HMS Wakeful (1943)

HMS Wakeful underway on 28 February 1944
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Wakeful
Ordered	3 December 1941
Builder	Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, Scotland
Laid down	3 June 1942
Launched	30 June 1943
Commissioned	17 February 1944
Identification	Pennant number: 1941 – 1953: R59 1953 – 1970: F159
Motto	Si dormiam capiar ("If I sleep, I may be caught")
Fate	Sold for scrap on 10 June 1971
Badge	On a Black field an eye proper with rays ensuing therefore, Gold.
General characteristics as W class
Class and type	W-class destroyer
Displacement	1,710 tons (1,730 tonnes) 2,530 tons full (2,570 tonnes)
Length	362.75 ft (110.57 m) o/a
Beam	35.75 ft (10.90 m)
Draught	10 ft (3.0 m)
Propulsion	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (30 MW), 2 shafts
Speed	36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) / 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) full
Range	4,675 nautical miles (8,658 km; 5,380 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	179 (225 as leader)
Sensors and processing systems	Radar Type 272 target indication Radar Type 291 air warning Radar Type 285 fire control on director Mk.III(W) Radar Type 282 fire control on 40 mm mount Mk.IV
Armament	4 × QF 4.7-inch (120-mm) L/45 Mk.IX , single mounts CP Mk.XXII 4 × QF 2 pdr Mk.VIII , quad mount Mk.VII, or; 2 × QF  40 mm Bofors , twin mount "Hazemeyer" Mk.IV 4 × A/A mountings ; twin 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.V single Bofors 40 mm Mk.III or "Boffin" Mk.V single QF 2 pdr Mk.XVI 8 (4x2) tubes for 21 inch (533 mm) torpedoes Mk.IX 2 racks & 4 throwers for 70 depth charges
General characteristics Type 15 frigate
Class and type	Type 15 frigate
Displacement	2,300 tons (standard)
Length	358 ft (109 m) o/a
Beam	37.75 ft (11.51 m)
Draught	14.5 ft (4.4 m)
Propulsion	2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, steam turbines on 2 shafts, 40,000 shp (30 MW)
Speed	31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph) (full load)
Complement	174
Sensors and processing systems	Radar Type 293Q target indication Type 277Q surface search Type 974 navigation Type 262 fire control on director CRBF Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF Sonar: Type 174 search Type 162 target classification Type 170 attack
Armament	1 × twin 4 in gun Mark 19 1 × twin 40mm Bofors Mk.5; 2 × Squid A/S mortar or; 2 × Limbo Mark 10 A/S mortar

HMS Wakeful was a

Between 1948 and 1950 her captain was Commander Royston Wright.

Wakeful was used as a Boys Training ship until she was converted to a

She was assigned the new pennant number F159 and served in the Mediterranean as a part of the 5th Frigate Squadron until 1957. During this time she took part in Operation Musketeer, the Anglo-French assault on Port Said to take control of the Suez Canal. In 1959 she recommissioned as leader of the Portsmouth Squadron, as a training tender to the Navigational Training School at HMS Dryad, and as trials ship to the Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment (ASWE). On 25 February 1960 she was used for the burial at sea of Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma off the coast of Portsmouth. On 25 August 1960, the destroyer Battleaxe was carrying out steam trials while moored alongside the minelayer Apollo at Portsmouth, when steam was let into the ship's turbines, driving the ship forward and breaking Apollo's mooring lines. Apollo then collided with Wakeful, which also broke free from her moorings and struck the caisson at the entrance to a dock. Apollo's stem was damaged, while Wakeful suffered buckled plates from the impact by Apollo and a badly damaged bow from the collision with the caisson.^[3]

In April 1964 she was part of the

Between 1966 and 1967 she was fitted with experimental satellite communication equipment and stabilisers for trials. In 1968 she took part in 'Navy Days' at Portsmouth Dockyard and at this time was part of the 2nd Frigate Squadron.^[1] On 31 October 1967 she escorted the RMS Queen Mary out of Southampton on her final voyage to Long Beach for retirement. In August 1968 she took part in the Western Fleet Review that sailed 50 ships in a review of the fleet carried out by the newly promoted Admiral of the Fleet Sir Varyl Begg on his retirement.

HMS Wakeful (Commanded by Lt.Cdr. David Whitehead) also went up the Ouistreham Canal for the 25th Anniversary of D Day in June 1969. Later that year she was replaced by Grenville.[5] and Lieutenant Commander David Whitehead was transferred to HMS Grenville as her new commanding officer at this time.

Decommissioning and disposal

In 1970 Wakeful was put on the Disposal List, and on 26 February left Portsmouth for de-equipping. She was sold to Thos. W. Ward for scrapping on 10 July 1971 and arrived in tow at Inverkeithing for demolition on 5 July that year.^[6]

Affiliations

Official affiliation

• Darwen, Lancashire

Notes