V and W class

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V and W classes
The HMS Valentine shortly after its completion
The HMS Valentine shortly after its completion
Overview
Type destroyer
units 67 +
40 construction contracts canceled in 1918
Shipyard

14 private British shipyards

Order 1916-1918
Keel laying from May 1916
Launch from October 1917
period of service

1917-1945

Technical specifications
displacement

Standard : 1316  ts

length

95.1 m (312 ft) overall

width

8.15 m (26.75 ft)

Draft

up to 3.43 m (11.25 ft)

crew

110 to 134 men

drive

3 Yarrow boilers ,
2 Brown Curtis turbines
27,500 HPw , 2 shafts

speed

34 kn

Range

3500 nm at 15 kn

Armament

4 - 102-mm-L / 45-Mk.V cannons
2 - 40 mm - Flak
4 (2 x 2) 21-inch torpedo tubes

Fuel supply

370 ts

The V- and W-Class were a ship class of 67 fleet destroyers of the Royal Navy , which entered service from 1917. It was composed of six subgroups. This developed as the flotilla boats were the last fleet destroyers, which the part of the British Kriegsbauprogramms First World War were delivered. The boats were among the most powerful and advanced destroyers in the world at the time, and all future British destroyers were built on their model.

Most of them were completed during the First World War. Between the wars, the V- and W-class boats were the core of the British destroyer flotillas until they were replaced by newbuildings in the 1930s and assigned to the reserve. The majority of the ships were still there at the beginning of World War II . Since 1938, the Royal Navy has also modernized older units as part of its upgrade program. So she developed the escort boats of the

  • WAIR type

even before the war, to which then war modifications as

  • Long range escort and
  • Short range escort

came. The old boats made an important contribution to the security of the convoy, which was very important for the Allied war effort, and enabled the use of more modern units in the fleet.

Design and construction history

In April 1916 five were flotilla of V class for a Admiralty design ordered that the new fleet destroyers of the S-class should be used. They were a further development of the previous buildings. They largely corresponded in size to the last delivered Parker class flotilla commanders , from whom they took over the guns arranged overlapping at the bow. The three boilers and the two funnels were taken over from the destroyers of the Yarrow M-class , which increased the usable deck area. The drive with geared turbines on two shafts was taken over from the fleet destroyers of the R-Class . The new boats had a relatively thin and tall front chimney and a thicker, short rear chimney. New on the boats was the fire control system and the transfer of the gun between the funnels to a protective deck at the stern, so that two cannons were available at both ends of the ship, which could shoot the same targets relatively unhindered. The five boats built as flotilla leaders had a large bridge and a high foremast. The main mast far back was low and stretched the antennas.

Two boats each were built by Cammell Laird in Birkenhead ( Valentine , Valhalla ) and William Denny in Dumbarton ( Valkyrie , Valorous ). The boats built at Cammell Laird had Parsons turbines ; Valkyrie , Valorous, and the J. Samuel White- built Vampire had Brown Curtis turbines. The Vampire was the only boat in this sub-class to be equipped with White Forster boilers and was a test boat for the new triple torpedo sets.

V-Leader Shipyard Launch in service Remodeling
before 39 a. D. 		Final fate
HMS Valkyrie (D61) Denny Bros. 03/12/1917 06/16/1917 (1936) 8.1936 for cancellation
HMS Valentine (L69) Cammell Laird March 24, 1917 06/27/1917 WAIR May 15, 1940 before Terneuzen dropped
HMAS  Vampires  (D68) White 05/21/1917 09/22/1917 11/11/1933 =>  RAN Sunk off Ceylon on April 9th, 1942
HMS Valhalla (D44) Cammell Laird 2 05/22/1917 07/31/1917 (1931) 12.1931 for demolition
HMS Valorous (L00) Denny 2 August 5, 1917 08/21/1917 WAIR 3.1947 for cancellation

