ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY V
2)VANSITTART (DESTROYER)
Image by A. I.
Completed: 1919
Displacement: 1,140 tons standard, 1,550 tons full
Length: 300 ft
Beam: 30 ft
Draught: 10 ft 11 ‘
Propulsion: 3 Yarrow type Water-tube boilers, Brown-Curtis steam turbines, 2 shafts, 30,000 shp
Armament: 4 x BL 4.7 in (120-mm) Mk.I guns, mount P Mk.I, 2 x QF 2 pdr Mk.II "pom-pom" (40 mm L/39), 6 (2x3) tubes for 21 in torpedoes
Complement: 134
During World War II, the modified W-class destroyer HMS Vansittart (I64) played a critical role in local and ocean convoy defense while stationed at the crucial South Atlantic naval hub of Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Her deployment to the West Africa Command lasted from mid-1941 through early 1942, a period when Axis U-boats heavily targeted the bottlenecked trade routes surrounding the African continent. Her tactical roles included:
1. "Local Escort" for the Famous WS (Winston Special) Convoys
Freetown was the primary staging and refueling point for the heavily guarded WS troopship convoys transporting Allied soldiers from the UK down to South Africa, the Middle East, and India.
Inbound Security: Vansittart would steam out into the Atlantic to meet massive incoming military convoys (such as WS 9A and WS 9B in June and July 1941) to safely guide them through the dangerous coastal approaches into Freetown harbor.
Outbound Delivery: Upon their departure from Freetown toward the Cape of Good Hope, Vansittart alongside sister destroyers like Boreas, Velox, and Wild Swan provided local anti-submarine screens for the first few days of their journey before detaching and returning to port.
2. Protecting the OS and SL Trade Routes
The port was also a crucial assembly point for vital merchant trade. Vansittart regularly coordinated with local Flower-class corvettes (such as HMS Fritillary, HMS Orchis, and HMS Crocus) to shield vital trade lines:
OS Convoys (UK to Freetown): Meeting and protecting inbound supply freighters bringing critical resources to the West African theater.
SL Convoys (Freetown to UK): Defending slow-moving mercantile fleets laden with raw goods as they began their perilous journey north toward Great Britain.
Inter-port Convoys: Escorting tactical regional groups, such as the ST series convoys moving between Freetown and Takoradi.
3. Anti-Submarine Patrols and Deterrence
When not attached to a specific convoy, Vansittart utilized her speed and armament to conduct aggressive hunter-killer sweeps and anti-submarine patrols just outside Freetown's protective boom defenses. Her presence, alongside other elements of the Freetown escort force, served as a primary deterrent to keep German U-boats from establishing a permanent blockade around the Sierra Leone estuary.
At South Atlantic Station base Freetown from June 1941 to February 1942
The deatils of the activities of HMS Vansittart shown below. By www.naval-history.net
1941
JUNE 13th
13th After detaching from HMS VICTORIOUS took passage to Freetown with HMS WILD SWAN as escort for military convoy WS9A during Atlantic passage.
18th Detached from WS9B with HMS WILD SWAN on arrival at Freetown. Joined HM Destroyers BOREAS, BRILLIANT, VELOX, VIMY, WILD SWAN, WIVERN and WRESTLER for convoy defence based at Freetown.
20th Provided Local Escort with HM Destroyers BOREAS, VELOX and WILD SWAN for WS9B on departure from Freetown for Cape of Good Hope
22nd. Detached from WS9B and returned to Freetown.
July
16th Joined military convoy WS9B with HM Destroyers BOREAS, BRILLIANT and VELOX for Local Escort on departure from Freetown for Cape of Good Hope.
18th Detached from WS9B with Local Escort and returned to Freetown.
August Atlantic and Local convoy defence based at Freetown in continuation to
November
December
3rd Escorted coastal convoy (ST10) to Takoradi. 14th Carried out search for submarines reported operating in Bathurst - Cape Verde Islands.
19th Joined military convoy WS14 with HMS WILD SWAN to supplement Local Escort by HM Destroyers BRILLIANT and HURWORTH during passage into Freetown.
21st. Detached with Local Escort on arrival of WS14 at Freetown.
1 9 4 2
January Freetown deployment in continuation.
21st Joined military convoy WS15 with HM Destroyer VIMY as Local Escort.
25th Detached from WS15 on arrival at Freetown
