HMS Whitshed (D77)
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 Whitshed during World War II |
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Whitshed |
| Builder: | Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Wallsend-on-Tyne |
| Laid down: | 3 June 1918 |
| Launched: | 1919 |
| Commissioned: | 11 July 1919 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrap, 18 February 1947 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Admiralty modified W class destroyer |
| Service record | |
| Operations: | World War II |
| Victories: | U 55 |
HMS Whitshed (pennant number D77) was a V and W class escort destroyer of the Royal Navy, laid down by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Limited at Wallsend on 3 June 1918, launched in 1919, and commissioned on 11 July of that year. She served throughout the Second World War, finally being sold for scrap on 18 February 1947.
On 21 February 1940, she joined with the sloop HMS Fowey, the destroyers Valmy and Guépard of the French Navy, and a Short Sunderland patrol bomber from No. 228 Squadron RAF to engage German submarines which had earlier attacked Convoy OA-80G, sinking two merchant ships. In the resulting engagement, U-55 was sunk with the loss of one of her crew.[1]
On 13 July 1940 she hit a mine off Harwich and was badly damaged, having to be towed into port by HMS Wild Swan.
On 12 December 1942, a group of six destroyers; Whitshed, HMS Worcester, HMS Vesper, HMS Brocklesby, HMS Albrighton and the Norwegian HMS Eskdale engaged German shipping in the English Channel. Two enemy vessels were sunk, with Whitshed torpedoing Gauss (Sperrbrecher 178).
The ship was named after Admiral of the Fleet James Whitshed.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Blair (1996), 137.
[edit] References
- Blair, Clay (1996). Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters 1939-1942. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-58839-8.
- Preston, Antony (1971). 'V & W' Class Destroyers 1917-1945. London: Macdonald. OCLC 464542895.
- Raven, Alan; Roberts, John (1979). 'V' and 'W' Class Destroyers. Man o' War. 2. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 0-85368-233-X.
- Winser, John de D. (1999). B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-91-6.
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