HMS Verity (D63)
Encyclopedia
HMS Verity was an Admiralty modified W class destroyer
of the Royal Navy
which saw service in, and survived, World War Two
. Her pennant number
was originally D63 but was changed to I63 in May 1940.
attack. One of the convoys she escorted was OB-239, which came under attack by numerous submarines. During the anti-submarine operations, was sunk by the convoy's escort. She also operated as an escort in the Mediterranean Sea
and the North Sea
. She escorted a total of 119 convoys during the war.
and suffered casualties.
She remained in the area after the evacuation as a convoy escort, and was attacked on 14 August by six Kriegsmarine
trawlers
and three E-boats. Two of the German ships were sunk in the resulting engagement.
, the invasion of Axis
controlled Africa
, started in 1942. HMS Verity was assigned to escort military convoys in preparation of this attack. She supported the landings at Oran
, during which she helped rescue troops from a stricken Strathallan, which had been attacked by . Only 11 were killed in the attack on the ship, which was carrying over 5,000 officers, men and crew. The Strathallan finally sank nearly 22 hours after the torpedo hit.
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
which saw service in, and survived, World War Two
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Her pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
was originally D63 but was changed to I63 in May 1940.
Convoy Defence
Throughout the Battle of the Atlantic, HMS Verity was a convoy escort ship. This was by far her most usual capacity, during which she operated with the 18th Destroyer Flotilla. On 8 March 1941, she rescued survivors from the British merchantman Dunaff Head after it had been sunk by a U-boatU-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
attack. One of the convoys she escorted was OB-239, which came under attack by numerous submarines. During the anti-submarine operations, was sunk by the convoy's escort. She also operated as an escort in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
and the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. She escorted a total of 119 convoys during the war.
Dunkirk Evacuation
HMS Verity was assigned to assist in the Evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940. She came under fire from shore batteries near CalaisCalais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
and suffered casualties.
She remained in the area after the evacuation as a convoy escort, and was attacked on 14 August by six Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
trawlers
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
and three E-boats. Two of the German ships were sunk in the resulting engagement.
North Africa
Operation TorchOperation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the invasion of Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
controlled Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, started in 1942. HMS Verity was assigned to escort military convoys in preparation of this attack. She supported the landings at Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, during which she helped rescue troops from a stricken Strathallan, which had been attacked by . Only 11 were killed in the attack on the ship, which was carrying over 5,000 officers, men and crew. The Strathallan finally sank nearly 22 hours after the torpedo hit.