User:ThePointblank/Sandbox

HMS Wanderer (D74/I74) was an Admiralty modified W destroyer of the Royal Navy which saw service in the Second World War. She was the 7th ship to bear the name 'Wanderer'. She was laid down by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Scotland. Wanderer was the most successful Admiralty modified W class destroyer, with 5 confirmed U-boat kills.

Construction
Wanderer was laid down on 7 Janurary 1918 by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Scotland as part of 1917-18 Build Programme for a Admiralty modified W destroyer. She was then commissioned on 12 September 1919.

Interwar Period
After acceptance, Wanderer served as part of the Atlantic and Mediterranean fleets. By 1931, she was transfered Chatham in the Nore Local Flotilla and used for training duties.

World War II
In September 1939, Wanderer, along with HMS Wallace linked up with the Polish Navy destroyers ORP Burza, ORP Grom, and ORP Blyskawica as they were fleeing the German invasion of Poland as part of the Peking Plan. There, the Polish destroyers were escorted to Leith. Then, Wanderer was transfered to the 15th Destroyer Flotilla, attached to the Western Approaches Command at Plymouth. During the initial months of the war, Wanderer escorted convoys sailing from Britain to a dispersal point south of Ireland from which merchant ships proceeded independently across the Atlantic. There, Wanderer escorted numerous convoys both heading towards British ports and heading overseas. Wanderer continued to be attached to Western Approaches Command, when Germany invaded Norway.

In April 1940, Wanderer was then transfered to the Home Fleet where she supported of evacuation of allied troops from Norway. There, she helped screened and shuttled Allied troops back to Britain as part of Operation Alphabet. After the campaign, in May 1940, Wanderer was then transfered back to the Western Approaches Command, resuming convoy protection duties. During this period, Wanderer had her pennant number changed from 'D74' to 'I74' to conform to alterations of pennants for Royal Navy warships. In June 1940, Wanderer took part in Operation Cycle, where she protected the evacuation of 11,000 Allied troops from the Channel port of Le Havre, firing on German positions near Le Tréport.

After Operation Cycle, Wanderer was then released back into Western Approaches Command, until July 1940, when she was then deployed in the English Channel taking part in anti-invasion patrols and convoy escort in the Channel. Wanderer continued her patrols in the English Channel until August 1940, where Wanderer was transferred to Liverpool to continue with her convoy escort duties after Western Approaches Command changed headquarters to Liverpool following changes in convoy routing arrangements from the Southern approaches to the North-West approaches. While as convoy escort, Wanderer and the A class destroyer, HMS Anthony pick up 55 survivors from the British merchant ship Jamaica Pioneer which was torpedoed and sunk by U-100 east of Rockall.

From the months of October 1940 to June 1941, Wanderer continued her convoy escort duties. During one such escort on June 2, 1941, while escorting outbound convoy OB329, U-147 made a solo attack on the convoy, damaging the the Belgian merchant ship Mokambo. Wanderer, along with the Flower class corvette HMS Periwinkle retaliated and depth charged U-147 to destruction, with no survivors. The following day, after convoy OB329 was dispersed, the British tanker Inversuir was attacked and sunk by U-75 north of the Azores. Wanderer later rescued 9 survivors of the attack.

In July 1941, Wanderer joined military Convoy WS9C in the Bristol Channel with the Dutch cruiser HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerk, the Polish destroyer ORP Garland, the Tribal class destroyer HMS Gurkha, and HMS Vanoc as Local Escort for passage in Irish Sea and North West Approaches. This convoy was part of Operation Substance, which was one of the many relief convoys to follow heading to Malta.

In August 1941, Wanderer, along with the Town class destroyer HMS St Albans and the Flower class corvette HMS Hydrangea reinforced inward convoy SL81 heading towards Liverpool. The convoy was being followed by German U-boats, and was subsequently attacked by U-204 and U-401 on August 3. During the attack, Wanderer, along with St Albans and Hydrangea found and attacked U-401 with depth charges, resulting in the destruction of U-401. Despite Wanderer's best efforts, 5 ships from SL81 were sunk before the convoy reached safe haven.

