Marlon Harewood's double, combined with Dean Ashton's effort, sent the Hammers onwards and upwards into sixth place with a healthy 41 points, as they romped to a seventh successive victory to leave Blues battered and blue.
Steve Bruce made three changes from the side that had beaten Reading last week with the returning pair of Martin Latka and Kenny Cunningham forming a central defensive partnership and Chris Sutton back after injury to partner Mikael Forssell in attack. Alex Bruce kept his place in the side but began the game in a central midfield role.
Following an impeccably-observed minute's silence for former Hammers boss Ron Greenwood, Ashton almost opened the scoring in the opening seconds after a barn-storming run by Harewood carved open the Blues defence.
Having gone close once though, the hungry Hammers did not take long to get their show on the road when Nigel Reo-Coker's 11th-minute long-ranger ricocheted somewhat fortuitously off Cunningham into the path of Harewood who, 15 yards out, coolly dispatched his 11th goal of the season past the helplessly exposed Maik Taylor.
And, just moments later, following a poor back-pass from Alex Bruce, Hayden Mullins should have doubled the lead but with the whites of the keeper's eyes in his sights, he was foiled in the act of shooting by the retreating Bruce.
Although Mikael Forssell, Clemence and Jiri Jarosik offered token resistance, the East Enders continued their charge as both Danny Gabbidon and Reo-Coker squandered chances in their quest to put yet more daylight between themselves and the beleaguered Blues before the interval.
Bruce had picked up a yellow card for a late challenge on Gabbidon in first-half stoppage-time and he was fortunate to escape dismissal just after the restart when he handled the breaking Reo-Coker's attempted cross-field pass at the mere expense of a stern lecture.
As West Ham dominated the second-half proceedings, too, substitute Christian Dailly and Yossi Benayoun went close before Latka recklessly handled Paul Konchesky's flighted cross into the box.
Although Taylor parried the red-faced Harewood's complacent, 63rd-minute spot-kick, he was given no chance when the relieved Hammer followed up to drill home the rebound.
If Steve Bruce thought it was looking all over, just two minutes later his worst fears were confirmed, when Lionel Scaloni's right-wing cross was glanced on by Benayoun for Ashton to nod over the line to secure all three points for Alan Pardew's side.