USS Wadleigh

USS Wadleigh was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy. The ship was named after George H. Wadleigh. Her keel was laid at Bath Iron Works on 5 April 1943. She entered service on 19 October 1943, having been launched on 7 August 1943.

Her class ran to 173 ships. The class followed the Gleaves-class destroyer and was succeeded by the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer.

She displaced 2,050 long tons. She measured 114.7 m (376 ft) long with a beam of 12.1 m (40 ft). Her designed speed was 38 knots, and she carried a complement of 329.

Her main battery was five 127 mm (5 in) guns.

She served with the United States Navy as USS Wadleigh (DD-689) until 28 June 1962. She then passed to the Chilean Navy, serving as Blanco Encalada from 26 July 1962. She was in commission for 684 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 28 June 1962. She was struck from the register on 1 September 1975.

She was expended as a target on 28 September 1991. The wreck survives.

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