V and W class destroyer

The 23 vessels comprising the Admiralty V class were ordered in July 1916 as repeats of the Admiralty V class leaders to counter the threat posed by reports of a new class of powerful German destroyers. 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 1918, 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.
* "Vehement" — built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 1916, launched 6 July 1917, completed 1917, mined and sunk in North Sea 1 August 1918.
* "Velox" — built by Doxford, laid down January 1917, launched 17 November 1917, completed 1 April 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
* "Vendetta" — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, laid down November 1916, launched 3 September 1917, completed 17 October 1917, transferred to Royal Australian Navy October 1933, scuttled off Sydney 2 July 1948.
* "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 January 31 1917, launched August 21 1917, completed November 3 1917, sold for scrapping 1946
* "Verulam" — built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 1917, launched 3 October 3 1917, mined and sunk off Seiskari Island in Gulf of Finland on night of 3 September / 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.
* "Vimiera" — built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend, laid down October 1916, launched 22 June 1917, completed 19 September 1917, mined and sunk in Thames estuary 9 January 1942.
* "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 German E-boat off Cromer 15 March 1942.

Admiralty W class

The Thornycroft Modified W class were a private design by Thornycroft based on the Thornycroft V and W class to Admiralty specifications. The two ships were ordered in January 1918, at the same time as the first batch (of fourteen vessels ordered, of which only seven completed) of the Admiralty 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.

Ships

*"Wishart" — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, laid down 18 May 1918, launched 18 July 1919, completed June 1920, sold for breaking up 20 March 1945.
*"Witch" — built by Thornycroft, laid down 13 June 1918, launched 11 November 1919, completed March 1924, sold for breaking up July 1946.

Admiralty 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 (as well as the two Thornycroft ships to a variant design), of which seven were subsequently cancelled.
* "Vansittart" — built by William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir, laid down 1 July 1918, launched 17 April 1919, completed 5 November 1919, sold for scrapping 25 February 1946.
* "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 1918, 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.
* "Volunteer" — built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 16 April 1918, launched 17 April 1918, completed 7 November 1919, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
* "Votary" — also from Denny, laid down 18 June 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
* "Wanderer" — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, laid down 7 August 1918, launched 1 May 1919, completed 18 September 1919, sold for breaking up 31 January 1946.
* "Warren" — also from Fairfield, order moved to Chatham Dockyard then cancelled September 1919.
* "Welcome" — built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn, laid down 9 April 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
* "Welfare" — also from Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 22 June 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
* "Whitehall" — built by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Wallsend, laid down June 1918, launched 11 September 1919, completed by HM Dockyard Chatham 9 July 1924, sold for breaking up October 1945.
* "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, of which thirty-one were subsequently cancelled and only seven completed.
* "Vashon" — built by William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
* "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 U-boat U-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.

Conversions for World War II

From 1937 the disposal of elderly V and W class vessels ceased, and most survivors were converted to fast escort vessels. The onset of World War II put a stop to lengthy conversions, but many ships were converted for convoy escort duty.

Long-range escort

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 Hedgehog throwing weapon and depth charge stowage and launchers respectively. The torpedo tubes were removed and 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. Radar Type 271 target indication was added in its distinctive "lantern" dome on the bridge and Radar Type 291 air warning was added at the masthead, with High Frequency Direction Finding (HF/DF) fitted in some ships. The maximum speed of the conversions was a useful around 24½ knots.

Converted long-range escorts were:
* "Vanessa"
* "Vanoc"
* "Vanquisher"
* "Velox"
* "Vesper"
* "Versatile"
* "Vidette"
* "Vimy"
* "Vivacious"
* "Viscount"
* "Walker"
* "Warwick"
* "Watchman"
* "Westcott"
* "Winchelsea"
* "Wrestler"
* "Vansittart"
* "Venomous"
* "Verity"
* "Volunteer"
* "Wanderer"
* "Whitehall"

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 leader "Wallace" was also given a WAIR conversion, but this larger ship 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 shelter decks. The armament was controlled by a Mark II(W) rangefinder - director, fitted with Radar Type 285 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 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. Although this was mainly for self defence purposes, "Viceroy" sank "U1274" off the east coast of Scotland on April 16 1945.

Ships were allocated new L-series (escort) pennant numbers upon re-commissioning:
* "Valentine" (L69)
* "Valorous" (L00)
* "Vanity" (L38)
* "Vega" (L40)
* "Verdun" (L93)
* "Vimiera" (L29)
* "Vivien" (L33)
* "Viceroy" (L21)
* "Westminster" (L40)
* "Whitley" (L23)
* "Winchester" (L55)
* "Wolfhound" (L?)
* "Wolsey" (L02)
* "Woolston" (L49)
* "Wryneck" (L04)

hort-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 20 mm 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 twin 6 pounder semi-automatic gun in 'A' position for east coast anti-E boat work.

in the L - escort - series):
* "Vortigern"
* "Walpole"
* "Windsor" (L94)
* "Veteran"
* "Whitshed"
* "Wild Swan"
* "Wishart"
* "Witch"
* "Witherington"
* "Wivern"
* "Wolverine"

Unmodified escorts

The remainder of the class were unaltered as all (except "Worcester") were war losses during 1940 (one vessel was allocated a new pennant number in the L - escort - series):
* "Venetia"
* "Wakeful" (L91)
* "Wessex"
* "Whirlwind"
* "Worcester"
* "Wren"There remained also the quartet in the Royal Australian Navy - "Vampire", "Vendetta", "Voyager" and "Waterhen" - which simply had the aft bank of torpedo tubes replaced by a 12pdr A/A gun, and had 2 or 4 x 20mm A/A and 4 x .5in A/A guns added.

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 V and W class destroyers in the 1974 novel "The Destroyers" by Douglas Reeman.
* 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 "Viking" and HMS "Vectra" are two of the escorts of the 14th Aircraft Carrier Squadron in Alistair MacLean's novel HMS Ulysses.

ee also

* U and V class destroyer - World War 2 destroyer design with "V" names
* W and Z class destroyer - World War 2 destroyer design with "W" names

Bibliography

* "V&W Class Destroyers 1917-1945", Antony Preston, Macdonald & Co, 1971, ISBN 0-356-03471-2
* "Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981", Maurice Cocker, Ian Allan, ISBN 0-7110-1075-7
* "Royal Navy Destroyers since 1945", Leo Marriot, Ian Allan, ISBN 0-7110-1817-0
* "British and Empire Warships of the Second World War", H T Lenton, Greenhill Books, ISBN 1-85367-277-7
* "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946", Ed. Robert Gardiner, Naval Institute Press, ISBN 0-87021-913-8
*"Destroyers of World War Two : An International Encyclopedia", M J Whitley, Arms and Armour Press, 1999, ISBN 1-85409-521-8.
* "V & W Class Destroyers" (Man o' War No. 2)," Alan Raven & John Roberts, A&AP 1979, ISBN 0-85368-233-X