- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMAS Vendetta in game.
Description:
HMAS Vendetta was one of four V&W-class destroyers operated by the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War. She was one of three of the V-class operated by the RAN, with the other vessel being of the W-class. The V and W classes, although different, were treated as one by the RAN/RN.
Like her sisters, she was originally built for the Royal Navy, and as such served in their fleet during the First World War, through to the 1920s and 30s before her transfer to the RAN.
The V&W Classes were loaned to Australia as to replace their S-class destroyers, as their capabilities no longer met fleet requirements, although the V&W class were slightly older than the Australian S-class vessels, they provided a much better capability for the fleet.
This suggestion is for HMAS Vendetta in her fit at the end of the Second World War in 1945.
History:
Royal Navy:
Laid down on the 25th of November 1916 by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Govan, Scotland. She would launch on the 3rd of September 1917, finishing fitting out and commissioning on the 17th of October 1917.
Upon commissioning she would join the 13th Destroyer Flotilla, and would see action in the First World War. She would fire on German Minesweepers operating in the Kattegat region, then would participate in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. During this battle she would rescue 430 survivors from HMS Cassandra after she hit a mine and sank.
By 1918 she was operating against the Bolshevik forces in the Baltic, running the Russian Destroyer Spartak aground, and assisting in the capture of the Lennuk. After the end of this war, she would tow captured German ships from Scapa Flow to be broken up.
In 1919 she would operate in the Irish Patrol, then throughout 1923 she would be operating with the Estonian Navy, before being moved to the Mediterranean area, under the 1st and 5th Flotillas, where she would stay until 1933.
She and three of her sisters, two fellow V-class, Vampire and Voyager, as well as the W-class Waterhen were selected to be loaned to the Royal Australian Navy as to replace their S-class Destroyers then in service. HMS Vendetta was recommissioned as the HMAS Vendetta on the 11th of October 1933 in Portsmouth.
Royal Australian Navy:
She would arrive in Sydney on the 21st of December 1933, however she would go into the reserve on the 31st of January 1934. She would recommission on the 10th of October 1934, as to replace the Waterhen in the Australian Squadron. During her time in this squadron, she would be part of the escort for the Royal Yacht, and would visit New Zealand in 1935. She would also visit many Australian port cities.
she would again go into reserve on the 1st of June 1938, however this would be for an incredibly short time, as she would recommission on the 29th of September 1938. Upon the Australian Declaration of war in September 1939, she and her sisters would depart for Singapore, then would move into the Mediterranean area. Vendetta would reach Malta on the 14th of December 1939. Upon her reaching Malta, she would join the 19th Destroyer Division with her sisters.
Before the fall of France and Italian declaration of war, she spend most of her time in Patrol and escort duty, occasionally with fleet exercises. She would enter Alexandria on the 12th of January 1940, and would visit Marseilles, Malta, Gibraltar, and Haifa on convoy escort. On the 27th of May, the 19th and 20th Destroyer Divisions would combine to form the 10th Destroyer Flotilla.
By July she had finished a refit at Malta, a rather dangerous spot for such an activity, as during the time she was being refitted, Malta was bombed over 80 times. Her refit also means she missed the Battle of Calabria. By the 13th she had arrived at Alexandria as part of a convoy from Malta, while here she would screen the main fleet, as well as for HMS Orion off Castelorizo.
The rest of her time based there was spent on convoy escort and patrol duty. This was until October 1940, when she joined the battle fleet for Operation BMQ, where she would engage a submarine contact without success. She would return to Alexandria, but due to engine trouble she would miss the sinking of three Italian Destroyers. She would be in refit on the 9th of November, but would escort HMS Terror to Suda Bay once completed. During this time her convoy escort duties would be extended with convoys bound for Greece.
By early 1941, she and the rest of the 10th Destroyer Division would take part in the Tobruk Ferry service, and during one run on the 11th of July 1941, HMS Defender, who was traveling with the HMAS Vendetta would be hit by aircraft, due to her being disabled, the Defender would have to be towed by Vendetta, but would sink despite efforts to save her.