The V-Class

The 23 V-Class boats based on the Admiralty draft (and two based on a Thornycroft draft, see below) were ordered in July 1916, as there were indications that the Germans would soon be putting new, more powerful destroyers into service. The orders were awarded to ten shipyards, of which William Denny and J. Samuel White were also involved in the construction of the V-Flotilla leader boats. Nine of the boats were built so that they could be converted into mine layers within 24 hours. These had mine gates in the stern. During the conversion, they gave both torpedo sets and the lower rear gun ashore and were able to take over 60 mines that were protected by curtains. The possible miners were the Vanoc and Vanquisher built by J. Brown & Co. in Clydebank , the Velox built by Doxford , the Denny boats Vehement and Venturous , the Swan Hunter built Vimiera and Vittoria , Hawthorn Leslie's Versatile and the vortigers from White.

In terms of machinery, both White boats again had White Forster boilers and the Doxford boats as well as Vimiera and Violent from Swan Hunter Parsons turbines.

The boats, which were initially equipped with two twin torpedo sets like their predecessors, received a forward triple torpedo set in 1921. From 1923, the exchange of the rear sets began, except for Vanoc , Velox , Versatile , Vimy and Vortigern .

During the First World War, the Vehement was the only V- and W-class boat to be lost to a mine; In 1919 the losses of Verulam and Vittoria were still to be lamented in the Baltic Sea . At the beginning of the Second World War there were still 16 boats available, five of which were converted into fast escort boats.

Surname Shipyard Launch in service Remodeling
before 39 a. D. 		Final fate
HMS Vanoc (H33) J. Brown 06/14/1917 08/15/1917 Long-range escort 7.1945 for cancellation
HMS Vimiera (L29) Swan Hunter 06/22/1917 09/19/1917 WAIR January 9, 1942 sank after being hit by a mine
HMS Vehement (H2A) Denny 3 July 6, 1917 10.1917 (1918 †) August 1, 1918 sank after being hit by a mine
HMS  Vanquisher  (D54) J. Brown 2 08/18/1917 October 2, 1917 Long-range escort 03.1947 for demolition
HMS Verdun (L93) Hawthorn 08/21/1917 October 16, 1917 WAIR 03.1946 for demolition
HMS Violent (D57) Swan Hunter 2 09/01/1917 12.1917 (1937) March 8, 1937 for demolition
HMS Vega (L41) Doxford 09/01/1917 12/14/1917 WAIR 1946 for demolition
HMAS Vendetta (D69) Fairfield September 3, 1917 October 4, 1917 10.1933 => RAN 07/02/1948 sunk off Sydney
HMS Vectis (D51) JS White 2 September 4, 1917 December 5, 1917 (1936) 08/25/1936 for demolition
HMS Venturous (D87) Denny 4 09/21/1917 11/29/1917 (1936) 08/24/1936 for demolition
HMS Verulam (F19) Hawthorn L. 2 October 3, 1917 December 5, 1917 (1919 †) 09/04/1919 before  Seiskari  dropped
HMS Vortigern (D37) JS White 3 October 15, 1917 01/25/1918 By 03/15/1942 S-boat sunk
HMS Venetia (D53) Fairfield 2 October 29, 1917 December 19, 1917 October 19, 1940 sank after being hit by a mine
HMS Vittoria (F96) Swan Hunter 3 October 29, 1917 March 9, 1918 (1919 †) September 1st, 1919  sunk off  Seiskari
HMS Versatile (D32) Hawthorn L 3 10/31/1917 02/11/1918 Long-range escort 1946 for demolition
HMS Vivacious (D36) Yarrow November 3, 1917 12/29/1917 Short range Esc. 3.1947 for cancellation
HMS Velox (D34) Doxford 2 11/17/1917 03/14/1918 Long-range escort 2.1947 for cancellation
HMS Vesper (D55) Stephen December 15, 1917 02/20/1918 Long-range escort 3.1947 for cancellation
HMS Vancouver (G04)
01/04/1928 HMS Vimy (D33) 		Beardmore 12/28/1917 March 9, 1918 Long-range escort 3.1947 for cancellation
HMS Vivien (L33) Yarrow 2 02/16/1918 05/28/1918 WAIR 2.1947 for cancellation
HMS Vidette (D48) Stephen 2 02/28/1918 04/18/1918 Long-range escort 3.1947 for cancellation
HMS Vanessa (D29) Beardmore 2 March 16, 1918 04/27/1918 Long-range escort 3.1947 for cancellation
HMS Vanity (L38) Beardmore 3 May 3, 1918 06/21/1918 WAIR 3.1947 for cancellation

