HMS Vansittart (D64)
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | HMS Vansittart |
| Ordered | January 1918 |
| Builder | William Beardmore and Company |
| Laid down | 1 January 1918 |
| Launched | 17 April 1919 |
| Commissioned | 5 November 1919 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap on 25 February 1946 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 1,140 tons standard, 1,550 tons full |
| Length | 300 ft o/a, 312 ft p/p |
| Beam | 30 ft |
| Draught | 10 ft 11 in |
| Propulsion | 3 Yarrow type Water-tube boilers, Brown-Curtis steam turbines, 2 shafts, 30,000 shp |
| Speed | 32 kt |
| Range | 320-370 tons oil, 3,500 nmi at 15 kt, 900 nmi at 32 kt |
| Complement | 134 |
| Armour | list error: mixed text and list (help)
|
| Service record | |
| Operations: | Second World War |
| Victories: | Sinking of U 102 |
HMS Vansittart was an Admiralty Modified W destroyer of the Royal Navy which saw service in the Second World War. So far she has been the only ship of the navy to bear the name Vansittart.
Construction and commissioning
Vansittart was ordered with the 13th Order of the 1918-19 Programme in January 1918 from the yards of William Beardmore & Co. She was laid down on 1 January 1918, launched on 17 April, 1919, and was commissioned on 5 November, 1919.
Pre-war career
Vansittart initially joined the Fleet after being commissioned, and in 1921 was part of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet. Vansittart and the Flotilla transferred to the Mediterranean in 1925, but on the introduction of more modern destroyer types, the Flotilla returned to the UK and Vansittart was paid off into the Reserve. She was laid-up at Rosyth, but was briefly reactivated, manned by Reservists in time for the Review of the Reserve Fleet at Weymouth in August 1939. With war looming, Vansittart was kept in commissioned and nominated to join the 15th Destroyer Flotilla.
Wartime career
She was responsible for the sinking of U 102 by the use of depth charges, on 1 July, 1940.
As it happened, U 102 had just recently destroyed one of its only victims, the British merchant SS Clearton, in approximately the same general region. HMS Vansittart went on to save the survivors of the Clearton, who numbered 26 people.
During her career she went under one reconstruction, to serve as a long range escort. Such maintenance was completed in June 1943.
On 25 February 1946, HMS Vansittart was sold to be broken down into scrap.
References
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- U boat resource