HMS Venus (R50)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Venus.
Venus in August 1943
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Venus
Ordered: 1 September 1941
Builder: Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, Scotland
Laid down: 12 January 1942
Launched: 23 February 1943
Commissioned: 28 August 1943
Identification:
Honours and
awards:
Fate: Sold for scrap in 1972
Badge: On a Field Blue, the symbol of the planet Venus Gold.
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:
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:

HMS Venus was a V-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War. She was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, of Govan, Scotland and launched on 23 February 1943.

Service history

Second World War service

She participated in the Battle of the Malacca Strait with the destroyers Saumarez, Verulam, Vigilant, and Virago which culminated in the sinking of the Japanese cruiser Haguro on 16 May 1945.

Post war service

Between 1946 and 1949 Venus was part of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, based in the Mediterranean. This included work as part of the Royal Navy patrols preventing illegal Jewish immigration into Mandatory Palestine. In June 1946 she intercepted Josiah Wedgewood. In the same year Venus and Virago participated in the rescue of crew from the British Tanker Empire Cross, which caught fire, exploded and sank at Haifa, Palestine,[1] with the loss of up to 25 lives.[2]

Between 1949 and 1951 she was held in reserve at Devonport Dockyard. Between 1951 and 1952 she was converted at Devonport into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F50. Following conversion she became leader of the 6th Frigate Squadron. In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.[3] In 1955 she was refitted for work as part of the Dartmouth Training Squadron.[4]

Decommissioning and disposal

In 1964 Venus went to reserve and in October 1969 was in use as a target to measure the effects of ship to ship use of the Sea Dart missile system. She was sold to Thos W Ward for scrapping and arrived at their Briton Ferry yard on 20 December 1972 to be broken up.

Commanding officers

FromToCaptain
19431944Cdr J S M Richardson DSO RN
19441945Cdr H G D de Chair DSO RN[5]
19511952Under conversion to Type 15 Frigate
19521954Captain Colin C Martell RN
19551956
19571958

1958 - 1960 Captain P N Howes DSC [6]

References

  1. ↑ Mitchell, W.H.; Sawyer, L.A. (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. not cited. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
  2. ↑ "Haifa Tanker Explosion". The Times (50521). London. 5 August 1946. col E, p. 3.
  3. ↑ Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
  4. ↑ Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 72. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.
  5. ↑ "HMS Venus (R 50)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  6. ↑ BRNC Blue Book January 1960

Publications



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