Vimiera was chosen for conversion to an escort destroyer (WAIR) with an enhanced anti-aircraft and anti-submarine capability as part of the naval rearmament programme preceding the outbreak of war in September 1939. Conversion was complete, whereon in January 1940 she joined the Nore Command for coastal convoy escort duty in the North Sea and English Channel. Her company was formed largely of men from the Clyde Division of the Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Graham.
In April 1940 she was transferred under the Commander-in-Chief, Dover to support military operations in France. This included the Battle of Dunkirk to providing additional anti-aircraft defence in Dunkirk (Operation FA) and assisting in the evacuation of allied personnel from Flushing. With HMS Wolsey she provided naval gunfire support for military operations at Escault. On 19 May she rescued survivors from HMS Whitley and in the following days she assisted both in taking reinforcements to Boulogne and in evacuating wounded soldiers and medical staff. Alongside HMS Wessex, ORP Burza, HMS Whitshed, and HMS Wolfhound she saw action around Boulogne and Calais, during which Wessex was sunk and Vimiera sustained substantial damage. She was taken into repair on 25 May 1940, and so was not involved in the evacuation from Dunkirk. She was subsequently redeployed to the North Sea in defence of East Coast convoys.
In December 1941, she was adopted by the civil community of Sandbach, Cheshire, following the successful Warship Week National Saving campaign. Vimiera, under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Angus Alexander Mackenzie, RNR, was sunk by a mine in the Thames estuary off East Spile Buoy on 9 January 1942 with the loss of around 96 hands. 92 or 93 went down with the ship, and a further four of the 38 survivors died of wounds.[2][3][4] Eight of her nine officers survived, and Lt. Cdr. Mackenzie, having been found blameless in the sinking, was put in command of HMS Liddesdale.[5]Vimiera's loss was commemorated on a memorial within HMS Graham.[citation needed]
NotesEdit
^'The Anglo-Soviet Trade Agreement, March 1921 27 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine by M. V. Glenny, Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 5, No. 2. (1970), pp. 63-82.
Cocker, Maurice (1981). Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893–1981. Ian Allan. ISBN0-7110-1075-7.
Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-59114-081-8.
Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-85177-245-5.
Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-048-7.
March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555.
Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1979). 'V' and 'W' Class Destroyers. Man o'War. Vol. 2. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN0-85368-233-X.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-119-2.
Whinney, Bob (2000). The U-boat Peril: A Fight for Survival. Cassell. ISBN0-304-35132-6.
Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-326-1.
Winser, John de D. (1999). B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-91-6.
External linksEdit
HMS Vimiera
V&W Destroyer Association (HMS Vimiera)
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" - The Living and the Dead - V&W Destroyer Association (HMS Vimiera)
October 20, 2023
vimiera, 1917, other, ships, with, same, name, vimiera, vimiera, class, destroyer, ordered, part, 1917, programme, vimiera, circa, 1918historyunited, kingdomnamehms, vimieranamesakebattle, vimeiro, 1808, builderswan, hunter, tyne, wearlaid, downoctober, 1916la. For other ships with the same name see HMS Vimiera HMS Vimiera was a V class destroyer ordered as part of the 1917 18 programme Vimiera circa 1918HistoryUnited KingdomNameHMS VimieraNamesakeBattle of Vimeiro 1808 BuilderSwan Hunter Tyne and WearLaid downOctober 1916Launched22 June 1917Completed19 September 1917MottoSicut clin disputed discuss Victory as formerly FateSank on 9 January 1942 after striking a mine in the Thames estuary General characteristicsClass and typeAdmiralty V class destroyerDisplacement1 272 1 339 tonsLength300 ft 91 4 m o a 312 ft 95 1 m p pBeam26 ft 9 in 8 2 m Draught9 ft 2 7 m standard 11 ft 3 in 3 4 m deepPropulsion3 Yarrow type Water tube boilers Brown Curtis steam turbines 2 shafts 27 000 shpSpeed34 knRange320 370 tons oil 3 500 nmi at 15 kn 900 nmi at 32 knComplement110Armament4 QF 4 in Mk V 102mm L 45 mount P Mk I 2 QF 2 pdr Mk II pom pom 40 mm L 39 or 1 z QF 12 pdr 20 cwt Mk I 76 mm mount HA Mk II4 2x2 tubes for 21 in torpedoesNotesPennant number L29 Contents 1 Early activity 2 Second