The W class

The 21 W-Class boats based on the Admiralty Draft were all ordered in December 1916. 19 were built as the orders placed at Yarrow were converted into orders for S-class boats ( Tomahawk , Torch ). The ships had only one major difference to the V-Class: there were now enough triple torpedo tube sets available to equip the boats. The main mast of the W boats was usually higher than that of the V boats. As with the V-Class, Thornycroft again received two orders that were manufactured according to the factory design (see below).

Surname Shipyard Launch in service Remodeling
before 39 a. D. 		Final fate
HMS  Wakeful  (H88) J. Brown 3 10/6/1917 11/16/1917 Sunk on May 29, 1940 at Nieuwpoort
HMS Watchman (D26) J. Brown 4 November 2nd, 1917 01/26/1918 LongrangeEscort 7.1947 for cancellation
HMS Walker (D27) Denny 5 11/29/1917 02/12/1918 LongrangeEscort 3.1946 for cancellation
HMS Whirlwind (D30) Swan Hunter 4 December 15, 1917 03/15/1918 Sunk July 15, 1940
HMS  Winchelsea  (D46) White 4 December 15, 1917 04/20/1918 LongrangeEscort 3.1947 for cancellation
HMS Walrus (D24) Fairfield 3 December 27, 1917 March 8, 1918 (1938) Stranded February 12, 1938
HMS Warwick (D25) Hawthorn L. 4 12/28/1917 03/18/1918 LongrangeEscort Sunk by submarine on February 20, 1944
HMS  Winchester  (L55) White 5 February 1, 1918 05/24/1918 WAIR 3.1946 for cancellation
HMS Walpole (D41) Doxford 3 02/12/1918 August 7, 1918 ShortRangeEsc. 1.1945 total loss
HMS Westcott (D47) Denny 6 02/14/1918 April 2, 1918 ShortRangeEsc. 1.1946 for cancellation
HMS  Westminster  (L40) Scotts 02/25/1918 04/18/1918 WAIR 3.1947 for cancellation
HMS Wrestler (D35) Swan Hunter 5 02/25/1918 05/15/1918 LongrangeEscort June 6, 1944 total write-off
HMS Wessex (L41) Hawthorn L. 5 03/12/1918 05/11/1918 WAIR Sunk off Calais on May 24, 1940
HMS Wolfhound (L56) Fairfield 4 03/14/1918 04/27/1918 WAIR 2.1948 for cancellation
HMAS Waterhen (D22) Palmers 03/26/1918 04/17/1918 11.1933 => RAN Sunk June 30, 1941 off Libya
HMS Whitley (L23) Doxford 4 04/13/1918 09/23/1918 WAIR Sunk on 19 May 1940 off Ostend
HMAS Voyager (D31) Stephen 3 May 8, 1918 06/24/1918 11.1933 => RAN Sunk off Timor on September 23, 1942
HMS Wryneck (L04) Palmers 2 05/13/1918 11/11/1918 WAIR Sunk on April 27, 1941 off Crete
HMS Windsor (D42) Scott's 2nd 06/21/1918 08/28/1918 ShortRangeEsc. 3.1947 sold for demolition

The modified W-Class

In 1918 two more series of the W-Class were ordered according to the Admiralty Draft in January and April 1918, which comprised 14 and 38 new builds. However, only seven boats of each series were actually completed, five of which had a name beginning with V. Some of the unfinished jobs were started, but canceled in 1918 because the war ended. These boats, known as the modified W-Class, were given the new 120 mm L / 45 Mk.I cannon, in contrast to the previous structures. This armament, similar to that of the standard post-war structures, later led to the waiver of modifications based on the WAIR variant.

