HMS Winchester (L55)

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Winchester
Builder	J. Samuel White, East Cowes, Isle of Wight
Laid down	12 June 1917
Launched	1 February 1918
Completed	29 April 1918
Identification	Pennant number G43, D66, F99, H95, L55
Motto	'Valour makyth the man'
Fate	Sold for scrap in March 1946
Badge	On a Field, Party per fess Silver and red., in chief a Tudor rose red in base a castle Silver.
General characteristics
Displacement	1,100 tons
Length	300 ft (91 m) o/a, 312 ft (95 m) p/p
Beam	26.75 ft (8.15 m)
Draught	9 ft (2.7 m) standard, 11 to 25 ft (3.4 to 7.6 m) in deep
Propulsion	3 Yarrow type Water-tube boilers Brown-Curtis steam turbines 2 shafts 27,000 shp (20,000 kW)
Speed	34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range	320-370 tons oil, 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph), 900 nmi (1,700 km) at 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Complement	110
Armament	4 × QF 4 in Mk.V (102mm L/45), mount P Mk.I 2 × QF 2 pdr Mk.II "pom-pom" (40 mm L/39) or; 1 × QF 3 inch 20 cwt (76 mm), mount HA Mk.II 6 (2x3) tubes for 21 in torpedoes

HMS Winchester was an Admiralty W-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She saw service in the First and Second World Wars.

Winchester was ordered by J. Samuel White and Company, Cowes, on the Isle of Wight as part of the 1916–1917 fleet program 10 order. Her keel was laid on 12 June 1917 and she was launched on 1 February 1918. The ship was completed on 29 April 1918.

Completed towards the end of the First World War, Winchester went on to be part of operations against the Bolsheviks in the Baltic Sea. After the Second World War the ship was placed on the reserve list, and was sold in March 1946. The ship was scrapped in Inverkeithing.

In 1936, under the command of Captain W.N.T. Beckett RN, HMS Winchester fulfilled King George V's dying wish for his beloved racing yacht HMY Britannia to follow him to the grave. Her hull was towed out to St Catherine's Deep near the Isle of Wight, and she was sunk by HMS Winchester.

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