HMS Verity (D63)

HMS "Verity" was a Royal Navy destroyer which saw service in, and survived, World War Two. Her pennant number was originally D63 but was changed to I63 in May 1940.

Major rôles during the Second World War

Convoy Defence

Throughout the Battle of the Atlantic, HMS "Verity" was a convoy escort ship. This was by far her most usual capacity, during which she operated with the 18th Destroyer Flotilla. On 8 March 1941, she rescued survivors from the British merchantman "Dunaff Head" after it had been sunk by a U-boat attack. One of the convoys she escorted was OB-239, which came under attack by numerous submarines. During the anti-submarine operations, "U-70" was sunk by the convoy's escort. She also operated as an escort in the Mediterranean Sea and the North Sea. She escorted a total of 119 convoys during the war.

Dunkirk Evacuation

HMS "Verity" was assigned to assist in the Evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940. She came under fire from shore batteries near Calais and suffered casualties.

She remained in the area after the evacuation as a convoy escort, and was attacked on 14 August by six Kriegsmarine trawlers and three E-boats. Two of the German ships were sunk in the resulting engagement.

North Africa

Operation Torch, the invasion of Axis controlled Africa, started in 1942. HMS "Verity" was assigned to escort military convoys in preparation of this attack. She supported the landings at Oran, during which she helped rescue troops from a stricken "Strathallan", which had been attacked by "U-562". Thankfully, only 11 were killed in the attack on the ship, which was carrying over 5,000 officers, men and crew. The ship finally sank nearly 22 hours after the torpedo hit.

References

ources

* [http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4274.html uboat.net]
* [http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-09VW-Verity.htm HMS Verity, Destroyer]