Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Royal Navy — Destroyer D88

HMS Wren (D88)

Admiralty modified W class destroyer

HMS Wren (D88)
Abraham Titleboam of Devonport (died 1927); Abrahams & Sons of Devonport — Old Devonport — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — D88 HMS Wren . A postcard by Abrahams of Devonport.

Service

  1. Royal Navy as HMS Wren23 January 1923 — 27 July 1940330 days of the war
Admiralty modified W class destroyer Particulars
Name
HMS Wren
Pennant / hull number
D88
Builder
Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited
Ordered
April 1918
Laid down
June 1918
Launched
11 November 1919
Commissioned
23 January 1923
Fate
Sunk 27 July 1940 by air attack
By aircraft (1940)
Status
Wreck

Specifications — As built

Displacement, standard
1,140 long tons (1,158 t)
Length
95.1 m (312 ft) OA
Beam
8.99 m (29.5 ft)
Draught
2.74 m (9 ft)
Speed
34 knots (63 km/h, 39.1 mph)
Range
3,500 nmi (6,482 km)
Complement
127
Main gun
119 mm (4.7 in)

HMS Wren was a Admiralty modified W class destroyer built for the Royal Navy. She carried the pennant number D88. Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited laid her keel in June 1918. She entered service on 23 January 1923, having been launched on 11 November 1919.

Displacement was 1,140 long tons. She measured 95.1 m (312 ft) long with a beam of 9.0 m (29 ft). Her designed speed was 34 knots, and she carried a complement of 127. Her main battery was of 119 mm (4.7 in) calibre.

She was in commission for 330 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 27 July 1940 by aircraft. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

This vessel is recorded in 2 configurations. Wartime refits changed armament and complement substantially, so each is kept separately rather than averaged into one set of figures. The figures above are as built.

As built
Propulsion
  • 3 × Yarrow type Water-tube boilers
  • Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines driving 2 shafts producing 27,000 shp
Armament
  • 4 × BL 4.7 in (120-mm) Mk.I guns, mount P Mk.I
  • 2 × QF 2 pdr Mk.II "pom-pom" (40 mm L/39)
  • 6 × 21-inch Torpedo Tubes
War Modifications
Complement
134
Main gun
120 mm (4.7 in)
Armament
  • 3 × BL 4.7 in (120mm) Mk.I L/45 guns
  • 1 × QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun
  • 2 × QF 2 pdr Mk.II "pom-pom" (40 mm L/39)
  • 3 × 21-inch Torpedo Tubes (one triple mount)
  • 2 × depth charge racks

Sister ships

Sources

  • Facts harvested from HMS Wren (D88) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Abraham Titleboam of Devonport (died 1927); Abrahams & Sons of Devonport — Old Devonport — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons