Allied Warships

HMS Witch (D 89)

Destroyer of the Admiralty Modified W class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeDestroyer
ClassAdmiralty Modified W 
PennantD 89 
Built byThornycroft (Southampton, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down13 Jun 1918 
Launched11 Nov 1919 
CommissionedMar 1924 
End service 
Loss position
 
History

Completed by Devonport Dockyard.

Sold to be broken up for scrap on 12 July 1947.

Commanding Officers:
Lt.Cdr. John Richard Barnes, RN
31 July 1939 – 4 May 1941

Lt.Cdr. Cecil Hamilton Holmes, RN
4 May 1941 – July 1942

Lt.Cdr. Sidney Richard James Woods, RNR
July 1942 – ca. October / November 1943

??? HMS Witch possibly in Dockyard Control during refit ???

Lt. Walter James Taylor, RN
6 May 1944 – still in command in October 1945 according to the Navy List

 

Commands listed for HMS Witch (D 89)

Please note that we're still working on this section.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt.Cdr. John Richard Barnes, RN31 Jul 19394 May 1941
2Lt.Cdr. Cecil Hamilton Holmes, RN4 May 1941Jul 1942
3Lt.Cdr. Sidney Richard James Woods, RD, RNRJul 1942Oct/Nov 43

4Lt. Walter James Taylor, RN6 May 19444 Mar 1946

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Noteable events involving Witch include:


11 Apr 1943
The British merchant Empire Whimbrel is torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-181 about 420 nautical miles south-west of Freetown in position 02º31'N, 15º55'W. The British destroyers HMS Wolverine (Lt. I.M. Clegg, RN) and HMS Witch (Lt.Cdr. S.R.J. Woods, RNR) later pick up 53 survivors.

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