The first HMS ''Walrus'' (D24) was a
W-class destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
of the
British Royal Navy that saw service in the final months of
World War I.
Construction and commissioning
''Walrus'' was ordered in December 1916
and was
laid down by the
Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company at
Govan,
Scotland,
in February 1917. She was
launched on 27 December 1917
and
commissioned on 8 March 1918. She was assigned the
pennant number
In the Royal Navy and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth of Nations, ships are identified by pennant number (an internationalisation of ''pendant number'', which it was called before 1948). Historically, naval ships flew a flag that iden ...
G17 in April 1918,
but it was changed to D24 during the interwar period.
Service history
All of the
V- and W-class destroyers, ''Walrus'' among them, were assigned to the
Grand Fleet or
Harwich Force for the rest of World War I,
which ended with the
armistice with Germany on 11 November 1918.
''Walrus'' was assigned to the
Atlantic Fleet in 1921 as part of the
5th Destroyer Flotilla
The British 5th Destroyer Flotilla, or Fifth Destroyer Flotilla, was a naval formation of the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the ...
, which also included the
destroyer leader and destroyers , , , , , , and .
On 6 June 1924, ''Walrus'' was recommissioned at
Devonport for service in the
Mediterranean Fleet
The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...
along with the rest of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, which in 1925 was redesignated 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 ...
. She entered dockyard hands at
Sheerness
Sheerness () is a town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 11,938, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby town ...
in
England on 15 November 1926 for a refit, and recommissioned on 5 April 1927 to resume duty with the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean. She re-commissioned at Devonport on 11 June 1929 for continued service with the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean.
''Walrus'' was recommissioned in reserve on 30 November 1932 and transferred to the
Reserve Fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed; they are partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; a ...
, and placed in
reserve at Devonport. In 1934 she was moved to
Rosyth, Scotland, where she remained in reserve.
Loss
The Royal Navy decided to convert ''Walrus'' into an
antiaircraft escort, and in February 1938 a
tug
A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...
took her under tow from Rosyth with a skeleton crew of four men aboard bound for
Chatham Dockyard, where she was to undergo the conversion. During the voyage, however, a powerful storm struck the
North Sea, and on 12 February 1938 her towline broke in high winds and heavy seas and she was driven ashore on the
Mascus Rocks in North Bay off
Scarborough,
England. The four men aboard ''Walrus'' made it to shore safely in one of her boats.
/ref>
Final disposition
Deemed beyond economical repair, ''Walrus'' was sold to Round Brothers of Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, England, on 5 March 1938 for scrapping. She was refloated on 29 March 1938 and scrapped in October 1938.
References
Bibliography
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External links
Photo of HMS ''Walrus'' prior to 1924
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walrus (D24)
V and W-class destroyers of the Royal Navy
Ships built on the River Clyde
1917 ships
World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom
Maritime incidents in 1938
Shipwrecks of England