Allied Warships

HMS Wakeful (i) (H 88)

Destroyer of the Admiralty V & W class

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Admiralty V & W
Pennant	H 88
Built by	John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd. (Clydebank, Scotland)
Ordered	9 Dec 1916
Laid down	17 Jan 1917
Launched	6 Oct 1917
Commissioned	16 Nov 1917
Lost	29 May 1940
Loss position	51° 22'N, 2° 43'E

History	On 29 May 1940 HMS Wakeful (Cdr. Ralph Lindsay Fisher, RN) was torpedoed and sunk by German motor torpedo boat S-30 while participating in the evacuation of French, English, and Belgian troops off Dunkirk. The wreck lies in position 51º22'44"N, 02º43'22"E.

Commands listed for HMS Wakeful (i) (H 88)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Cdr. Robert St. Vincent Sherbrooke, RN	31 Jul 1939	18 Dec 1939
2	Lt.Cdr. Ralph Lindsay Fisher, RN	18 Dec 1939	29 May 1940

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Notable events involving Wakeful (i) include:

19 Feb 1940
HMS H 32 (Lt. M.D. Wanklyn, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Wakeful (Cdr.. R.L. Fisher, RN) and HMS Wild Swan (Lt.Cdr. J.L. Younghusband, DSC, RN). (1)

4 Mar 1940
Shortly after 1900 hours, HMS Khartoum (Cdr. D.T. Dowler, RN) and HMS Kingston (Lt.Cdr. P. Somerville, DSO, RN), attacked a submarine contact in position off Trevose Head in 50°31'N, 05°24'W. This was later thought to be a wreck.

Later the same evening they were ordered to search for another uboat, together with HMS Wakeful (Cdr. R.L. Fisher, RN), that had been reported near the Scillies. (2)

5 Mar 1940
Shortly after noon this day, HMS Khartoum (Cdr. D.T. Dowler, RN), HMS Kingston (Lt.Cdr. P. Somerville, DSO, RN) and HMS Wakeful (Cdr. R.L. Fisher, RN) were ordered to search for a uboat that had been reported off St. Ives Head. Wakeful was sent ahead as both 'K'-class destroyers could only make 15 knots due to their damaged hulls. (2)