HMS Veteran (D72)

History
HMS Veteran in King George V Dock, London in 1942

Name:	HMS Veteran
Ordered:	January 1918
Builder:	John Brown & Company
Laid down:	30 August 1918
Launched:	26 August 1919
Commissioned:	13 November 1919
Identification:	Pennant number D72 – 1920 I72 – May 1940
Motto:	Laudator temporis acti Proud of former deeds
Honours and awards:	Martinique 1794, Camperdown 1797 Copenhagen 1801, Atlantic 1939-42 Norway 1940, North Sea 1940
Fate:	Sunk by U-404 on 26 September 1942
Badge:	On a Field Green, an old warrior’s head, helmeted Proper.
General characteristics
Class and type:	Admiralty modified W-class destroyer
Displacement:	1,140 tons standard 1,550 tons full load
Length:	300 ft o/a, 312 ft p/p
Beam:	29.5 feet (9.0 m)
Draught:	9 feet (2.7 m), 11.25 feet (3.43 m) under full load
Propulsion:	Yarrow type Water-tube boilers, Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines, 2 shafts, 27,000 shp
Speed:	34 kn
Range:	320-370 tons oil 3,500 nmi at 15 kn, 900 nmi at 34 kn
Complement:	127
Armament:	As built 1920: 4 × BL 4.7 in (120-mm) Mk.I guns, mount P Mk.I 2 × QF 2 pdr Mk.II "pom-pom" (40 mm L/39) 6 × 21-inch torpedo tubes
General characteristics LRE Conversion
Propulsion:	2 × Yarrow type water tube boilers Parsons geared steam turbines driving 2 shafts 18,000 shp
Speed:	24.5 kn
Range:	320-370 tons oil 3,500 nmi at 15 kn 900 nmi at 32 kn
Complement:	134
Sensors and processing systems:	Type 271 Target Indication Radar Type 286P Air Warning Radar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Medium Frequency Direction Finding Outfit FM7 fitted Feb, 1941
Armament:	2 × BL 4.7 in (120mm) Mk.I L/45 guns 1 × QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun 2 × QF 2 pdr Mk.II "pom-pom" (40 mm L/39) 3 × 21-inch torpedo tubes (one triple mount) 2 × depth charge racks Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar (replace ‘A’ turret)
Service record
Part of:	3rd Destroyer Flotilla - 1920 18th Destroyer Flotilla - Dec 1939
Operations:	Nanking Incident 1927 World War II 1939 to 1945
Victories:	U-207 - 11 Sep 1941

HMS Veteran was an Admiralty modified W-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy. She was ordered in January 1918 from John Brown & Company under the 14th Order for Destroyers of the Emergency War Program of 1918-19. She was the fourth Royal Navy ship to carry the name.

HMS Veteran's keel was laid on 30 August 1918 at the James Brown & Company Shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland. She was launched on 26 April 1919. She was 312 feet overall in length with a beam of 29.5 feet. Her mean draught was 9 feet, and would reach 11.25 feet under full load. She had a displacement of 1,140 tons standard and up to 1,550 full load.

She was propelled by three Yarrow type water tube boilers powering Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines developing 27,000 shp driving twin propellers for a maximum designed speed of 34 knots. She was oil-fired and had a bunkerage of 320 to 350 tons. This gave a range of between 3500 nautical miles at 15 knots to 900 nautical miles at 32 knots.

She shipped four BL 4.7 in Mk.I guns, mount P Mk.I naval guns in four single centre-line mounts. The turrets were disposed as two forward and two aft in super imposed firing positions. She also carried two QF 2 pdr Mk.II "pom-pom" (40 mm L/39) mounted abeam between funnels. Abaft of the 2nd funnel, she carried six 21-inch torpedo tubes in two triple mounts on the centre-line.

HMS Veteran was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 13 November 1919 with the pennant number D72. After commissioning she was assigned to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla of the Atlantic Fleet. The Flotilla was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1923, then in 1926 to China Station. She was involved in the Nanking Incident in March 1927. In early 1930s after a refit, she was placed in reserve as more modern destroyers came on line.

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