The boats of the 2nd order, unlike all other boats of the V and W class, had a thicker front chimney and a thin one behind it, as in these boats the larger boiler room was equipped with two boilers and there was only one boiler behind in the second boiler room. As a result of this change, these seven boats lost their typical appearance of the class with a long, very thin chimney at the front and then a thicker, short chimney. The change in the boiler rooms later did not allow a conversion to long-range escorts according to the standard plans.

Surname Shipyard Launch in service modification Final fate
HMS Venomous (D75) J. Brown 5 December 21, 1918 08/24/1919 ShortR.Esc. 3.1947 for cancellation
HMS Verity (D63) J. Brown 6 03/19/1919 09/11/1919 LongrangeEscort 3.1947 for cancellation
HMS Vansittard (D64) Beardmore 4 04/17/1919 10/22/1919 LongrangeEscort 2.1946 for cancellation
HMS  Volunteer  (D46) Denny 7 04/17/1919 10/27/1919 LongrangeEscort 3.1947 for cancellation
HMS Wanderer (D74) Fairfield 5 May 1, 1919 09/01/1919 LongrangeEscort 1.1946 for cancellation
HMS Whitehall (D77) Swan Hunter 6  Completion:
Chatham Dockyard 		09/11/1919 09/09/1924 LongrangeEscort 10.1945 for cancellation
HMS Wren (D88) Yarrow 3 Completion:
Plymouth Dockyard 		11/11/1919 01/21/1923 Sunk by the Luftwaffe on July 27, 1940
2nd order
HMS  Whitshed  (D77) Swan Hunter 7 January 31, 1919 05/29/1919 ShortR.Esc. 2.1947 for cancellation
HMS  Witherington  (D76) White 5 04/16/1919 09/10/1919 ShortR.Esc. 3.1946 for cancellation
HMS Wivern (D66) White 6 04/16/1919 December 23, 1919 ShortR.Esc. 2.1947 for cancellation
HMS Veteran (D72) J. Brown 7 04/26/1919 10/30/1919 ShortR.Esc. Sunk by U 404 on September 26, 1942
HMS Wild Swan (D62) Swan Hunter 8 05/17/1919 10/10/1919 Sunk June 17, 1942
HMS Wolverine (D78) White 7 07/17/1919 06/23/1920 ShortR.Esc. 1.1946 for cancellation
HMS Worcester (D96) White 8 Completion:
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard 		October 24, 1919 09/20/1922 ShortR.Esc. December 23, 1943 total loss after a mine hit

The Thornycroft boats to the classes

The destroyer builder John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited was a contractor for flotilla commanders for the V and W classes, six of which were completed as Shakespeare classes . Of the three sub-types of fleet destroyers of the class, however, she also built two boats each, slightly different from the Admiralty's design. The V-boats were ordered on July 30, 1916, the two W-boats on December 9, 1916. Compared to the boats according to the standard plan, the Thornycroft boats had more freeboard, a shorter main mast and the flattened chimneys typical of Thornycroft. The two V-boats had a guaranteed speed of 35 knots, the W-boats of 36 knots.

The HMS Woolston

In January 1918 Thornycroft also received the order for two boats of the improved W-class with 120-mm cannons. They had the changed boiler room division of the second order of the official draft with the large boiler room for two boilers in front and the small boiler room for a steam boiler behind, which was externally evident from the thick chimney in front and the thin chimney in the back. Another distinguishing feature of the Thornycroft boats were the 2-pdr anti-aircraft guns placed one behind the other amidships between the funnels.

