HMS Westminster (L40)

History
HMS Westminster during the First World War
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Westminster
Ordered:	9 December 1916
Builder:	Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock, Scotland
Laid down:	April 1917
Launched:	24 February 1918
Commissioned:	18 April 1918
Decommissioned:	August 1948
Reclassified:	Escort destroyer in December 1939
Identification:	Pennant number L40
Motto:	Pro populo et gloria: 'For the people and glory'
Honours and awards:	North Sea 1940-43 English Channel 1943
Fate:	Sold on 4 March 1947 for breaking up
Badge:	On a Field Blue, a Portcullis Gold.
General characteristics
Class and type:	W-class destroyer
Displacement:	1,100 tons
Length:	312 ft (95.1 m) length overall 300 ft (91.4 m) between perpendiculars
Beam:	29 ft 6 in (9.0 m)
Draught:	9 ft (2.7 m) standard 13 ft 11 in (4.2 m) maximum
Propulsion:	Three Yarrow type Water-tube boilers Brown-Curtis steam turbines Two shafts 27,000 shp (20,000 kW)
Speed:	34-knot (63 km/h)
Range:	320-370 tons oil, 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h), 900 nmi (1,700 km) at 32 knots (59 km/h)
Complement:	110
Armament:	6 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes 4 × 4 in (102 mm) low-angled guns

HMS Westminster was a W-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was the first ship to bear the name. Launched in 1918, she served through two World Wars, and survived both to be sold for scrap in 1947.

Westminster was ordered on 9 December 1916 from Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock, Scotland with the 10th order of the 1916-17 Programme. She was laid down in April 1917, launched on 24 February 1918 and commissioned on 18 April 1918.

HMS Westminster's first role was escorting battle cruisers in the North Sea. She was later an escort for the German High Sea Fleet on its way to Rosyth in November 1918 after the German surrender.

Less than one month after the war ended, Westminster was required to help evacuate the crew of cruiser Cassandra when she struck a mine. Yet just one day later, in thick fog, Westminster herself collided with the V-class destroyer Verulam and needed extensive repair. Westminster then served in the Baltic and was damaged in action with Russian warships. She then served in the 6th Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet in 1921, before being reduced to the Reserve.

By 1939 an extensive rearmament programme was underway. A number of old V and W-class destroyers were selected for refitting into anti-aircraft escorts. Westminster was among those reactivated, and she was taken in hand by Devonport Dockyard. The conversion lasted until December 1940, during which her pennant number was changed from L50 to D45, to conform with use as an Escort Destroyer. She carried out post refit trials in December, and was then recommissioned and nominated to carry out convoy defence duty in the North Sea.

...
Wikipedia