| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Destroyer |
| Class | Admiralty V & W |
| Pennant | L 29 |
| Mod | Fast escort |
| Built by | Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. (Wallsend-on-Tyne, U.K.): Wallsend |
| Ordered | 30 Jun 1916 |
| Laid down | Oct 1916 |
| Launched | 22 Jun 1917 |
| Commissioned | 19 Oct 1917 |
| Lost | 9 Jan 1942 |
| Loss position | 51° 28'N, 0° 55'E |
| History | Reconstruction to Fast Escort completed on 12 February 1940. Pennant was D 23 changed to L 29 upon completion of this reconstruction. HMS Vimiera (A/Lt.Cdr. Angus Alexander Mackenzie, RNR) was sunk by a mine in the Thames estuary off East Spile Buoy in position 51º28'N, 00º55'E. |
Commands listed for HMS Vimiera (L 29)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Lt.Cdr. Roger Bertram Nettleton Hicks, RN | 15 Jan 1940 | 26 Feb 1941 |
| 2 | Lt. Angus Alexander Mackenzie, RNR | 26 Feb 1941 | 9 Jan 1942 |
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Notable events involving Vimiera include:
7 Mar 1940
HMS H 32 (Lt. M.D. Wanklyn, RN) A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. N.J.V. Thew, RN) and HMS Vimiera (Lt.Cdr. R.B.N. Hicks, RN). (1)
24 May 1940
The Polish destroyer Burza was ordered to join the British destroyers HMS Vimiera and HMS Wessex and shell German positions in Calais area. At 16.20 the Allied vessels opened fire on enemy armoured column at Sangatte Hill, west of Calais.
10 minutes later they were attacked by 27 German airplanes which hit and sank HMS Wessex. HMS Vimiera managed to escape. Then the entire enemy air group concentrated on the Polish destroyer. The AA guns (2 40 mm) jammed due to shrapnel hits, three bombs exploded in the water. They caused boiler damage and loss of speed. The commander (Lt.Cdr. Francki) ordered to emergency launch the torpedoed and drop all depth charges, trying to avoid additional explosions. Shortly after this, two bombs hit the Burza and badly damaged her. However the airplanes had dropped all of their bombs and broke off the attack. The crew managed to stop the leakage and return to Dover. One German airplane was shot down during the action. (2)
21 Nov 1941
With her refit completed HMS Renown (Capt. C.S. Daniel, CBE, DSO, RN) conducted D/G trials off Rosyth. On completion of these trials she departed for Scapa Flow escorted by the destroyers HMS Arrow (Cdr. A.M. McKillop, RN), HMS Vimiera (Lt.Cdr. A.A. Mackenzie, RNR) and HMS Wallace (Lt.Cdr.(Emy.) E.G. Heywood-Lonsdale, RN). (3)
22 Nov 1941
HMS Renown (Capt. C.S. Daniel, CBE, DSO, RN), HMS Arrow (Cdr. A.M. McKillop, RN), HMS Vimiera (Lt.Cdr. A.A. Mackenzie, RNR) and HMS Wallace (Lt.Cdr.(Emy.) E.G. Heywood-Lonsdale, RN) arrived at Scapa Flow. (3)
5 Jan 1942
Around 1600A/5, the submarine tender HrMs Colombia (Capt. J.L.K. Hoeke, RNN) departed Dundee for Greenock. She was subsequently joined by the destroyer HMS Vortigern (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Howlett, RN) and escort destroyer HMS Vimiera (Lt.Cdr. A.A. Mackenzie, RNR).
These escorts were relieved around 0910A/6, by the destroyers ORP Blyscawica (Kmdr.ppor. (Cdr.) W.R. Francki) and HMS Skate (Lt. F.P. Baker, DSC, RN). The original escort then proceeded to Scapa Flow where they arrived around 1000A/6.
Around 0930A/7, ORP Blyscawica and HMS Skate parted company with HrMs Colombia which subsequently proceeded up the Clyde arriving at Greenock later the same day.
The destroyers continued on towards Liverpool where they arrived around 1600A/7. (4)
Media links
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Sources
- ADM 173/16285
- Personal communication
- ADM 53/114973
- ADM 53/116700 + ADM 199/418 + ADM 199/423 + ADM 199/2235 + Logbook of ORP Blyscawica (in Polish language)
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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