- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMAS Vampire in game.
Description:
HMAS Vampire was one of four V&W-class destroyers operated by the Royal Australian Navy during the 1930s into the Second World War, two of her sisters were fellow V-class, and the final ship being of the W-class. Although they were different, the V and W classes 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 overall.
This suggestion is for HMAS Vampire as she sank in 1942.
History:
Royal Navy:
Laid down on the 10th of October 1916 as HMS Wallace by J.Samuel White & Co Ltd at Cowes, England. She would be renamed and would launch as HMS Vampire, on the 21st of May 1917, fitting out and commissioning on the 22nd of September 1917.
Upon commissioning she would join the 4th Destroyer Flotilla for service in the First World War based from the Plymouth station, where she would not see action. Being mostly engaged in fleet exercises and ASW patrols. By November 1918 she was part of the Home Fleet, and would be periodically put into reserve for refit.
On the 6th of June 1924, she would recommission from the reserves for service in the 5th Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean, where she would serve until going into reserve one again. From this period in reserve she would recommission on the 11th of June 1939 at Portsmouth.
She would serve until the 10th of October 1934, where she and her sisters were selected for transfer to the RAN. This would lead to her recommissioning as HMAS Vampire, and would sail for Sydney.
Royal Australian Navy:
She would arrive at Sydney on the 21st of December, where she would join the Australian Squadron with her sisters. Her time here would be uneventful, with the destroyer operating in Fleet exercises, ASW Patrols, and general sailing around Australian waters. She would be placed in reserve on the 31st of January 1934, only returning from the reserve on the 11th of May 1938.
Upon the Australian declaration of war in September 1939 she would sail to Singapore, meeting with her sisters who had also moved to Singapore from other Australian ports. Then the four V&W Class ships, and the Scott-class Leader, HMAS Stuart, sailed independently for Malta in the Mediterranean. HMAS Vampire would arrive in December.
Upon arriving in the British Mediterranean fleet she and her sisters would form the 19th Destroyer, where they would primarily be engaged in screening the Fleet, ASW patrols, and escort duty. On the 27th of May 1940, the 19th and 20th Destroyer Divisions would combine to form the 10th Destroyer Flotilla.
She was active during Operation MA5, screening the fleet and covering the convoys in the area. During this time the convoys were under heavy air attack, with ~1350 individual bombs were dropped on Vampire or the ships she was escorting. She would be damaged by several near misses, with one of her Crew dying from bomb splinters. Between August and September 1940 she was screening convoys to Malta.
She would assist the creation of a fuel dump at Suda Bay, Crete. While here she would be engaged in ASW Patrols, escorting Net-laying vessels in this area. On the 8th of December she would screen the HMS Terror while bombarding Makila and Sidi Barrani, and would have a near miss with an air dropped torpedo.
During one of her refits at Alexandria during this time, she would gain captured Italian 13.2mm machine guns, which would be placed on the Bridge Wings. 20mm Breda guns and a 12pdr would also be added. However the astern torpedo tubes would be removed.
She would be placed on the Tobruk Ferry Run by May 1941, however on the the 21st heavy engine wear defects led to heavy vibration, leading to her being unable to reach over 16kt. As such she was withdrawn to Singapore for a large refit, including new machinery and the removal of the Italian weapons, as they no longer had ammunition for the types.
Once this was complete she would act as convoy escort in the Indian Ocean, but would also operate as escort HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse for their doomed voyage to Malaya on the 8th of December. Once the Capital ships were sunk by Japanese air attack, HMAS Vampire, as well as HMS Express and Electra would rescue survivors. Vampire herself would land 225 men ashore at Singapore.
On the 9th of April 1942, while escorting the HMS Hermes to Trincomalee, the vessels would be attacked by Japanese aircraft. The Hermes was sunk by Japanese dive bombers, and the remaining aircraft would target the Vampire. She was hit or had near misses by 16 250kg bombs, although only nine men would die, including her commander.
The ship would not fare so well as the men however, as she would break in half and sink, with survivors being picked by the hospital ship Vita.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMAS Vampire | |||||
| Country: Australia | |||||
| Type: Destroyer Leader | |||||
| Class name: V-class | |||||
| Year of commission: 1938 | |||||
| Refit: 1942 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 312 ft (95.1 m) | |||||
| Beam: 29 ft 6 in (9.0 m) | |||||
| Draught: 13 ft 9 in (4.2 m) | |||||
| Displacement: 1,489t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 3x oil fired boilers, 2x turbines creating 27,000shp (20,000kW) across two shafts | |||||
| Speed: 34kt | |||||
| Endurance: 3,560nmi @ 15kt | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 119 | |||||
| Primary armament: 4x1 QF 4-inch Mk.V (LA) | |||||
| Secondary armament: 1x1 QF-2pdr, 1x1 QF 12dpr 12cwt | |||||
| Tertiary armament: 1x3 21" torpedo tubes, 1x4 .303 Lewis, 2x2 .303 Lewis, 2 DCT, 50DC, 4x rails | |||||
| Sensors: -Nil |
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, 65-68, 180-183, 222-230, 288-296, 478-482, 626)
Colledge, J.J (1980). British and Dominion Warships of World War II (pp.71-77)
M.Carlton. (2020) The Scrap Iron Flotilla. (pp. 147, 282-284)
HMAS Vampire (D68) - Wikipedia
https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/hmas-vampire-i
Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire
https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/history/history-milestones/scrap-iron-flotilla
https://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/H.M.S._Vampire_(1917)
HMAS Vampire (D 68) of the Royal Australian Navy - Australian Destroyer of the Admiralty V & W class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net