She would continue Tobruk Ferry service operations, as well as Convoy Escort, Fleet screening and ASW patrols in Alexandra, but this took a toll on her engines. She was transferred to Singapore for an extensive refit. However due to Japanese air raids, her 12pdr would be landed to provide AA for the Dockyard. Her engines, Guns, and all valuable material were removed for replacement. During the Battle of Singapore, she would have to be towed out of the Dry Dock by HMT St.Just, and later the line being transferred to HMS Stronghold. She would eventually be towed all the way to Australia by various ships, reaching Fremantle on the 3rd of March 1942.
She was again in heavy refit from April to September 1942. This refit transformed her into a full escort and ASW Vessel, replacing her 4" guns in the A position with a Hedgehog Launcher, replacing the 4" Low Angle turrets in B and Y positions with a High Angle model, with the final turret in X position being removed without replacement. her 12pdr was removed and replaced with a single 20mm Oerlikon. Further Oerlikons were placed on the bridge wings and astern. The captured Breda gun was removed. The rear torpedo tubes were removed and replaced by two single 40mm Bofors guns, with one either side, while the fore torpedo tubes were removed without replacement. Two further DCTs were added, and the spotlight replaced by a Type 274 Radar. Her pennant would change from D69 to I69.
She would recommission in December 1942, and would continue escort duty around Australia. By May 1943, she would transfer to coastal escort duty between Brisbane and Townsville before returning to Special Ship Escort Duty, where she would spend the entirety of 1943.
By 1944 she was also transporting troops around the Pacific, going between New Guinea and Sydney. She would sail for Waterfall Bay, 80 miles off Japanese Rabual, landing 56 guerillas. By the end of June 1944 she was escorting convoys around New Guinea. In early 1945 she bombarded Japanese positions around the Anumb River. She was in refit on the 18th of August, then sailing for Langemak once completed.
She would host Japanese pre-surrender talks off Rabaul on the 4th of September 1945, then finally embarking Japanese, Australian, British, and American representatives to the HMS Glory for the actual surrender. She would sail to New Guinea on the 11th of September, then sailing for Sydney, arriving with her paying off pennant on the 3rd of October. She would be paid off for disposal on the 27th of November 1945, being scuttled off the Sydney heads on the 2nd of July 1948.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMAS Vendetta | |||||
| Country: Australia | |||||
| Type: Destroyer | |||||
| Class name: V-class | |||||
| Year of commission: 1938 | |||||
| Refit: 1945 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 312 ft (95.1 m) | |||||
| Beam: 29 ft 6 in (9.0 m) | |||||
| Draught: 13 ft 9 in (4.2 m) | |||||
| Displacement: 1,090t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 3x oil fired boilers, 2x turbines creating 29,417shp (21,936kW) across two shafts | |||||
| Speed: 35kt + | |||||
| Endurance: 3,560nmi @ 15kt | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 119 | |||||
| Primary armament: 2x1 QF-4inch Mk.V (HA) | |||||
| Secondary armament: 2x1 40mm Bofors, 4x1 20mm Oerlikon | |||||
| Tertiary armament: 2x2 .303 Lewis, 3x1 .303 Lewis, Hedgehog, 50DCs, two rails, four DCTs | |||||
| Sensors: Radar Type 271 |
Sources
Gillett, R. (1983). Australian and New Zealand Warships 1914-1945 (pp.96-98)
G. H. Gill. (1957). Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942 (pp 32, 57-60, 180-181, 224-226, 233, 576)
Colledge, J.J (1980). British and Dominion Warships of World War II (pp.71-77).
HMAS Vendetta (D69) - Wikipedia
https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/hmas-vendetta-i
https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/history/history-milestones/scrap-iron-flotilla
Australian destroyer HMAS Vendetta
HMAS Vendetta WW2 - Naval Historical Society of Australia
HMAS Vendetta (D 69) of the Royal Australian Navy - Australian Destroyer of the Admiralty V & W class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net