HMS Wolverine
Vessel name on Arrival: HMS Wolverine
Original Builder: J. Samuel White & Company of East Cowes
Original Yard No: 1526
Official Number:
Vessel Type: destroyer
GRT: 1325
Year Built: 1920
Arrival Date: 28/01/1946
Breakup Started: 30/01/1946
Date First Beached: 03/03/1946
Date Breakup Completed: 06/05/1946
Draught For’d: 07' 04"
Draught Aft: 13' 09"
Name Changes:
Other Information:
Modified 'W'-Class Destroyer Pennant No. D78 Complement – 134 men
Keel Laid Down : 08-10-1918 Launched : 17-07-1919 Completed : 27-07-1920
LOA : 95.1 m (309 ft.) LPP : 91.4 m (297 ft.) Beam : 9.0 m (29' 4")
Propulsion : Brown-Curtis geared turbines driving twin shafts/propellers taking steam from Yarrow Boilers
Power Output : 27,000 SHP
Speed : 34 knots
On the completion of Commissioning, Wolverine joined the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, serving in the Atlantic and Mediterranean fleets. She was later placed in reserve where she remained until re-commissioned in August 1939 with the threat of a world war looming closer by the day.
On the outbreak of WWII in September 1939, Wolverine was engaged on convoy escort duties in the Channel and South-West Approaches and in this period gave protection to 19 convoys. In April of 1940, Wolverine moved to the Home Fleet for the Norwegian Campaign and was involved in the rescue of almost 700 Irish Guards from a burning troopship during the evacuation of Harstad.
In June 1940, Wolverine was involved in the evacuation of France, assisting in Operation Ariel – the evacuation of the Biscay ports. In August of 1940, and for a duration lasting 27 months, she joined the 6th Escort Group for escort duties in the North Atlantic, Gibraltar and South Atlantic routes, escorting some 27 North Atlantic convoys.
During a wolf-pack attack on convoy OB 293 in March of 1941, and where Wolverine was serving as the Escort Leader, the Group drove off a U-Boat attack, destroying U-70 in the process. Wolverine attacked a contact she had made, believed at the time to be Gunther Prien's infamous U-47, but it later tranpired that the 'victim' was more probably the U-Boat U-A, which was damaged in the attack but did survive it. The U-47 was lost in that same action, but the precise cause has not been ascertained.
In April 1941, in an operation along with the Sloop HMS Scarborough, Wolverine sank U-76
In July 1942, Wolverine was moved to Gibraltar for operations in the Mediterranean.
In August 1942, Wolverine played an active part in the famous Operation Pedestal – the most significant of the Malta Convoys in WWII – and during this operation she sank the Italian submarine Dagabur.
On 11th March 1943, 420 nautical miles S.W. of Freetown, Wolverine picked up survivors from the torpedoed merchantman Empire Whimbrel, a victim of U-181.
In June 1943, Wolverine returned to local escort duties in Gibraltar, Freetown and Cape Town, for operations in the South Atlantic, and in this period she escorted 17 convoys.
On 2nd July 1943, 250 nautical miles S.W. of Freetown, Wolverine picked up survivors from the torpedoed merchantman Empire Kohinoor, a victim of U-618.
In January 1944, Wolverine returned to the United Kingdom for a refit before resuming escort duties on the Gibraltar / Mediterranean routes.
In 1945, Wolverine took up escort duties in Home Waters, engaged in anti-submarine patrols in the English Channel and the South-West Approaches, and in this capacity she remained until the end of the war.
Wolverine paid off in May 1945 and, after VJ Day, was earmarked for disposal. On 28th January 1946 she was sold for scrapping and arrived at the WSCCL facilities in Troon for that purpose on same date.