The second HMS Vega was a V-class destroyer constructed for the British Royal Navy, with a service life spanning both World War I and World War II. Ordered on 30 June 1916 as part of the 9th Naval Programme, she was laid down on 11 December 1916 by William Doxford & Sons in Sunderland, England. The vessel was launched on 1 September 1917 and completed by 12 December of that year, entering active service on 14 December 1917. Her original pennant number was F4A, which was later changed to F92 in January 1918, then F09 in April 1918, and ultimately to D52 during the interwar period. Vega served primarily with the Grand Fleet or Harwich Force, participating in the final year of World War I and sustaining damage during fleet operations in 1918. In June 1920, she accompanied the battlecruisers HMS Hood and HMS Tiger on a visit to Scandinavian ports, during which she and HMS Vectis tested the Royal Navy's High Speed Mine Sweep, though both ships lost their minesweeping gear, revealing its impracticality in shallow waters. In 1921, Vega became part of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla within the Atlantic Fleet. She was later placed in reserve, serving with the Reserve Fleet. In anticipation of future conflicts, she was selected for conversion to an anti-aircraft escort under the 1939 Rearmament Programme. She underwent this conversion at Chatham Dockyard starting in May 1939, with her post-conversion acceptance trials occurring in October 1939. Reentering service as HMS Vega (L41), she was assigned to convoy escort duties in the North Sea. During World War II, Vega participated in critical operations, including evacuations from Belgium and France in 1940. Notably, she served as the flagship during Operation Lyster at Zeebrugge and helped assess Dunkirk harbor for evacuation prospects. After striking a naval mine off Sunk Head, Harwich in November 1940, she underwent repairs which were completed in November 1942, during which she received advanced radar and communication equipment. She continued convoy escort duties in the North Sea, supporting Allied operations until the end of the war. Following Germany's surrender, she supported reoccupation efforts in Europe, and after Japan's surrender, she was decommissioned and placed in reserve. Ultimately, HMS Vega was sold for scrapping in 1947.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.