HMT Warwick Deeping

For the British novelist, see Warwick Deeping.
History
Name: Warwick Deeping (FY 182)
Namesake: Warwick Deeping
Operator: Newington Steam Trawling Co. Ltd., Kingston upon Hull
Builder: Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders Ltd., Selby
Yard number: 1130
Launched: 11 October 1934
Completed: December 1934
Fate: Taken over by the Admiralty, August 1939
Name: HMT Warwick Deeping (H136)
Acquired: August 1939
Commissioned: 22 September 1939
Fate: Sunk, 11 December 1940
General characteristics [1]
Type: Naval trawler
Tonnage: 445 GRT
Length: 47.24 m (155.0 ft)
Beam: 7.92 m (26.0 ft)
Depth: 4.27 m (14.0 ft)
Propulsion:
Complement: 22
Armament:
  • 1 × 4 in (100 mm) gun
  • .5 in (13 mm) machine guns
  • Depth charges

HMT Warwick Deeping (H136) was a naval trawler of the British Royal Naval Patrol Service during World War II, sunk off the Isle of Wight in December 1940.

Ship history

The Warwick Deeping was built in 1934 by Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders of Selby for the Newington Steam Trawling Company of Kingston upon Hull as a North Sea fishing trawler.

She was acquired by the Admiralty in August 1939 and converted into an anti-submarine patrol vessel, armed with a single 4-inch (100 mm) gun, machine guns, depth charges, and fitted with ASDIC, and assigned to the 17th Anti-Submarine Group at Portsmouth.

At 22:30 on the night of 11-12 October 1940 she was on patrol in the English Channel, about 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) south of the Isle of Wight, in company with HMT L'Istrac when she encountered five German torpedo boats; Falke, Wolfe, Greif, Kondor and Seeadler[1] which had sailed from Cherbourg to sortie along the English coast.[2] The two British ships soon found themselves under fire, and L'Istrac, believing that the German ships were Royal Navy vessels attacking in error switched on her identification lights. She was promptly shelled, causing a large explosion aboard, and then torpedoed and sunk, with the loss of her captain and 11 men.[3] The Warwick Deeping attempted to escape, but was relentlessly attacked, and hit by a torpedo, which fortunately failed to explode. She was hit several times by shells, one of which finally disabled her engines. Now helpless and sinking, the crew abandoned the ship, but instead of delivering the coup de grace the German torpedo boats unexpectedly broke off their attack and sailed away. An hour later all 22 crew were rescued.[4]

The Warwick Deeping lies in 35 metres (115 ft) of water at 50°34.260′N 1°27.824′W / 50.571000°N 1.463733°W / 50.571000; -1.463733Coordinates: 50°34.260′N 1°27.824′W / 50.571000°N 1.463733°W / 50.571000; -1.463733 and is a popular wreck diving site.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Wendes, David C. (2006). South Coast Shipwrecks: East Dorset and Wight 1870-1979. ISBN 978-0-9554592-0-7.
  2. ↑ Kindell, Don (2010). "Naval Events, October 1940". British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "Background : HMS Warwick Deeping". The Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology. 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  4. ↑ "Warwick Deeping (H 136)". Hull Trawlers. 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2012.

External links

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