| HMS Westcott (D47) | |
|---|---|
 Westcott during World War II | |
| Career (UK) |  |
| Name: | HMS Westcott |
| Ordered: | December 1916 |
| Builder: | Denny |
| Laid down: | 30 March 1917 |
| Launched: | 14 February 1918 |
| Commissioned: | 12 April 1918 |
| Decommissioned: | 26 June 1945 |
| Refit: | Converted to long-range escort, 1943 |
| Fate: | Sold to BISCO and scrapped |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 1,100 tons |
| Length: |
312 ft (95.1 m) length overall 300 ft (91.4 m) between perpendiculars |
| Beam: | 29 ft 6 in (9.0 m) |
| Draught: |
9 ft (2.7 m) standard 13 ft 11 in (4.2 m) maximum |
| Propulsion: |
3 Yarrow type Water-tube boilers Brown-Curtis steam turbines 2 shafts 27,000 shp (20,000 kW) |
| Speed: | 34 knots (63 km/h) |
| Range: | 320-370 tons oil, 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h), 900 nmi (1,700 km) at 32 knots (59 km/h) |
| Complement: | 110 |
| Armament: |
|
HMS Westcott (D47) was a Royal Navy Admiralty W class destroyer that served in the Second World War.
She was built by William Denny and Brothers at Dumbarton, Scotland, who laid her down in 1917 and launched her on 14 February 1918. She was commissioned on 12 April.[1] She was named after Captain George Blagdon Westcott, who was killed at the Battle of the Nile,[2]
In the Second World War Westcott served in an anti-submarine role and escorted numerous Atlantic and Malta convoys. On 16 January 1941, along with the Royal Navy tugs HMS Superman and HMS Tenacity, she rescued 143 survivors from SS Oropesa, which German submarine U-96 had torpedoed and sunk in the Western Approaches.[3]
In 1942 Westcott sank two submarines: U-581 and the Vichy French Actéon.[1][4]
As a test platform, Westcott became the first vessel to be equipped with the Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar.[5] The navy had the destroyer converted into a long range escort in 1943. Withdrawn from service in June 1945, Westcott was sold to the British and Iron Steel Company (BISCO) to be scrapped the following year.[1]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mason, Geoffrey B (2005). "HMS Westcott – V & W-class Destroyer". Chronologies of War Service of Royal Navy Warships. naval-history.net. http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-09VW-Westcott.htm. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
- ↑ Thomas, David Arthur (1987). A Companion to the Royal Navy. London: Harrap. ISBN 0245545727.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur (1995–2013). "Oropesa". Ships hit by U-boats. Guðmundur Helgason. http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/738.html. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur (1995–2013). "HMS Westcott (D 47/I 47)". Allied Warships. Guðmundur Helgason. http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4269.html. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
- ↑ Ireland, Bernard (2003). Battle of the Atlantic. Leo Cooper. p. 97. ISBN 1844150011.
Sources
- Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal; Budzbon, Przemysław (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921. Conway. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
- 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: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-91-6.
External links
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