World War 3 Notes 4 Bibliography 5 External linksEarly activity EditOne of her early missions was a trip to Reval conveying Leonid Krasin and Viktor Nogin back to the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic following the first stage of negotiations in the Anglo Soviet Trade Agreement 1 Second World War EditVimiera was chosen for conversion to an escort destroyer WAIR with an enhanced anti aircraft and anti submarine capability as part of the naval rearmament programme preceding the outbreak of war in September 1939 Conversion was complete whereon in January 1940 she joined the Nore Command for coastal convoy escort duty in the North Sea and English Channel Her company was formed largely of men from the Clyde Division of the Royal Naval Reserve HMS Graham In April 1940 she was transferred under the Commander in Chief Dover to support military operations in France This included the Battle of Dunkirk to providing additional anti aircraft defence in Dunkirk Operation FA and assisting in the evacuation of allied personnel from Flushing With HMS Wolsey she provided naval gunfire support for military operations at Escault On 19 May she rescued survivors from HMS Whitley and in the following days she assisted both in taking reinforcements to Boulogne and in evacuating wounded soldiers and medical staff Alongside HMS Wessex ORP Burza HMS Whitshed and HMS Wolfhound she saw action around Boulogne and Calais during which Wessex was sunk and Vimiera sustained substantial damage She was taken into repair on 25 May 1940 and so was not involved in the evacuation from Dunkirk She was subsequently redeployed to the North Sea in defence of East Coast convoys In December 1941 she was adopted by the civil community of Sandbach Cheshire following the successful Warship Week National Saving campaign Vimiera under the command of Lieutenant Commander Angus Alexander Mackenzie RNR was sunk by a mine in the Thames estuary off East Spile Buoy on 9 January 1942 with the loss of around 96 hands 92 or 93 went down with the ship and a further four of the 38 survivors died of wounds 2 3 4 Eight of her nine officers survived and Lt Cdr Mackenzie having been found blameless in the sinking was put in command of HMS Liddesdale 5 Vimiera s loss was commemorated on a memorial within HMS Graham citation needed Notes Edit The Anglo Soviet Trade Agreement March 1921 Archived 27 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine by M V Glenny Journal of Contemporary History Vol 5 No 2 1970 pp 63 82 Roll of Honour Co Durham Tow Law Royal Navy casualties killed and died January 1942 Casualties and Survivors HMS Vimiera Bibliography EditCampbell John 1985 Naval Weapons of World War II Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 459 4 Chesneau Roger ed 1980 Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1922 1946 Greenwich UK Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 146 7 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 Cocker Maurice 1981 Destroyers of the Royal Navy 1893 1981 Ian Allan ISBN 0 7110 1075 7 Friedman Norman 2009 British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 978 1 59114 081 8 Gardiner Robert amp Gray Randal eds 1985 Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1906 1921 Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 85177 245 5 Lenton H T 1998 British amp Empire Warships of the Second World War Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 048 7 March Edgar J 1966 British Destroyers A History of Development 1892 1953 Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records amp Returns Ships Covers amp Building Plans London Seeley Service OCLC 164893555 Preston Antony 1971 V amp W Class Destroyers 1917 1945 London Macdonald OCLC 464542895 Raven Alan amp Roberts John 1979 V and W Class Destroyers Man o War Vol 2 London Arms amp Armour ISBN 0 85368 233 X Rohwer Jurgen 2005 Chronology of the War at Sea 1939 1945 The Naval History of World War Two Third Revised ed Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 59114 119 2 Whinney Bob 2000 The U boat Peril A Fight for Survival Cassell ISBN 0 304 35132 6 Whitley M J 1988 Destroyers of World War 2 Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 326 1 Winser John de D 1999 B E F Ships Before At and After Dunkirk Gravesend Kent World Ship Society ISBN 0 905617 91 6 External links EditHMS Vimiera V amp W Destroyer Association HMS Vimiera For Whom the Bell Tolls The Living and the Dead V amp W Destroyer Association HMS Vimiera Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Vimiera 1917 amp oldid 1134779393, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
