Allied Warships

HMS Vega (L 41)

Destroyer of the Admiralty V & W class

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Admiralty V & W
Pennant	L 41
Mod	Fast escort
Built by	Doxford Shipyard (Sunderland, U.K.)
Ordered	30 Jun 1916
Laid down	11 Dec 1916
Launched	1 Sep 1917
Commissioned	14 Dec 1917
End service
History	Reconstruction to Fast Escort at Chatham Dockyard completed on 27 November 1939. Pennant number was D 52 changed to L 41 upon completion of this reconstruction. HMS Vega is not listed as active unit in the October 1945 Navy List Sold to be broken up for scrap on 4 March 1947.

Commands listed for HMS Vega (L 41)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Cdr. Cyril Ivan Horton, RN	19 Sep 1939	4 Aug 1940
2	Cdr. Richard Graham Stewart, RN	4 Aug 1940	30 Oct 1940
3	A/Cdr. Thomas Bennett Brunton, RN	30 Oct 1940	6 Nov 1940
4	Lt.Cdr. Robert Fergus Jenks, RN	6 Nov 1940	late 1940

5	Lt. Clement Francis Parker, RN	15 Sep 1942	31 Mar 1943
6	Lt. Charles Gerald Forsberg, RN	31 Mar 1943	mid 1945

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Notable events involving Vega include:

15 Dec 1939
HMS H 31 (Lt. P.R. Ward, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Vega (Cdr. C.I. Horton, RN) and HMS Whitshed (Cdr. E.R. Conder, RN). (1)

25 Jan 1940
HMS H 34 (Lt. E.F. Balston, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Rosyth with HMS Vega (Cdr. C.I Horton, RN) and HMS Grimsby (Cdr. K.J. D'Arcy, RN). Upon completion of these exercises HMS H 34 proceeded to Portsmouth together with HMS Ursula (Cdr. G.C. Phillips, DSO, RN) and ORP Wilk (Lt. B. Krawczyk). They were ordered to return to Rothesay the next day due to enemy submarines operation of the east coast of the U.K. (2)

27 May 1940
In the evening, the Polish destroyer Blyskawica received orders to meet with the British destroyers HMS Gallant and HMS Vivacious to enter the small port of La Panne (in the Dunkirk area) and evacuate part of RAF personnel. Unfortunately, she failed to find her partners and didn't complete the task. Instead of this, she was ordered to enter Dunkirk harbour together with the British destroyer HMS Vega and conduct a night reconnaissance mission. The Admiralty wanted to find out, if this harbour (partially blocked by wrecks) may be useful in Allied evacuation. Both destroyers were attacked by two German aircraft, but inspected the positions of wrecks. After that, Admiral Ramsey learned that navy vessels are able to conduct evacuation from Dunkirk and sent part of them there. (3)

11 Nov 1940
HMS Vega (Lt.Cdr. R.F. Jenks, RN) was damaged when she hit a mine near Harwich (off Sunk Head). Repairs were only completed on 14 November 1942 !

4 Jun 1943
HrMs O 14 (Lt.Cdr. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) conducted A/S exercises in the Firth of Forth with HMS Westminster (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Bowerman, DSC, RN), HMS Brimness (Skr. A.E. Larner, RNR), HMS Vega (Lt. C.G. Forsberg, RN) and HMS Wallace (Lt. D. Carson, RN). (4)

22 Sep 1944
HMS Malaya (Cdr. D.H. Fuller, RN) departed Plymouth for Rosyth. She was being escorted by HMS Hart (Cdr. (retired) M.B. Sherwood, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Lark (Cdr. H.L. Pryse, DSC, RNR) and HMS Skate (Lt. J.H. Macalister, RNVR).

At 1145/22 they were joined by HMS Affleck (Cdr.(Retd.) C. Gwinner, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Garlies (Lt.Cdr. R.L. Calpe, DSC, RN) and HMS Gore (Lt. J.V. Reeves-Brown, DSC, RN).

At 1325/24, HMS Cassandra (Cdr. P.F. Powlett, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) and HMS Cambrian (Lt.Cdr. H.T. Harrel, RN) took over from HMS Hart and HMS Lark. [The other escorts apparently had been detached by this time.]

At 1650/24, Verdun (Cdr. D. Parsons, RD, RNR) and HMS Vega (Lt. C.G. Forsberg, RN) took over from HMS Cassandra and HMS Cambrian.

Around 0945/25, HMS Malaya arrived off Rosyth. (5)