon gun as it became available, although other ships took priority and the older weapons were carried well into 1942 in some cases. Two racks and throwers for depth charges were carried aft, principally for self-defence purposes, although Viceroy sank U-1274 off the east coast of Scotland on 16 April 1945.
Ships were allocated new L-series (escort) pennant numbers upon re-commissioning:
Vanity (L38)
Valentine (L69)
Valorous (L00)
Vega (L41)
Verdun (L93)
Vimiera (L29)
Vivien (L33)
Viceroy (L21)
Westminster (L40)
Whitley (L23)
Winchester (L55)
Wolfhound (L56)
Wolsey (L02)
Woolston (L49)
Wryneck (L04)
Short-range escort
The remaining V and W class were not given either of the former conversions as they were either early war losses, had the valuable BL 4.7 inch main gun or had the modified boiler arrangements of the Thornycroft and Admiralty modified designs with the small room aft. This latter feature proved unsuitable for the long-range escort conversion. Thus, these ships were known as Short-range escorts.
The conversion was generally limited to adding more role-specific armaments and new technology as it became available. Additions were made piecemeal, and ships were often lost with only some, or even none, of the following modifications. In common with most elderly destroyers allocated to escort duties in World War II, the after bank of torpedo tubes was removed early in the war and replaced with a single QF 12 pdr A/A gun. They also landed 'Y' gun to receive additional space for depth charge gear and stowage. Generally, two 20mm Oerlikons were added in the bridge wings and (when available) replaced the old 2 pounder guns amidships, 'A' gun was replaced by a Hedgehog weapon and Radar Type 271 target indication was added on the bridge, with Type 286 or 291 air warning fitted at the masthead as and when available. Walpole, Windsor, Witshed and Wivern received an army-pattern semi-automatic twin QF 6 pounder 10 cwt gun in 'A' position for East Coast anti-E boat work.
HMS Wolverine (Admiralty Modified W class) as modified into a "short range escort". She retains both boiler rooms and funnels, but has "Y" gun replaced by depth charges, the after torpedo tubes replaced by a 12 pdr anti-aircraft gun, centimetric Radar Type 271 has been added on the bridge and (not visible) "A" gun has been replaced by a hedgehog weapon.
The following vessels were short range escorts (one vessel was allocated a new pennant number in the L – escort – series):
Venomous
Vivacious
Vortigern
Walpole
Windsor (L94)
Veteran
Whitshed
Wild Swan
Wishart
Witch
Witherington
Wivern
Wolverine
V and W class in fiction
HMS Viperous is the name of a fictional V and W-class destroyer in the novel The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat, the leader of an escort group including Compass Rose, the focus of the first part of the story.
HMS Warlock is the name of the leader of a flotilla of eight fictional destroyers in the 1974 novel The Destroyers by Douglas Reeman. Seven of these are V and W-class destroyers (HMS Ventnor, HMS Victor, HMS Warden, HMS Warlock, HMS Waxwing, HMS Whiplash and HMS Whirlpool); the eighth, HMS Lomond, is explicitly described as being a newer and larger destroyer than the other seven.
HMS Vagabond is the name of an apparently fictional V and W-class destroyer in the 1989 novel The Fighting Spirit by Charles Giddey (Wheeler) published by William Collins. In this book's fictionalised account of the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation at least 15 actual V and W class ships are mentioned.
HMS Virtue and HMS Vagrant are the names of two fictional V and W-class destroyers in Ronald Bassett's 1977 novel The Tinfish Run.
HMS Viking and HMS Vectra are two of the escorts of the 14th Aircraft Carrier Squadron in Alistair MacLean's novel HMS Ulysses.
HMS Vortex is the name of a fictional destroyer participating in the 1918 Zeebrügge raid in the 1963 novel The Admiral by Warren Tute.
HMS Whippet is the name of a fictional (the real one was canceled) W-class destroyer converted for escort work in the British Commando War Stories in Pictures comic #669, titled Destroyer!, published in 1972.
Notes
↑ "Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-459-4.
Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-146-7.
Cocker, Maurice (1981). Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893–1981. Ian Allan. ISBN0-7110-1075-7.
Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-59114-081-8.
Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-85177-245-5.
Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-048-7.
March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC164893555.
Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1979). 'V' and 'W' Class Destroyers. Man o'War. Vol.2. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN0-85368-233-X.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Reviseded.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-119-2.
Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-326-1.
Winser, John de D. (1999). B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-91-6.
Further reading
Robert J. Moore and John A. Rodgaard, A Hard Fought Ship, The Story of HMS Venomous (2010) Holywell Publishing, St. Albans. Detailed "biography" of one of the later V-class destroyers
Clifford Fairweather, Hard Lying: The story of the V&W Class Destroyers and the Men Who Sailed in Them (2005) Avalon Associates, Stories from the deck of H.M.S. Westcott from a surviving signalman.
The River-class destroyer was a class of torpedo boat destroyer built for the Royal Navy at the turn of the 20th century, and which saw extensive service in World War I. The class introduced new features to destroyer design, placing a greater emphasis on seakeeping and endurance and less on a high maximum speed in good weather. All the ships were named after British and Irish rivers, and as such were the first Royal Navy destroyer class to be named systematically.
The Thornycroft type leader or Shakespeare class were a class of five destroyer leaders designed by John I. Thornycroft & Company and built by them at Woolston, Southampton for the Royal Navy towards the end of World War I. They were named after historical naval leaders. Only Shakespeare and Spenser were completed in time for wartime service. The other three were completed after the war, Broke and Keppel after being towed to Royal dockyards for completion, and two further ships - Saunders and Spragge - were cancelled. The function of a leader was to carry the flag staff of a destroyer flotilla, therefore they were enlarged to carry additional crew, offices and signalling equipment, allowing a fifth gun to be carried. These ships were very similar to the Admiralty type leader, but had Thornycroft design characteristics, the most noticeable being the broad, slab-sided funnels.
The Admiralty type leader, sometimes known as the Scott class, were a class of eight destroyer leaders designed and built for the Royal Navy towards the end of World War I. They were named after Scottish historical leaders. The function of a leader was to carry the flag staff of a destroyer flotilla, therefore they were enlarged to carry additional crew, offices and signalling equipment, allowing a fifth gun to be carried. These ships were contemporary with the Thornycroft type leader, distinguishable by their two narrow funnels of equal height, the Thornycroft designs latter having characteristic broad, slab-sided funnels.
The Thornycroft M or Mastiff class were a class of six British destroyers completed for the Royal Navy during 1914–16 for World War I service. They were quite different from the Admiralty-designed ships of the Admiralty M class, although based on a basic sketch layout provided by the British Admiralty from which J I Thornycroft developed their own design. Like the 'standard' Admiralty M class they had three funnels, but the centre funnel was thicker in the Thornycroft ships. The midships 4-inch (100 mm) gun was shipped between the second and third funnels. Patriot was fitted to carry a kite balloon.
The first R class were a class of 62 destroyers built between 1916 and 1917 for the Royal Navy. They were an improvement, specifically in the area of fuel economy, of the earlier Admiralty M-class destroyers. The most important difference was that the Admiralty R class had two shafts and geared turbines, compared with the three shafts and direct turbines of the Admiralty M class, but in appearance the R class could be distinguished from its predecessors by having the after 4-inch gun mounted in a bandstand. The Admiralty ordered the first two of this class of ships in May 1915. Another seventeen were ordered in July 1915, a further eight in December 1915, and a final twenty-three in March 1916.
The Marksman class were a class of flotilla leaders built for the Royal Navy. Two each were ordered in the naval programmes of 1913–14 and 1914–15 with a further three being ordered under the Emergency War Programme and all saw service during World War I.
HMS Skate was an R-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that was laid down and completed during the First World War. She was built at John Brown Shipyard at Clydebank in Scotland and launched on 11 January 1917.
