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, 27,000 shp
Speed	34 kt Reduced to 25  kt 1943
Range	320-370 tons oil 3,500 nmi at 15 kt 900 nmi at 32 kt
Complement	134
Sensors and processing systems	Type 271 surface warning Radar fitted 1942
Armament	As built 1920: • 4 x BL 4.7 in (120-mm) Mk.I guns mount P Mk.I • 2 x QF 2 pdr Mk.II "pom-pom" (40 mm L/39) • 6 × 21-inch Torpedo Tubes ”1943 LRE conversion: • 3 × BL 4.7 in (120mm) Mk.I L/45 guns • 1 × QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun • 2 × QF 2 pdr Mk.II "pom-pom" (40 mm L/39) • 2 × 20mm Orkelion cannons • 3 × 21-inch Torpedo Tubes (one triple mount) • 2 × depth charge racks • Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar
Service record
Operations:	Second World War
Victories:	"U-102"

HMS Vansittart (D64/I64) was an Admiralty modified W class destroyer built for the Royal Navy. She was ordered in January 1918 from William Beardmore & Company with the 13th Order for Destroyers of the Emergency War Program of 1918-19. She was the 2nd RN Ship to carry the name which was first used in 1821 for a hired packet.

Construction

HMS Vansittart’s keel was laid in 7th of January, 1918 at the William Beardmore & Company Shipyard at Dalmuir. She was launched on the 17th of April 1919. She was 312 feet overall in length with a beam of 29.5 feet. Her mean draught was 9 feet, and would reach 11.25 feet under full load. She had a displacement of 1,140 tons standard and up to 1,550 full load.

She was propelled by three Yarrow water tube boilers powering Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines developing 27,000 SHP driving two screws for a maximum designed speed of 34 knots. She was oil-fired and had a bunkerage of 320 to 370 tons. This gave a range of between 3500 nautical miles at 15 knots and 900 nautical miles at 32 knots.

She shipped four BL 4.7 in (120-mm) Mk.I guns, mount P Mk.I naval guns in four single center-line turrets. The turrets were disposed as two forward and two aft in super imposed firing positions. She also carried two QF 2 pdr Mk.II "pom-pom" (40 mm L/39) mounted abeam between funnels. Abaft of the 2nd funnel, she carried six 21-inch Torpedo Tubes in two triple mounts on the center-line.

Inter-War Period

HMS Vansittart was commissioned on the 5th of November 1919 into the Royal Navy and assigned pennant number D64. After her acceptance trials she was assigned to the 4th Destroyer Flotilla in the Atlantic Fleet. In 1925 the 4th Flotilla was transferred to the Mediterranean. In early 1930’s she under refit and was placed in reserve as more modern destroyers came on line. This ship was was laid-up in Maintenance Reserve at Rosyth with a special complement. She was reactivated manned by Reservists for a Royal Review at Weymouth in August 1939. As war loomed she was brought to war readiness.

World War Two

HMS Vansittart was allocated to the 15th Destroyer Flotilla in the Western Approaches Command and deployed in the English Channel for convoy defence. Her fist deployment was to escort troops of British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from Solent to Brest.

In October she was transferred to the 17th Destroyer Flotilla based at Plymouth for Convoy defence in the South-West Approaches. She remained in this deployment through April when she was sent to Scapa Flow in response of the German Invasion of Norway.

She was deployed in protecting military convoys until she was damaged at Narvik during an air attack on the 10th of May. On the 20th of May she deployed on Operation Ordnance – the evacuation of Dutch ports including Rotterdam and the Hook of Holland. At the end of May her pennant number was changed to I64 for visual signalling purposes.

In June she was again deployed to the South-West approaches. On the 1st of July she responded to SS Clearton’s distress signal. An hour after arriving on scene she established a strong ASDIC return and made two runs dropping eleven depth charges set for 350 to 500 feet. After which she could not re-establish contact. She recovered the survivors of the SS Clearton and returned. She could only find a huge oil slick. She remained on patrol til the next day. Post war analysis credited her with the sinking of "U-102" on the 1st of July.

During her career she went under one reconstruction, to serve as a long range escort. Such maintenance was completed in June 1943.

Disposition

On 25 February 1946, HMS Vansittart was sold to be broken down into scrap.

References

• Preston, Antony (1971). 'V & W' Class Destroyers 1917-1945. London: Macdonald. OCLC 464542895.
• Raven, Alan (1979). 'V' and 'W' Class Destroyers. Man o' War. Vol. 2. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 0-85368-233-X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

External links

• U boat resource