Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Royal Australian Navy — Destroyer D68

HMAS Vampire (D68)

V-class flotilla leader

HMAS Vampire (D68)
Allan C. Green — This image is available from the Our Collections of the State Library of Victoria under the Accession Number: — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — D68 HMAS Vampire

Service

  1. Royal Navy as Wallace22 September 1917 — 11 November 1933
  2. Royal Australian Navy as Vampire11 November 1933 — 9 April 1942951 days of the war
V-class flotilla leader Particulars
Name
HMAS Vampire
Pennant / hull number
D68
Namesake
William Wallace
Builder
J. Samuel White & Co Ltd
Ordered
1916
Laid down
10 October 1916
Launched
21 May 1917
Commissioned
22 September 1917
Decommissioned
11 November 1933
Recommissioned
11 May 1938
Fate
Bombed and sunk by Japanese aircraft on 9 April 1942
By aircraft (1942)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, standard
1,188 long tons (1,207 t)
Displacement, full load
1,489 long tons (1,513 t)
Length
95.1 m (312 ft) OA
Beam
8.84 m (29 ft)
Draught
3.96 m (13 ft)
Speed
34 knots (63 km/h, 39.1 mph)
Range
3,500 nmi (6,482 km)
Complement
119
Main gun
102 mm (4 in)

HMAS Vampire was a destroyer of the V-class flotilla leader in service with the Royal Navy. She carried the pennant number D68. The ship was named after William Wallace. J. Samuel White & Co Ltd laid her keel on 10 October 1916. Launched on 21 May 1917, she entered service on 22 September 1917.

She was one of 30 ships of her class. The class followed the Nelson-class battleship and was succeeded by the Lion-class battleship.

She displaced 1,188 long tons standard and 1,489 long tons at full load. She measured 95.1 m (312 ft) long with a beam of 8.8 m (29 ft). Her designed speed was 34 knots, and she carried a complement of 119. Her main battery was of 102 mm (4.0 in) calibre.

She served with the Royal Navy as Wallace until 11 November 1933. She then passed to the Royal Australian Navy, serving as Vampire from 11 November 1933. She was in commission for 951 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 11 November 1933. She recommissioned on 11 May 1938.

She was sunk on 9 April 1942 by aircraft, at 7°35′N 82°05′E. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 3 × White Forster boilers, 2 × Brown-Curtis turbines, twin screws, generating 27000 shp
Armament
  • 4 × QF 4 in Mk V guns
  • 1 × QF 2-pounder gun (increased to 2 in January 1942)
  • 4 × Lewis .303 guns (2 twin mountings)
  • 1 × Lewis .303 gun (later replaced by 1 × 4-barrel Vickers .303 gun)
  • 6 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2 triple mounts, later increased to 2 quad mounts)
  • 2 × depth charge throwers (installed later)
  • 4 × depth charge chutes (installed later)
  • 50 depth charges

Sister ships

5 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from HMAS Vampire (D68) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Allan C. Green — This image is available from the Our Collections of the State Library of Victoria under the Accession Number: — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons