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Thracian had been so severely damaged when scuttled by the RN that the Japanese found her mechanically unreliable as an ASW patrol boat. She sailed for Japan and was fitted as a radar trials ship with some patrol boat capability. She now has single 4.7in AA fore and aft and has single 25mm added abreast the bridge. Type 22 radar is carried on a platform over the bridge. The large tower aft was for testing new types of radar. ASW ability has been reduced but she retains the triple 25mm mounts. There are some sources that say these were possibly 25mm twins, especially the aft mount.
‘V&W’ CLASS DESTROYERS IN FLEET AND SRE CONFIGURATION
HMS VORTIGERN I37
SRE Destroyer 1941–2
A typical WA scheme using green without blue as originally intended. She has a HF/DF mast aft to enable the interception of U-boat signals. Her AA armament is a 12pdr in place of the aft tubes, single 2pdrs behind the aft funnel and single 20mm in the bridge wings. There is a Type 276 radar at the masthead. Colours are white and WA green.
HMS VETERAN I72
Modified ‘W’ Class Destroyer 1942
There were many variations of the WA scheme but a green aft funnel is typical. The modified ‘W’ class did not have the usual thin fore funnel of most ‘V&W’ class ships. She is fitted with a Hedgehog forward and her bridge has a Type 271 radar lantern. The masthead Type 276 was soon to be replaced. Most SREs retained some torpedo tubes. The Type X one-ton DC was usually fired from a torpedo tube against very deep U-boats. Colours are WA green on white.
HMS VIVACIOUS I36
Modified ‘W’ Class Destroyer 1942–3
Blue was often substituted for green due to wartime shortages and became the most famous image of the WA scheme; however, it was originally intended to have been pale green. All light AA are 20mm. Type 271 and 291 radars are carried. Colours are WA blue and white.
HMS WIVERN I66
‘W’ Class Destroyer 1942
WA schemes were often very simple, as shown here with WA blue and white. Note Wivern has a HF/DF mast aft. Her radar lantern is amidships raised on a lattice platform. Type 291 radar at the masthead, replacing Type 276 which was far too noisy and easy for U-boats to detect. She still has single 2pdr AA guns amidships.
HMS VENETIA D53
‘V’ Class Destroyer 1939–40
A typical ‘V&W’ in plain mid-grey 507b. ‘Y’ gun has been replaced by extra DCs, the only wartime alteration. Corticene decks were retained by most. There is a single old-model 2pdr amidships but she probably had twin Lewis guns in the bridge wings. She has a pre-war pennant number. Black waterline still retained. This was the configuration of most old destroyers used on fleet duty.
HMS WINDSOR I42
Modified ‘V&W’ Class Destroyer 1941–2
Windsor shows some wartime modifications, reduced torpedoes for a 12pdr AA gun etc. But she retains three of her main guns and a set of torpedo tubes which would allow her to be used for a wide range of operations. SREs generally took convoys out part-way into the Atlantic and met others coming in to the UK. Their range was too short to cross the Atlantic. Colours are typical white and WA green.
HMS WILD SWAN I62
‘V&W’ Class Destroyer 1942–3
SREs retained most guns as they were more likely to see action against enemy coastal forces. Wild Swan has a HF/DF mast aft for detecting U-boat radio transmissions. All 2pdrs have been replaced by 20mm Oerlikons. Her scheme includes WA green, WA blue, on white.
HMS WITHERINGTON I76
‘V&W’ Class Destroyer 1941–3
This SRE has had all her torpedo tubes removed and extra DC stowage added. These were often far more important than torpedoes. All her light AA are 20mm Oerlikons. Type 286 radar was later replaced by Type 291 which was harder for U-boats to detect. Her scheme includes irregular patches of WA green on white.
HMS WITCH I89
Modified ‘W’ Class Destroyer 1943
Witch has ‘A’ gun replaced by a Hedgehog. She carries a blue and green mix WA scheme, which includes rather more green above the hull than usual. Interestingly, she has retained her director on the bridge and only has Type 291 radar. Wartime alterations were far from standard and instead of all 20mm Oerlikons she retains single 2pdrs between the funnels.
HMS WESSEX D43
