HMS Walpole

HMS Walpole (D41) was a W-class destroyer of the Royal Navy.

HMS Walpole
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Walpole
Builder	William Doxford & Sons, Sunderland
Laid down	May 1917
Launched	12 February 1918
Commissioned	7 August 1918
Identification	Pennant number: D41
Motto	Fari quod aentiaa: ' Speak as you feel'
Honours and awards	Atlantic 1939–43 Dover Strait 1942 English Channel 1942–44 North Sea 1942–44 Normandy 1944
Fate	Damaged by mine on 6 January 1945 Sold for scrapping on 8 February 1945
Badge	On a Field Black, an Antelope's head Silver, collared blue and gold, armed and chained gold
General characteristics
Class and type	W-class destroyer
Displacement	1,188 tons
Length	312 ft (95.1 m) length overall 300 ft (91.4 m) between perpendiculars
Beam	29 ft 6 in (9.0 m)
Draught	9 ft (2.7 m) standard 13 ft 11 in (4.2 m) maximum
Propulsion	3 Yarrow-type Water-tube boilers, Brown-Curtis steam turbines, 2 shafts, 27500 shp
Speed	34 knots
Range	3,500 nmi (6,480 km) at 15 knots
Complement	115
Armament	4 × QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk V guns 2 × QF 2 pdr pom-poms 4 × 21 inch (533 mm) Torpedo Tubes twin QF 6 pounder 10 cwt gun (1942 – replaced ‘A’ gun)

The ship was built under the 1916–17 programme in the 10th Destroyer order. Walpole was assigned to the 13th Destroyer Flotilla in the Grand Fleet after completion. she was assigned to the 11th Destroyer Flotilla in September 1939 and served until almost the end of the Second World War. Her role was mostly convoy escort duties, but she took part in two combined arms operations (Operations Amsterdam and Jubilee) and the D-day landings (Operation Neptune). She hit a mine on 6 January 1945 and was subsequently declared a constructive total loss and broken up at Thos. W. Ward Grays, Essex in March 1945.

Bibliography

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• Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1979). 'V' and 'W' Class Destroyers. Man o'War. Vol. 2. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 0-85368-233-X.
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• Winser, John de D. (1999). B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-91-6.