HMS Wakeful (H88)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Wakeful
Ordered:	9 December 1916
Builder:	John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotland
Laid down:	17 January 1917
Launched:	6 October 1917
Commissioned:	16 December 1917
Identification:	Pennant number: H88
Motto:	Si dormiam capiar “If I sleep I may be caught”
Fate:	Sunk on 29 May 1940 by E-Boat S-30
Badge:	On a Black field an eye proper with rays ensuing therefore, Gold.
General characteristics
Class and type:	Admiralty W-class destroyer
Displacement:	1,100 tons
Length:	300 ft (91.4 m) o/a, 312 ft (95.1 m)p/p
Beam:	26 ft 9 in (8.2 m)
Draught:	9 ft (2.7 m) standard, 11 ft 3 in (3.4 m) in deep
Propulsion:	3 Yarrow type Water-tube boilers Brown-Curtis steam turbines 2 shafts 27,000 shp (20,000 kW)
Speed:	34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range:	320-370 tons oil, 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph), 900 nmi (1,700 km) at 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Complement:	110
Armament:	4 × QF 4 in Mk.V (102mm L/45), mount P Mk.I 2 × QF 2 pdr Mk.II "pom-pom" (40 mm L/39) or; 1 × QF 3 inch 20 cwt (76 mm), mount HA Mk.II 6 (2x3) tubes for 21 in torpedoes

HMS Wakeful was a W-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was built under the 1916-17 Programme in the 10th Destroyer order. Wakeful was assigned to the Grand Fleet after completion, and served into the early years of the Second World War. Wakeful was torpedoed and sunk during Operation Dynamo by a German E-Boat on 29 May 1940.

Career

First World War

Wakeful joined the Grand Fleet and was present at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet in 1918. She then went into reserve.

Second World War

Just prior to the start of the war in August 1939 Wakeful was reactivated and recommissioned to attend the Royal Review of the Reserve Fleet in Weymouth Bay. At the outbreak of war Wakeful was assigned to convoy escort duty with the 17th Destroyer Flotilla, which was part of the Western Approaches Command.

Operation Dynamo

Wakeful was selected to support Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of allied troops from Dunkirk, on 26 May 1940. On 27 May 1940 Wakeful embarked 631 Allied troops. While returning them to Dover Wakeful came under air attack and received minor damage below the waterline. Despite the near miss Wakeful returned to Dunkirk to continue the evacuation, embarking 640 Allied troops on 28 May 1940. While carrying this out Wakeful was torpedoed by the German E-Boat S-30. The destroyer was struck by two torpedoes, one hitting the forward boiler room. Casualties were heavy, only one of the 640 allied troops and 25 of Wakeful's crew surviving. A number of ships stopped to pick up the survivors, but one of these, the destroyer Grafton, was then in turn sunk by a German U-Boat.

Notes

Bibliography

• Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4. 
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7. 
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475. 
• Cocker, Maurice; Allan, Ian. Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981. ISBN 0-7110-1075-7. 
• Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-081-8. 
• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1984). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5. 
• Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7. 
• March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892-1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555. 
• Preston, Antony (1971). 'V & W' Class Destroyers 1917-1945. London: Macdonald. OCLC 464542895. 
• Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1979). 'V' and 'W' Class Destroyers. Man o'War. 2. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 0-85368-233-X. 
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2. 
• Whinney, Bob (2000). The U-boat Peril: A Fight for Survival. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-35132-6. 
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1. 
• Winser, John de D. (1999). B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-91-6. 

External links

• www.naval-history.net
• http://uboat.net

V- and W- class destroyers
Admiralty	V class leaders  Royal Navy Malcolm / Valkyrie Bruce / Valentine Montrose / Valorous Wallace / Vampire Douglas / Valhalla  Royal Australian Navy Vampire V class  Royal Navy Vanoc Vimiera Vehement Vanquisher Verdun Vega Violent Vendetta Vectis Venturous Verulam Vortigern Venetia Vittoria Versatile Vivacious Velox Vesper Vancouver / Vimy Vivien Vidette Vanessa Vanity  Royal Australian Navy Vendetta W class  Royal Navy Completed Westminster Wakeful Watchman Walker Whirlwind Winchelsea Walrus Warwick Winchester Walpole Westcott Wrestler Wessex Wolfhound Waterhen Whitby / Whitley Voyager Wryneck Windsor Cancelled Wayfarer Woodpecker  Royal Australian Navy Voyager Waterhen Modified W class Completed Venom / Venomous Witherington Whitshed Verity Wivern Vansittart Volunteer Veteran Wanderer Wild Swan Wolverine Whitehall Worcester / Yeoman Wren Cancelled Vantage / Vimy Vashon Vengeful Vigo Vigorous / Wistful Virulent Volage Volcano Votary Wager Wake Waldegrave Walton Warren Watson Wave Weazel Welcome Welfare Wellesley Werewolf Westphal Westward Ho Willoughby Wheeler Whelp Whip Whippet Whitaker White Bear Whitehead Winter Wrangler Wye Yeoman Zealous Zebra Zodiac
Thornycroft	V class Viceroy Viscount W class Wolsey Woolston Modified W class Wishart Witch
Preceded by: S class Followed by: Scott class
List of destroyers of the Royal Navy

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in May 1940
Shipwrecks	1 May: Arlington, SS Dronning Maud, Uller 3 May: HMS Afridi, Bison 4 May: ORP Grom 5 May: Maianbar 9 May: Doris 10 May: Nordnorge 11 May: Antilla 12 May: HMCS Gate Vessel 1 14 May: HNLMS Abraham van der Hulst, Batterijschip Ijmuiden, HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh, HNLMS Johan Maurits van Nassau, Jan Pieterszoon Coen, HNLMS O 8, HNLMS O 11, HNLMS O 12, HNLMS O 25, HNLMS O 26, HNLMS O 27, HNLMS Pieter Florisz 15 May: HMS Valentine 16 May: Chrobry 17 May: HNLMS Noordbrabant 18 May: HMS Effingham, SS Sirius 19 May: Belgica, HMS Whitley 21 May: L'Adroit 23 May: Jaguar, Orage 24 May: Chacal, HMS Wessex 25 May: ORP Orzel 26 May: HMS Curlew 27 May: Cap Tafelneh 28 May: Abukir 29 May: HMS Grafton, HMS Grenade, Lorina, Mona's Queen, HMS Wakeful 30 May: Fenella, Bourrasque, HMS King Orry, Normannia 31 May: Siroco, U-13
Other incidents	5 May: HMS Seal 8 May: USS Tutuila 12 May: HMS Revenge 14 May: Chrobry 29 May: HMS Bideford, HMS Montrose
1939 1940 1941 April 1940 June 1940

Coordinates: 51°22′44″N 2°43′22″E / 51.3789°N 2.7228°E / 51.3789; 2.7228