On 24 May 1940, Wessex, the destroyers Vimiera and Wolfhound, and the Polish Navy destroyer ORP Burza were ordered to bombard German Army forces in France advancing on Calais. They opened fire on a German armored column west of Calais at Sangatte Hill at 16:20 hours and received return fire from German artillery ashore. At 16:30 hours, 27 German Junkers Ju 87 Stukadive bombers attacked the destroyers, hitting Wessex with three bombs. Wessex quickly sank in 115 feet (35 meters) of water at 51°00′54″N001°45′50″E / 51.01500°N 1.76389°E / 51.01500; 1.76389 ("HMS Wessex (D43) sunk"). Vimiera rescued her survivors but had to withdraw with damage from six near misses. The German aircraft then concentrated their attack on Burza, which suffered heavy damage from two bomb hits and three near misses but managed to limp back to Dover with Vimiera. The ships shot down one German aircraft during the action.[1][3]
^"Command of Fleet Tug to First Lieutenant of Pioneer Asdic Destroyer: A Rough Trip to Gibraltar". Navy News. November 1962. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
Bibliographyedit
Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-459-4.
Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-146-7.
Cocker, Maurice. 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.
January 01, 1970
wessex, other, ships, with, same, name, wessex, first, class, destroyer, british, royal, navy, that, service, final, months, world, early, months, world, history, united, kingdom, namehms, wessex, ordered9, december, 1916, builderhawthorn, leslie, company, tyn. For other ships with the same name see HMS Wessex The first HMS Wessex D43 was a W class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service in the final months of World War I and the early months of World War II History United Kingdom NameHMS Wessex Ordered9 December 1916 1 BuilderHawthorn Leslie and Company Tyneside 1 Laid down25 May 1917 1 Launched12 March 1918 1 Completed11 May 1918 1 Commissioned11 May 1918 3 IdentificationPennant number F32 June 1918 2 D43 interwar 1 MottoProles militum Offspring of soldiers 1 Honours andawardsBattle honour for Atlantic 1939 1940 1 FateSunk 24 May 1940 1 3 2 BadgeThe Dragon of Egbert in red on a gold field 1 General characteristics Displacement1 100 tons Length300 ft 91 m o a 312 ft 95 m p p Beam26 75 ft 8 15 m Draught9 ft 2 7 m standard 11 25 ft 3 43 m in deep Propulsion3 Yarrow type Water tube boilers Brown Curtis steam turbines 2 shafts 27 000 shp 20 000 kW Speed34 knots 63 km h 39 mph Range320 370 tons oil 3 500 nmi 6 500 km at 15 knots 28 km h 17 mph 900 nmi 1 700 km at 32 knots 59 km h 37 mph Complement110 Armament4 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 QF 3 inch 20 cwt 76 mm mount HA Mk II 6 2x3 tubes for 21 in torpedoes Contents 1 Construction and commissioning 2 Service history 2 1 World War I 2 2 Interwar 2 3 World War II 3 Notes 4 BibliographyConstruction and commissioning editWessex was ordered on 9 December 1916 as part of the 10th Destroyer Order of the 1916 1917 Naval Programme 1 and was laid down by Hawthorn Leslie and Company at Tyneside England on 25 May 1917 1 She was launched on 12 March 1918 1 completed on 11 May 1918 1 and commissioned the same day 3 She was assigned the pennant number F32 in June 1918 2 it was changed to D43 during the interwar period 1 Service history editWorld War I edit Wessex served in the Grand Fleet for the rest of World War I 1 and was in attendance at the surrender of the Imperial German Navy s High Seas Fleet in November 1918 1 Interwar edit During the interwar period Wessex served in the 6th Destroyer Flotilla in the Atlantic Fleet 1 and was one of four W class destroyers Wessex Westcott Westminster and Windsor taken out of reserve in 1923 and fitted with a prototype Sonar installation as the 11th Division of the 6th Flotilla 4 She later was assigned to duty with the Royal Navy s torpedo school at Portsmouth HMS Vernon 1 World War II edit When the United Kingdom entered World War II in early September 1939 Wessex and the destroyers Keppel Vanessa Vesper Viscount Vivacious Vortigern and Wakeful were assigned to the 17th Destroyer Flotilla at Plymouth for convoy defence and patrol duties in the English Channel and Southwestern Approaches She continued in this role until April 1940 1 In April 1940 Wessex was reassigned under the Commander in Chief The Nore for the support of the operations of Allied forces in France After the successful German invasion of the Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg and France began in May 1940 Wessex evacuated the British naval attache Admiral Gerald Charles Dickens to the Netherlands from the Hook of Holland on 14 May 1940 and transported him to the United Kingdom She then was reassigned under the Commander in Chief Dover to support Allied forces opposing the German advance in Belgium and France 1 On 24 May 1940 Wessex the destroyers Vimiera and Wolfhound and the Polish Navy destroyer ORP Burza were ordered to bombard German Army forces in France advancing on Calais They opened fire on a German armored column west of Calais at Sangatte Hill at 16 20 hours and received return fire from German artillery ashore At 16 30 hours 27 German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers attacked the destroyers hitting Wessex with three bombs Wessex quickly sank in 115 feet 35 meters of water at 51 00 54 N 001 45 50 E 51 01500 N 1 76389 E 51 01500 1 76389 HMS Wessex D43 sunk Vimiera rescued her survivors but had to withdraw with damage from six near misses The German aircraft then concentrated their attack on Burza which suffered heavy damage from two bomb hits and three near misses but managed to limp back to Dover with Vimiera The ships shot down one German aircraft during the action 1 3 Notes edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v HMS WESSEX i D 43 V amp W class Destroyer a b c SHIPS OF THE ROYAL NAVY 1914 1919 in ALPHABETICAL ORDER Part 2 of 2 a b c d uboat net HMS Wessex i D 43 Command of Fleet Tug to First Lieutenant of Pioneer Asdic Destroyer A Rough Trip to Gibraltar Navy News November 1962 pp 14 15 Retrieved 20 October 2018 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 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 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Wessex D43 amp oldid 1134905050, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