From September 1941 to September 1942, Wanderer continued her convoy protection duties, until she arrived at Brooklyn Navy Yard for a minor refit. Then in December 1942, Wanderer was nominated for conversion to a Long Range Escort. While steaming home, Wanderer on January 11 1943 picks up 46 survivors from the British merchant Ocean Vagabond that was torpedoed and sunk by U-186 south of Iceland. Once arriving home, Wanderer was taken in hand by HM Dockyard, Devonport for her conversion, which lasted until April 1943. During the conversion, Wanderer lost her 'A' and 'Y' 4.7" guns, along with her torpedo tubes and a boiler, while a Hedgehog mortar, additional depth charge storage, and more light anti-aircraft guns were added. . Also, Wanderer received the latest in sensors, namely the Type 144 Asidic, the Type 271 surface warning radar, and the Type 293 air and surface search radar. Wanderer also received a a High Frequency Direction Finding (HF/DF), or 'Huff-Duff' set during her refit. After her refit, Wanderer underwent post refit trials and work-up at Tobermory for operational service.

Wanderer's first major assignment out of refit was the escort of military convoys taking part in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. After arriving home from the Mediterranean in August and assigned to escort a UK to Gibraltar convoy, Wanderer on August 25 1943, managed to pickup a radar return at 14,000 yards on her Type 271 surface warning radar, well out of what was stated as the official maximum range for the radar set. Wanderer then went off to investigate the unknown contact, which was discovered to be U-523, one of the larger Type IXC U-boats, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Werner Peitzsch, closing in to around 2,400 yards when the U-boat dived. Wanderer then performed an initial depth charge attack which missed the target. Afterwords, Wanderer then closed in for a textbook Hedgehog attack on the submarine, but for some unexplained reason, the Hedgehog bombs failed to detonate despite an accurate attack. The U-523 then went off in the direction of the convoy attempting to shake Wanderer off through manoeuvring in the convoy, and managed to do so initially, until Wanderer managed to regain contact once well clear. During this period, another escort, the Flower class corvette HMS Wallflower was sent to assist in the hunt. Wanderer then changed tactics and came up astern of the U-boat, dropping two 10 charge patterns on the U-boat, forcing the U-boat the surface. When U-523 emerged, Wanderer opened fire with her guns, and launched her whaleboat with a boarding party in an attempt to capture the U-boat, without success, as U-523 went down for the last time. After U-523 went down, Wanderer and Wallflower then moved in and pick upped 37 survivors, including the U-boat's commanding officer.

Immediately after the sinking of U-523, Wanderer was then assigned to proceed to Portuguese waters under the cover of darkness, up the Targus River, and rendezvous with a smaller boat to offload an advanced Royal Air Force party to implement an agreement between Portugal and the British signed on August 18 1943, under the 1373 Treaty of Peace. The agreement leased the Azores Islands to the Allies, allowing the Allies to close the mid-Atlantic gap.

Commanding Officers
Cdr. Reginald Francis Morice, RN 31 July 1939 - 24 May 1940

Cdr. John Henry Ruck-Keene, RN 24 May 1940 – 14 November 1940 DSC awarded on 9 July 1940

Cdr. Arthur Frederick St. George Orpen, RN 14 November 1940 – 10 February 1942 Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) awarded on 21 November 1941

Lt.Cdr. Denis Harold Palmer Gardiner, DSC, RN 10 February 1942 – ???

HMS Wanderer was in Dockyard Control during refit

Lt.Cdr. Reginald (Bob) Fife Whinney, RN 20 April 1943 - ??? DSC awarded on 15 February 1944 Bar to DSC awarded on 20 June 1944 2nd Bar to DSC awarded on 10 October 1944

Lt. P.R. Michell, RN