The Witch's completion was delayed by the end of the war and she was eventually towed to Devonport for completion at the naval shipyard.

Surname group Launch in service modification Final fate
HMS Viceroy (L21) Thornycroft-V- 11/17/1917 January 8, 1918 WAIR 6.1948 for cancellation
HMS Viscount (D92) 12/29/1917 4.03.1918 LongrangeEscort 3.1945 for cancellation
HMS Wolsey (L02) Thornycroft-W- March 16, 1918 May 1, 1918 WAIR 3.1947 for cancellation
HMS Woolston (L49) 04/27/1918 06/18/1918 WAIR 2.1947 for cancellation
HMS Wishart (D67) Thornycroft-mod.-W- 07/18/1919 05/28/1920 ShortR.Esc. 3.1945 for cancellation
HMS Witch (D89) Completion Devonport 11/11/1919 3.1924 ShortR.Esc.     7.1946 for cancellation

Renewed war use

In 1939 there were still 54 V- and W-class boats in the Royal Navy (RN); four other boats served with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) since 1933 . 16 of the boats (the modified W-class) of the RN had 120 mm guns like the standard destroyers of the post-war period. The remaining boats should be converted into fast escorts.

Modifications to the pre-war program

HMS Vanity in June 1942

This so-called “wair” conversion had already started on some boats and three such conversions had been completed before the start of the war. Next to the former flotilla HMS Wallace of the Shakespeare class the conversion was Whitley and the Valorous completed.

The loss of the walrus

The Walrus was lost on February 12, 1938 when it was moved from the reserve in Rosyth to the reconstruction at the state shipyard in Chatham . During the transfer in tow, there was a storm on the North Sea in which the tow rope broke. The four-man destroyer drifted onto the coast in Filey Bay north of Scarborough . The four men on board were able to save themselves on land with one of the boats. The destroyer, which was to be the first to be rebuilt, was badly damaged and repairing it did not seem economical, so it was sold for demolition.

Scope of the renovation

The Wolfhound still with its old registration
Vickers machine gun

During these wair conversions, almost all the superstructures of the affected boats were removed and new superstructures were built. The armament was also completely removed and replaced by two 4-inch twin anti-aircraft guns with an associated fire control system. As light anti-aircraft weapons, the boats received two quadruple Vickers machine guns side by side on an elevated position behind the funnels and in front of the rear deckhouse, which were soon replaced by 20-mm Oerlikons . In addition there was a strong depth charge armament. The originally planned conversion of 36 boats was not carried out because shortly after the start of the war the trade war shifted mainly to the Central Atlantic outside the attack possibilities of the German Air Force and the 4-inch twin guns were not available to the desired extent and then preferably in new buildings like the escort destroyers of the Hunt class or the sloops of the Black Swan class were built.

By December 1940, a total of 15 V- and W-class boats had been converted by British naval shipyards. The shipyard in Chatham converted most of the boats, but even the naval shipyards in Gibraltar and Malta carried out conversions.

Four of these boats were lost in the war

  • HMS Valentine (L69) sunk in the Scheldt by German bombers on May 15, 1940 ;
  • HMS Whitley (L23) sunk by Stukas off Nieuwpoort on May 19, 1940 ;
  • HMS Wryneck (L04), April 27, 1941 sunk by Stukas during the evacuation of British troops from Greece;
  • HMS Vimiera (L29), 9 January 1942, sank with the entire crew after a mine hit in the Thames estuary

In 1940 not only were the two aforementioned Fast Escorts Valentine and Whitley lost, but also five other V and W class boats.

