HMS Vigilant (R93)

HMS Vigilant was a V-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Vigilant.

Vigilant on the River Tyne, September 1943
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Vigilant
Ordered: 1 September 1941
Builder: Swan Hunter, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Laid down: 31 January 1942
Launched: 22 December 1942
Commissioned: 10 September 1943
Decommissioned: 1963
Identification: pennant number R93/F93
Honours and
awards:
  • Arctic 1943-44
  • Normandy 1944
  • Malaya 1945
  • Burma 1945
Fate: Scrapped 6 June 1965
General characteristics V-class destroyer
Class and type: V-class destroyer
Displacement:
  • 1,777 long tons (1,806 t) standard
  • 2,058 long tons (2,091 t) full load
Length: 363 ft (111 m)
Beam: 35 ft 8 in (10.87 m)
Draught: 10 ft (3.0 m)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers
  • Geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (29,828 kW)
  • 2 shafts
Speed: 37 knots (43 mph; 69 km/h)
Range: 4,860 nmi (9,000 km) at 29 kn (54 km/h)
Complement: 180 (225 in flotilla leader)
Armament:
  • Original configuration :
  • 4 × QF 4.7-inch (120-mm) Mk XII guns in single mountings CP Mk.XXII
  • 2 × QF 40 mm Bofors guns in twin mount Mk.IV
  • 6 × QF 20 mm Oerlikon guns; 2 × twin mounts Mk.V, 2 × single mounts Mk.III
  • 2 × quadruple tubes for 21 in (533 mm) torpedo Mk.IX
General characteristics Type 15 frigate
Class and type: Type 15 frigate
Displacement: 2,300 long tons (2,337 t) standard
Length: 358 ft (109 m) o/a
Beam: 37 ft 9 in (11.51 m)
Draught: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers,
  • steam turbines on 2 shafts,
  • 40,000 shp
Speed: 31 knots (36 mph; 57 km/h) (full load)
Complement: 174
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Radar
  • Type 293Q target indication (later Type 993)
  • Type 277Q surface search
  • Type 974 navigation
  • Type 262 fire control on director CRBF
  • Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF
  • Sonar:
  • Type 174 search
  • Type 162 target classification
  • Type 170 attack
Armament:

Second World War service

On 26 March 1945 she, along with the destroyers Saumarez, Volage, and Virago, intercepted a Japanese supply convoy east of Khota Andaman, Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean. She and Virago sank CH-63. Also part of the escorting destroyers of the 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron involved in Operation Dracula from April to May 1945. She participated in the Battle of the Malacca Strait with the destroyers Saumarez, Verulam, Venus, and Virago which culminated in the sinking of the Japanese cruiser Haguro on 16 May 1945.

Post-War service

In January 1946 Vigilant was part of the Londonderry Flotilla and in September 1946 went to the Mediterranean. Between 1947 and 1951 she was held in reserve at Portsmouth.

In 1951 she began conversion into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, by Thornycroft at Woolston. She was also allocated the new pennant number F93. Between 1953 and 1955 she was part of the 6th Frigate Squadron as part of the Home Fleet. In October 1954 she collided with another Type 15 Frigate HMS Relentless and was repaired at Devonport Dockyard.[1]

In 1955 she had been converted for use as a training frigate and became leader of the Dartmouth Training Squadron. In 1956 this consisted of Vigilant, Venus, Carron and the minesweepers Jewel and Acute.

Decommissioning and disposal

Vigilant was paid off in 1963 and arrived at Faslane for breaking up on 4 June 1965.[2]

Notes
  1. Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 70. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.
  2. Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith (ed.). "HMS Vigilant (R 93) - V-class Destroyer". naval-history.net. Retrieved 2 May 2015.

Publications



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