HMS ''Whitley'' (L23), ex-''Whitby'', was a W-class

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

of the

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that saw service in the British campaign in the

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against

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forces during the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

and in the early months of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Construction and commissioning

''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 Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...

William Doxford & Sons William Doxford & Sons Ltd, often referred to simply as Doxford, was a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British shipbuilder, shipbuilding and marine engineering company. History William Doxford founded the company in 1840. From 18 ...

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

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, exactly one month before the conclusion of World War I, and commissioned on 14 October 1918.

Service history

1918–1939

After acceptance trials and work-ups, ''Whitley'' deployed in 1919 to the Baltic Sea, where she served in the British campaign against

forces during the

. She returned from the Baltic in 1920. In 1921, she was decommissioned and placed in

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Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, as part of the

9th Destroyer Flotilla The 9th Destroyer Flotilla, or Ninth Destroyer Flotilla, was a military formation of the British Royal Navy from January 1913 to December 1925 and again in January to July 1940. History Established in January 1913 when it was assigned to the Pa ...

. ''Whitley'' was recommissioned at Chatham on 4 December 1923 to serve with the 9th Destroyer Flotilla in the Atlantic Fleet. She recommissioned with a reserve crew on 23 November 1925. ''Whitley'' commissioned at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

on 14 December 1928 for service with the

5th Destroyer Flotilla The British 5th Destroyer Flotilla, or Fifth Destroyer Flotilla, was a naval formation of the Royal Navy from 1910 to 1942 and again from 1947 to 1951. History The flotilla was formed in February 1910 and disbanded in 1942. Its first commander ...

in the

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. She recommissioned at Chatham on 8 May 1929 for service with the

1st Destroyer Flotilla The 1st Destroyer Flotilla, also styled as the First Destroyer Flotilla, was a naval formation of the British Royal Navy from 1909 to 1940 and again from 1947 to 1951. History Pre-war history In May 1906, the First Destroyer Flotilla was at ...

in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

. She was reduced to reserve at the

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on 30 June 1932, and paid into maintenance reserve at

on 28 October 1933.''The Navy List'', July 1937, p. 292. In 1938, ''Whitley'' was selected for conversion to an

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...

escort, and began conversion for her new role at

Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham, Kent, Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham, Kent, Gillingham; at its most extens ...

in August 1938. Her conversion was completed in October 1938 and she was recommissioned in 1939.

World War II

The United Kingdom entered

in September 1939, and that month ''Whitley'' was assigned to duty escorting

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

s in the

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along the east coast of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

, which she continued through April 1940. While escorting Convoy FN 12 from the

Thames Estuary The Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain. Limits An estuary can be defined according to different criteria (e.g. tidal, geographical, navigational or in terms of salinit ...

to the Forth Estuary on 12 January 1940, she assisted in driving off a

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air attack. In May 1940, ''Whitley'' was transferred under the command of the

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, and was placed at the disposal of the

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for operations in support of Allied ground operations in

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and

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. She was thus engaged on 19 May 1940 when a German

dive bomber A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...

attack badly damaged her off Nieuwpoort, Belgium, forcing her to beach herself on the Belgian coast between Nieuwpoort and

La Panne De Panne (; ) is a town and a municipality located on the North Sea coast of the Belgian province of West Flanders. There it borders France, making it the westernmost town in Belgium. It is one of the most popular resort town destinations within ...

to avoid sinking. To prevent her capture by advancing German ground forces, the British destroyer destroyed her with gunfire at position , leaving her wreck on the bottom in of water.

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitley (L23) V and W-class destroyers of the Royal Navy Ships built on the River Wear 1918 ships World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom Shipwrecks of Belgium Maritime incidents in May 1940