War conversions

57mm 6 pdr turret used against speedboats, here on HMS Mackay

The development of the war showed the need for specialized submarine hunters who could secure the convoys against attacks by German submarines on the Atlantic. This first led to an optimization of the armament against this threat. The old destroyers gave up their stern gun (in the "Y" position) in order to bring more depth charges to the stern, and the rear torpedo set was also replaced on many boats by a 76 mm anti-aircraft gun. This gun did not prove itself and was often replaced again. The front torpedo set was often preserved and used to launch the "One Ton Depth Charge".
From 1942, the bow gun (in the “A” position) on some of the boats used on the North Sea and Channel coasts was replaced by a 57 mm 6 pdr double turret developed for coastal defense, which should improve the defense against speedboats ( Walpole , Windsor , Whitshed , Wivern alongside three Scott- class boats ). The weapon had proven itself in repelling an Italian speedboat attack on Malta. Boats equipped in this way were also known as "East Coast Escorts" .
From 1943 the Hedgehog volley launcher was introduced in this position on Atlantic boats. These boats were then referred to as "short-range escorts" .

The HMS Vanessa after the conversion to a long range escort

From early 1941 to mid-1944 about 20 boats of the V and W class were long-distance chasers ( Long Range Escort rebuilt). This modification included the removal of a boiler and the associated front chimney. This reduced the speed to a maximum of 25 knots. The vacated space was used in the lower area as an additional bunker room and the upper part received urgently needed crew rooms for the considerably stronger crews for the intensive and longer security missions. Furthermore, from 1943 on, the nose gun was exchanged for a " Hedgehog " water bomb launcher . The converted boats only had two cannons in the raised positions "B" and "X". The torpedo tubes were also removed and replaced with roll-off devices and launchers for depth charges, and the anti-aircraft guns were modernized and reinforced. All conversions received the modern tracking devices. Unlike the WAIR conversions, some of these standardized conversions were also carried out by British private shipyards.

The final fate of the boats

During World War II, the Royal Navy lost 14 boats in combat operations. In addition, some boats were badly damaged and their complete restoration was not carried out. With the end of the war in Europe and after the first support from the liberated states, the boats were no longer used and they were all sold for demolition and scrapped until 1948.

The boats of the Australian Navy

After the outbreak of war, the Australian destroyer flotilla with its leader Stuart and the destroyers Vampire , Vendetta , Voyager and Waterhen moved via Singapore to the Mediterranean, where the five boats formed the 19th destroyer flotilla in Malta in early 1940. German propaganda derided the Australians' contribution as "scrap iron flotilla". The Australians adopted the name scrap iron flotilla as an honorary title. The first war loss of the Australian Navy occurred on June 30, 1941 with the Waterhen , which was seriously damaged by German aircraft while supplying the enclosed Tobruk . Further losses followed in 1942 with the Vampire , which in December 1941 had rescued many survivors of the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse in December 1941 , together with the carrier HMS Hermes off Ceylon and the Voyager off Timor in helping refugees and defenders.

Only the vendetta survived the war. In 1942, shortly before the Japanese occupation, she was still able to leave Singapore in tow. From 1943 to 1945 she was used as an escort vehicle between Australia and New Guinea .

literature

  • Bodo Herzog: 60 years of German submarines 1906-1966. JF Lehmanns Verlag, Munich 1968.
  • Jürgen Rohwer , Gerhard Hümmelchen : Chronicle of the naval war 1939-1945. Manfred Pawlak VerlagsGmbH, Herrsching 1968, ISBN 3-88199-0097 .
  • Alexander Bredt (Ed.): WEYERS Taschenbuch der Kriegsflotten 1941/1942. Lehmanns Verlag, Munich / Berlin 1941.
  • MJ Whitley: Destroyers of World War 2 . Cassell Publishing, 1988, ISBN 1-85409-521-8 .

Web links

Commons : V- and W-class destroyers  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Footnotes

  1. ^ Teesmouth LifeboatSupporters Association: Services of The JW Archer at Teesmouth Lifeboat Station.
  2. ↑ a b Rohwer, p. 44.