HMS Verulam (R28)

HMS ''Verulam'' was a V-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War.

Design and construction

''Verulam'' was one of eight V-class destroyers ordered under the 1941 War Construction Programme as the 8th Emergency Flotilla on 1 September 1941. The V-class were War Emergency Programme destroyers, intended for general duties, including use as anti-submarine escort, and were to be suitable for mass-production. They were based on the hull and machinery of the pre-war J-class destroyers, but with a lighter armament (effectively whatever armament was available) in order to speed production. The V-class were repeats of the previous V-class, which in turn were almost identical to the S and T-class ordered earlier in the year. Unlike the U-class, the V-class were fitted for operations in Arctic waters.

The V-class were long overall, at the waterline and between perpendiculars, with a beam of and a draught of mean and full load. Displacement was standard and full load. Two Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers supplied steam at and to two sets of Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines, which drove two propeller shafts. The machinery was rated at giving a maximum speed of and at full load. 615 tons of oil were carried, giving a range of at . The ship had a crew of 179 officers and other ranks.

The ship had a main gun armament of four 4.7 inch (120 mm) QF Mk. IX guns, capable of elevating to an angle of 55 degrees, giving a degree of anti-aircraft capability. The designed close-in anti-aircraft armament for the class, as fitted to ''Verulam'' on completion, was one Hazemayer stabilised twin mount for the Bofors 40 mm gun and four twin Oerlikon 20 mm cannons, In 1945, ''Verulam'' had two twin Oerlikon mounts abreast the ship's funnel replaced by single 40 mm Bofors mounts, with two more Bofors guns fitted abreast the main mast. Two quadruple mounts for 21 inch (533 mm) torpedoes were fitted, while the ship had an depth charge outfit of four depth charge mortars and two racks, with a total of 70 charges carried. ''Verulam'' was fitted with a Type 276 surface warning radar and a high-frequency direction finding (HF/DF) aerial on the ship's lattice foremast, together with Type 291 air warning radar on a short pole mast aft. A Type 285 fire control radar was integrated with the ship's high-angle gun director, while the Hazemayer mount had an integrated Type 282 radar.

''Verulam'' was laid down at Fairfield's Govan, Glasgow shipyard on 26 January 1942 and was launched on 22 April 1943. She was commissioned on 26 November 1943, and assigned the Pennant number R28. ''Verulam'' was completed on 10 December 1943. She was the second ship of that name, based on the Roman name for St Albans (Verulamium).

Service history

Second World War service

HMS ''Verulam'' began her service in January 1944 by joining the 26th Destroyer Flotilla, part of the Home Fleet. On 6 February 1944, ''Verulam'', together with the destroyers and , reinforced the escort of the Britain-bound Arctic convoy RA 56, leaving the convoy on 9 February. The same month HMS ''Verulam'' was part of the escort group attached to convoy JW 57 along with the light cruiser and the escort carrier, . On 28 February the convoy reached the Kola Inlet with the loss of one destroyer, , with the destruction of two U-boats claimed ( and ). ''Verulam'' formed part of the return convoy RA 57, with one merchant ship being sunk with the escort accounting for three U-boats. ''Verulam'' left the convoy on 7 March 1944, with the convoy reaching Loch Ewe on 10 March.

In April 1944, ''Verulam'' formed part of the Home Fleet cover force for JW 58 and Operation Tungsten. There were a large number of Allied merchant ships in Russian arctic harbour waiting to return to Britain, so ''Verulam'' was part of a strong force of warships that arrived at the Kola Inlet on 23 April, with orders to escort the merchant ships back to Britain and carry a large number of personnel, (including the US Navy crew of the cruiser , which had been loaned to the Soviet Navy, and Soviet crews for ships waiting in British harbours) with them. On 28 April, ''Verulam'' embarked seventeen US navy personnel, and joined convoy RA 59. The convoy came under attack by German submarines, with one merchant ship sunk while three U-boats were sunk by aircraft operating from the carrier . ''Verulam'' left the convoy on 3 May.

During May 1944, ''Verulam'' was detached from the Home Fleet to participate in preparations for Operation Neptune. ''Verulam'' was assigned to Force 'S' of the Eastern Task Force, for the landings at Sword Beach. On 5–6 June, ''Verulam'', together with the destroyers , and escorted Convoy S7, consisting of the headquarters ship , five Landing ship, infantry and one Landing Craft Infantry from Spithead to the disembarkation point. She then bombarded beach defences around Lion-sur-Mer in company of ''Virago'' and , and escorted the battleship . She continued to carry out shore bombardments and patrols to prevent German interference with the invasion until released on 27 June.

On 10 August 1944, ''Verulam'' was part of the escort for the carriers , and as the carriers' aircraft struck at a German airbase at Gossen, near Kristiansund, Norway. In September 1944, ''Verulam'' formed part of the covering force for the Russia bound Arctic Convoy JW 60 and the return convoy RA 60. From August 1944, the Royal Navy began an offensive against German shipping passing through Norwegian coastal waters. On 21 October, as part of this offensive, ''Verulam'' was part of the escort for the carrier and the cruiser as ''Implacable''s aircraft attacked Bardufoss airfield and shipping. From 26 to 28 October, ''Verulam'' again escorted ''Implacable'' as the carrier's aircraft attacked shipping off Bodø, Rørvik, Lødingen and Kristiansund. On the night of 12/13 November, ''Verulam'' formed part of a task force led by the cruisers and ''Bellona'', together with the destroyers , and in Operation Counterblast, as they attacked a German convoy between Listerfjord and Egersund. The British force overwhelmed the convoy's escort, sinking the freighters and , together with the minesweepers and and the submarine chasers , and , while the freighter ''Palermo'' and the minesweeper were damaged. ''Verulam'' was hit 22 times by German 37mm and 20mm shells, killing two and wounding five of her crew, although the ship's fighting efficiency was unaffected.

''Verulam'' was then repaired and refitted at the Port of Immingham, this refit continuing until 7 February 1945. After a work-up period at Scapa Flow, ''Verulam'' was sent to join the East Indies Fleet, arriving at Trincomalee and rejoining the rest of the 26th Flotilla on 4 April 1945. From 8 April, ''Verulam'' took part in Operation Sunfish, a sweep by the battleship , the and the cruisers and , together with the escort carriers and and fie destroyers, along the coast of Sumatra, with Sabang shelled on 11 April, and attacks by the carrier's aircraft against Port Blair, Emmahaven and Padang on 11 and 16 April. ''Verulam'' participated in the Battle of the Malacca Strait with the destroyers , , , and , which culminated in the sinking of the on 16 May 1945.

Postwar service

In 1946 ''Verulam'' was part of the Londonderry Flotilla. Between February 1947 and March 1949 she was part of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, based in the Mediterranean. During that time she saw service, along with other Royal Navy ships in preventing illegal immigration into Palestine in 1947.

Between 1951 and 1952 she was converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate at Portsmouth Dockyard, and was allocated the new pennant number F29. In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1954 ''Verulam'' was placed in the Portsmouth Reserve.

Between 1958 and 1961 ''Verulam'' was the Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment (ASWE) trials ship, being used for development of the Type 2001 sonar used by the Royal Navy's early nuclear submarines. In 1961 she was transferred to the 2nd Frigate Squadron based at Portland, operating as trials ship for the Underwater Weapons Development establishment (AUWE).

Decommissioning and disposal

''Verulam'' was paid off on 21 December 1970 and sold for scrap to John Cashmore Ltd and arrived at their yard at Newport, Wales for breaking on 23 October 1972.

References

Publications

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External links

Naval-History.net HMS ''Verulam''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Verulam (R28)
U and V-class destroyers of the Royal Navy
Ships built on the River Tyne
1942 ships
World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom
Cold War destroyers of the United Kingdom
Type 15 frigates
Cold War frigates of the United Kingdom
Ships built by Swan Hunter