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Concept
HMS Virago (R75)
Summary
HMS Virago was a V-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that served in World War II. She was later converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F76.
In addition to escorting the perilous Arctic convoys during 1943–44, Virago participated with other British destroyers in the Battle of North Cape on 26 December 1943, where her torpedoes helped sink the badly beaten , following a fierce fight between the Germans and the battleship . On 30 January 1944, while escorting Convoy JW 56B to Murmansk, Virago rescued 78 men from the stricken HMS , whose stern had been blown off by an acoustic torpedo (resulting in 35 casualties). Following a bow collision between the two ships, Virago disengaged and HMS rescued the rest of the crew and her officers (and then scuttled Hardy). On 3 April 1944 Virago escorted the carrier HMS during Operation Tungsten, which was an inconclusive air attack on the at her base in Kaafjord in the far north of Norway.
During the invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944 she fired on German positions behind Lion-sur-Mer on Sword Beach, and later gave cover fire for troops advancing inland. Virago remained off the coast of Normandy at various stations providing support for the invasion force until 6 July, when she departed and resumed operations off Norway and with the Arctic convoys through the end of September.
Transferred to the Eastern Fleet in January 1945. On 26 March 1945 she, along with the destroyers , , and , intercepted a Japanese supply convoy east of Khota Andaman, Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean. She and Vigilant sank the .
She patrolled the Malacca Strait and supported Operation Dracula off the coast of Burma in late April 1945 as part of the 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron. Virago subsequently participated in the Battle of the Malacca Strait with Saumarez, , and Vigilant which culminated in the sinking of the Japanese heavy cruiser in the early morning of 16 May 1945. This was a textbook destroyer night action, and was the last naval gun battle of the Second World War.
Official source
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