The second HMS Wivern (D66, later I66), was a Modified W-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service in World War II.
Building and commissioning
Wivern was ordered in April 1918 as part of the 13th Order of the 1917-1918 Naval Programme. She was laid down on 19 August 1918 by J. Samuel White at Cowes, Isle of Wight, and launched on 16 April 1919. She was completed on 23 December 1919 and was commissioned into service the same day with the pennant number D66.
Service history
Before World War II
After entering service with the fleet in 1919, Wivern was assigned to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, serving with that flotilla in the Atlantic Fleet and Mediterranean Fleet before being decommissioned, transferred to the Reserve Fleet, and placed in reserve.
In 1939, Wivern was recommissioned as the fleet mobilised because of deteriorating diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany and was selected for assignment to the 16th Destroyer Flotilla based at Portsmouth in the event of war breaking out.
World War II
1939
After the United Kingdom entered World War II on 3 September 1939, Wiverns assignment at Portsmouth was cancelled, and instead she was assigned to Western Approaches Command for convoy defence operations in the Western Approaches. On 5 September, she escorted Convoy GC 1 from the River Clyde in Scotland with the destroyers , , and . On 9 September she joined the destroyers and in escorting Convoy OB 2.
In October 1939, Wivern was transferred to the 16th Destroyer Flotilla under Commander-in-Chief, The Nore at Harwich for convoy escort and patrol duty in the North Sea. After the destroyer detonated a magnetic mine off Harwich and sank at on the evening of 21 November 1939, Wivern steamed through the area at high speed on 22 November in an attempt to detonate any other mines in the area and clear the area for ship traffic.
Wivern continued her North Sea operations without further major incident through the end of 1939 and into 1940.
1940
Wivern remained on convoy and patrol duty in the North Sea until May 1940, the month in which her pennant number was changed to I66. On 10 May, as the German invasion of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France began, she was ordered to join the destroyer in Operation XD, consisting of demolition operations at Hook of Holland to prevent German forces from capturing important installations there intact. Accordingly, Wivern and Wild Swan went to Hook of Holland on 11 May, where Wivern took aboard the British diplomatic mission to the Netherlands for passage to Vlissingen. On 13 May, Wivern took part in Operation Ordnance, the evacuation of Allied personnel from Hook of Holland as German ground forces advanced through the Netherlands, suffering damage on 14 May during the operation. She then entered a dockyard in the United Kingdom for repairs.
After completion of repairs, Wivern returned to service with her flotilla at Harwich in July 1940 to continue her convoy and patrol duties in the North Sea. On 11 July 1940 she was attacked by German aircraft off Suffolk while escorting Convoy FN 19 near Aldeburgh Light, but she avoided damage by manoeuvering. As the threat of a German invasion of the United Kingdom grew, her duties included anti-invasion patrols, and on 3 August 1940 Wivern, Wild Swan, the light cruiser , the destroyers and , and the patrol vessels , , and patrolled together. On 7 September 1940 Wivern and Wild Swan took part in Operation Rival, screening Cardiff and the light cruiser as they patrolled off the coast of the Netherlands.
After Operation Rival, Wivern was transferred to Western Approaches Command with Wild Swan, the destroyer leader , and the destroyer to serve in the 5th Escort Group, based at Liverpool, for convoy escort work in the North Atlantic Ocean. She carried out these duties for the rest of 1940 without major incident.
1941
Wivern remained on convoy escort duty in the North Atlantic through the early weeks of 1941. On 26 February 1941, she deployed to escort ships of the 20th Destroyer Flotilla during Operation JH, a minelaying operation in the English Channel off Cape D'Antifer, France. She returned to her convoy duties after the conclusion of the operation.