Whitley was ordered as HMS Whitby on 9 December 1916 as part of the 10th Order of the 1916–1917 Naval Programme and was laid down by William Doxford & Sons at Sunderland in June 1917. When it was discovered that the name "Whitby" had mistakenly been written as "Whitley" when it was chosen for her, it was decided not to correct it, and she was launched as HMS Whitley, the first Royal Navy ship of the name, on 13 April 1918. She was completed on 11 October 1918,[2] exactly one month before the conclusion of World War I, and commissioned on 14 October 1918.[1]
Whitley was recommissioned at Chatham on 4 December 1923 to serve with the 9th Destroyer Flotilla in the Atlantic Fleet.[3] She recommissioned with a reserve crew on 23 November 1925.[4]
In 1938, Whitley was selected for conversion to an anti-aircraft escort, and began conversion for her new role at Chatham Dockyard in August 1938. Her conversion was completed in October 1938 and she was recommissioned in 1939.[1][2]
World War IIedit
The United Kingdom entered World War II in September 1939, and that month Whitley was assigned to duty escorting convoys in the North Sea along the east coast of Great Britain, which she continued through April 1940. While escorting Convoy FN 12 from the Thames Estuary to the Forth Estuary on 12 January 1940, she assisted in driving off a German air attack.[2]
In May 1940, Whitley was transferred under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Dover, and was placed at the disposal of the French Navy for operations in support of Allied ground operations in France and Belgium. She was thus engaged on 19 May 1940 when a German dive bomber attack badly damaged her 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) off Nieuwpoort, Belgium, forcing her to beach herself on the Belgian coast between Nieuwpoort and La Panne to avoid sinking. To prevent her capture by advancing German ground forces, the British destroyer HMS Keith destroyed her with gunfire at position 51°09′04″N002°39′34″E / 51.15111°N 2.65944°E / 51.15111; 2.65944 ("HMS Whitley sunk"), leaving her wreck on the bottom in 5 metres (16.4 ft) of water.[1][2]
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.
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
whitley, whitby, class, destroyer, british, royal, navy, that, service, british, campaign, baltic, against, bolshevik, forces, during, russian, civil, early, months, world, whitley, history, united, kingdom, namehms, whitby, ordered9, december, 1916, builderwi. HMS Whitley L23 ex Whitby was a W class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service in the British campaign in the Baltic Sea against Bolshevik forces during the Russian Civil War and in the early months of World War II HMS Whitley L 23 History United Kingdom NameHMS Whitby Ordered9 December 1916 1 BuilderWilliam Doxford amp Sons Sunderland 2 Laid downJune 1917 2 RenamedHMS Whitley NamesakeMisspelling of originally intended name Whitby 2 Launched13 April 1918 2 Completed11 October 1918 2 Commissioned14 October 1918 1 Decommissioned1921 Recommissioned1923 Decommissioned1932 Recommissioned1939 IdentificationPennant number L23 MottoSilence is golden 2 FateBeached 19 May 1940 scuttled 2 BadgeThe Mace of the Speaker of the House of Commons on a red field 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 1918 1939 2 2 World War II 3 Notes 4 BibliographyConstruction and commissioning editWhitley was ordered as HMS Whitby on 9 December 1916 as part of the 10th Order of the 1916 1917 Naval Programme and was laid down by William Doxford amp Sons at Sunderland in June 1917 When it was discovered that the name Whitby had mistakenly been written as Whitley when it was chosen for her it was decided not to correct it and she was launched as HMS Whitley the first Royal Navy ship of the name on 13 April 1918 She was completed on 11 October 1918 2 exactly one month before the conclusion of World War I and commissioned on 14 October 1918 1 Service history edit1918 1939 edit After acceptance trials and work ups Whitley deployed in 1919 to the Baltic Sea where she served in the British campaign against Bolshevik forces during the Russian Civil War She returned from the Baltic in 1920 In 1921 she was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Rosyth Scotland as part of the 9th Destroyer Flotilla 2 Whitley was recommissioned at Chatham on 4 December 1923 to serve with the 9th Destroyer Flotilla in the Atlantic Fleet 3 She recommissioned with a reserve crew on 23 November 1925 4 Whitley commissioned at Portsmouth on 14 December 1928 for service with the 5th Destroyer Flotilla in the Atlantic Ocean 5 She recommissioned at Chatham on 8 May 1929 for service with the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea 6 She was reduced to reserve at the Nore on 30 June 1932 7 and paid into maintenance reserve at Rosyth on 28 October 1933 8 In 1938 Whitley was selected for conversion to an anti aircraft escort and began conversion for her new role at Chatham Dockyard in August 1938 Her conversion was completed in October 1938 and she was recommissioned in 1939 1 2 World War II edit The United Kingdom entered World War II in September 1939 and that month Whitley was assigned to duty escorting convoys in the North Sea along the east coast of Great Britain which she continued through April 1940 While escorting Convoy FN 12 from the Thames Estuary to the Forth Estuary on 12 January 1940 she assisted in driving off a German air attack 2 In May 1940 Whitley was transferred under the command of the Commander in Chief Dover and was placed at the disposal of the French Navy for operations in support of Allied ground operations in France and Belgium She was thus engaged on 19 May 1940 when a German dive bomber attack badly damaged her 2 nautical miles 3 7 km 2 3 mi off Nieuwpoort Belgium forcing her to beach herself on the Belgian coast between Nieuwpoort and La Panne to avoid sinking To prevent her capture by advancing German ground forces the British destroyer HMS Keith destroyed her with gunfire at position 51 09 04 N 002 39 34 E 51 15111 N 2 65944 E 51 15111 2 65944 HMS Whitley sunk leaving her wreck on the bottom in 5 metres 16 4 ft of water 1 2 Notes edit a b c d e uboat net HMS Whitley L 23 a b c d e f g h i j k l HMS WHITLEY L 23 V amp W class Destroyer The Navy List April 1925 p 288 The Navy List July 1927 p 288 The Navy List February 1929 p 288 The Navy List July 1931 p 288 The Navy List January 1933 p 292 The Navy List July 1937 p 292 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 Whitley L23 amp oldid 1134779260, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