The S class was a class of 67 destroyers ordered for the Royal Navy in 1917 under the 11th and 12th Emergency War Programmes. They saw active service in the last months of the First World War and in the Russian and Irish Civil Wars during the early 1920s. Most were relegated to the reserve by the mid-1920s and subsequently scrapped under the terms of the London Naval Treaty. Eleven survivors saw much action during the Second World War.
HMS Phoebe was an Admiralty M-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. She took part in the Zeebrugge Raid in 1918 and was sold for scrap in 1921.
HMS Welland was a Yarrow-built River-class destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1902 – 1903 Naval Estimates. Named after the River Welland that drains into the Wash on the English east coast, she was the first ship to carry this name in the Royal Navy.
HMS Teviot was a Yarrow type River Class Destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1902 – 1903 Naval Estimates. Named after the River Teviot in southern Scotland near the border with England, she was the first ship to carry this name in the Royal Navy. She served during World War 1, primarily on anti-submarine duty in the Channel, and was sold for breaking up in 1919.
HMS Rosalind was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. The ship was launched by Thornycroft on 14 October 1916 as the first of five similar ships ordered from the yard. The design was used as the basis for five subsequent ships of the S-class also built by the company. Rosalind served as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War, operating as an escort to other warships and in anti-submarine patrols alongside other destroyers. The vessel was sold to be broken up on 13 July 1926.
HMS Taurus was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Ordered from Thornycroft in 1915 and launched in 1917, the vessel operated as part of the Harwich Force until the end of hostilities. Shortly after entering service, Taurus formed part of the destroyer shield for the Royal Navy's bombardment of Ostend that successfully sank the German destroyer S20. After the War, the destroyer was reduced to the Reserve Fleet and sold to be broken up in 1930.
HMS Rob Roy was a Royal Navy R-class destroyer constructed and then operational in the First World War. The ship served in the Grand Fleet as part of the Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla.
HMS Retriever was a Thornycroft-built R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Launched in 1917, the vessel formed part of the Harwich Force and took part in operations off the coast of Ostend in support of the bombardment of the town in June that year. During August the following year, the vessel attempted to deploy a seaplane from a towed lighter, but a lack of wind meant the operation was unsuccessful. The vessel was also jointly credited with the destruction of the submarine SM UB-54 that year, although this has been disputed. After the war, the ship was placed in reserve and was sold to be broken up in 1927.
HMS TB 9 was a Cricket-class coastal destroyer or torpedo-boat of the British Royal Navy. TB 9 was built by the shipbuilder Thornycroft from 1905 to 1907. She was used for local patrol duties in the First World War and was sunk following a collision in the North Sea on 26 July 1916.
HMS Tirade was a Modified Admiralty R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. The Modified R class added attributes of the Yarrow Later M class to improve the capability of the ships to operate in bad weather. Launched in April 1917 by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet. The vessel was involved in escorting convoys in the Irish Sea and North Sea. During one of these duties, in September 1917, Tirade sank the minelaying submarine UC-55. During the following month, the destroyer accidentally struck and sank the M-class destroyer Marmion. After the war the destroyer was placed in reserve and then, in November 1921, was sold to be broken up.
HMS Rapid was a destroyer of the M class that served with the Royal Navy during First World War. Launched by Thornycroft in 1916, the vessel was the one of two similar ships ordered as part of the Fifth War Construction Programme. They differed from the remainder of the M class in having more powerful engines. The design was used as the basis for the subsequent five ships of the R-class also built by the yard. Rapid served in escort and patrol roles, principally providing defence from submarines as part of the Grand Fleet until it was disbanded at the end of the War. After the end of hostilities, the vessel served in minor roles, including briefly as part of the Admiralty Compass Department in 1921 and 1924, but was sold to be scrapped in 1927.
HMS Portia was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. Launched on 10 August 1916. Portia initially served with the Grand Fleet but was allocated to convoy escort duties in early 1917. The vessel was particularly active in anti-submarine warfare, although Portia never successful sank a submarine. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the ship was placed in reserve before being decommissioned and sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
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