HMS Wolfhound (L56)
Encyclopedia
HMS Wolfhound (L56) was a W-class
destroyer
of the Royal Navy
. She served during the First
and Second World Wars. She was launched on 14 March 1918 and was sold for scrap in February 1948.
at Chatham
. In 1938 she was one of the old V and W class ships to be selected to be converted to a long range anti-aircraft destroyer escort, a process carried out at Chatham and completed in May 1940.
in May, which was assigned to defend the Channel
convoys. As the allied forces retreated, Wolfhound was one of the ships detached to support the evacuation of troops from France, and on 26 May she and bombarded Calais
. The following day Wolfhound was deployed out of Dover
to assist communications during the Dunkirk evacuation. On 28 May she embarked 142 troops and took them to Dover, but the following day she was caught in an air-attack at Dunkirk and badly damaged, having her back broken. She was salvaged and towed to Chatham to be repaired. Repair work lasted until mid-1942, as ships that could be returned to service more quickly were prioritised.
Wolfhound finally returned to service in November, and was deployed to defend convoys sailing through the North Sea
. She carried out this task for the rest of the war. After VE Day she was detached to support the re-occupation of Norway. On 14 May she and were deployed with Norwegian corvette
s to cover minesweeping operations prior to the re-occupation of Bergen
.
in February 1948 and was towed to the River Forth
later that year to be broken up by Granton Shipbreakers.
V and W class destroyer
The V and W class was an amalgam of six similar classes of destroyer built for the Royal Navy under the War Emergency Programme of the First World War and generally treated as one class...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. She served during the First
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Second World Wars. She was launched on 14 March 1918 and was sold for scrap in February 1948.
First World War and inter-war period
Wolfhound was commissioned too late to see much active service in the First World War. She spent the war as part of the 13th Destroyer Flotilla with the Grand Fleet, and was assigned to the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla with the Atlantic Fleet in 1921. The flotilla was transferred to the Mediterranean for a period, after which Wolfhound was placed in reserveReserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
at Chatham
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
. In 1938 she was one of the old V and W class ships to be selected to be converted to a long range anti-aircraft destroyer escort, a process carried out at Chatham and completed in May 1940.
Second World War
After working up she was assigned to the 1st Destroyer Flotilla at PortsmouthPortsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in May, which was assigned to defend the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
convoys. As the allied forces retreated, Wolfhound was one of the ships detached to support the evacuation of troops from France, and on 26 May she and bombarded Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
. The following day Wolfhound was deployed out of Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
to assist communications during the Dunkirk evacuation. On 28 May she embarked 142 troops and took them to Dover, but the following day she was caught in an air-attack at Dunkirk and badly damaged, having her back broken. She was salvaged and towed to Chatham to be repaired. Repair work lasted until mid-1942, as ships that could be returned to service more quickly were prioritised.
Wolfhound finally returned to service in November, and was deployed to defend convoys sailing through the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. She carried out this task for the rest of the war. After VE Day she was detached to support the re-occupation of Norway. On 14 May she and were deployed with Norwegian corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s to cover minesweeping operations prior to the re-occupation of Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
.
Postwar
Wolfhound was paid off after the Japanese surrender and reduced to the reserve. She was sold to BISCOBritish Steel
British Steel was a major British steel producer. It originated as a nationalised industry, the British Steel Corporation , formed in 1967. This was converted to a public limited company, British Steel PLC, and privatised in 1988. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
in February 1948 and was towed to the River Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
later that year to be broken up by Granton Shipbreakers.
External links
- http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/long_range.htm
- http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-09VW-Wolfhound.htm