Allied Warships

Destroyers

Shakespeare class

3 ships


The destroyer HMS Wallace (L 64) of the Royal Navy.

Technical information

TypeDestroyer
Displacement1554 BRT 
Length329 feet (oa) 
Complement164 men 
Armament

Broke and Keppel;
5 4.7" guns (5x1)
1 3" AA gun
1 MG AA
6 x 21" torpedo tubes (2x3)

Wallace (as fast escort);
4 4" AA guns (2x2)
4 2pdr AA (1x4)
2 20mm AA (2x1)
8 .5" AA (2x4) 

Max speed33 knots
EnginesGeared steam turbines 
Power40000 hp 
Notes on class

Designed and built by Thornycroft as flotilla leaders for the V & W-class destroyers.

HMS Shakespeare and HMS Spencer were decommissioned in the 30's and sold for scrap in 1936.

4 additional destroyers (Spragge, Barrington, Hughes and Saunders) of this class were cancelled after the end of WWI in Dec 1918.

HMS Wallace was reconstructed to a fast escort more or less on the same lines as the Admiralty V & W-class fast escort conversions. She had however, being larger, more small AA machine guns.

HMS Broke and HMS Keppel were modified for escort duties during the war. 

Royal Navy Royal Navy ships of the Shakespeare class

To see all Shakespeare class ships click here.

HMS Broke (D 83) Lost on 8 Nov 1942
HMS Keppel (D 84 / I 84)

Fast escort

HMS Wallace (L 64)


3 Destroyers of the Shakespeare class. 1 of them was lost.

See all Royal Navy Destroyer classes.


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