HMS Whirlwind (R87)
W-class destroyer
Service
- as HMS Whirlwind? — 29 October 19742,193 days of the war
- Name
- HMS Whirlwind
- Pennant / hull number
- R87
- Builder
- Hawthorn Leslie
- Launched
- 30 August 1943
- Fate
- Foundered while in use as target 29 October 1974 (1974)
- Status
- Wreck
Specifications — As W class
- Displacement, standard
- 1,710 long tons (1,737 t)
- Length
- 110.57 m (362.8 ft) OA
- Beam
- 10.9 m (35.8 ft)
- Draught
- 3.05 m (10 ft)
- Speed
- 36 knots (66.7 km/h, 41.4 mph)
- Range
- 4,675 nmi (8,658 km)
- Complement
- 179
- Main gun
- 40 mm (1.6 in)
HMS Whirlwind was a W-class destroyer, operated by the Royal Navy. She carried the pennant number R87. She was built by Hawthorn Leslie. She was launched on 30 August 1943.
She displaced 1,710 long tons. She measured 110.6 m (363 ft) long with a beam of 10.9 m (36 ft). Her designed speed was 36 knots, and she carried a complement of 179. Her main battery was of 40 mm (1.6 in) calibre.
She was in commission for 2,193 days of the Second World War.
She was wrecked on 29 October 1974, at 52°17′N 4°41′W.
Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.
Armament and machinery
This vessel is recorded in 2 configurations. Wartime refits changed armament and complement substantially, so each is kept separately rather than averaged into one set of figures. The figures above are as built.
As W class
- Propulsion
- 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
- Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines
- 40000 shp, 2 shafts
- Armament
- 4 × QF 4.7-inch (120-mm) L/45 Mk.IX, single mounts CP Mk.XXII
- 2 × QF 40 mm Bofors, twin mount "Hazemeyer" Mk.IV
- 4 ×** twin 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.V
- 8 (4x2) tubes for 21 inch (533 mm) torpedoes Mk.IX
- 2 racks & 4 throwers for 70 depth charges
Type 15 frigate
- Displacement, standard
- 2,300 long tons (2,337 t)
- Length
- 109.12 m (358 ft) OA
- Beam
- 11.51 m (37.8 ft)
- Draught
- 4.42 m (14.5 ft)
- Speed
- 31 knots (57.4 km/h, 35.7 mph)
- Complement
- 174
- Main gun
- 102 mm (4 in)
- Propulsion
- 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
- steam turbines on 2 shafts
- 40000 shp
- Armament
- 1 × twin 4 in gun Mark 19
- 1 × twin 40mm Bofors Mk.5
- 2 × Squid A/S mortar or
- 2 × Limbo Mark 10 A/S mortar
Sister ships
Sources
- Facts harvested from HMS Whirlwind (R87) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
- Photograph: Royal Navy official photographer — This photograph FL 21601 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 8308-29) — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons