| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Frigate |
| Class | River |
| Pennant | K 371 |
| Built by | Henry Robb Ltd. (Leith, U.K.): Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. (Renfrew, Scotland) |
| Ordered | 14 Jun 1942 |
| Laid down | 18 Nov 1942 |
| Launched | 16 Aug 1943 |
| Commissioned | 9 Feb 1944 |
| End service | |
| History | Scrapped 22 February 1955. HMS Wye is not listed as active unit in the October 1945 Navy List |
Commands listed for HMS Wye (K 371)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | T/A/Lt.Cdr. Richard Charles Powys-Smith, RNR | 22 Nov 1943 | mid 1945 |
You can help improve our commands section
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this vessel.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve this ships page.
Notable events involving Wye include:
22 Feb 1944
HMS Uther (Lt. A.A. Catlow, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Cam (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Smythe, RD, RNR), HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR), HMS Swale (Lt.Cdr. J. Jackson, DSC, RNR) and HMS Pennywort (T/Lt. A.W. James, RNR). (1)
23 Feb 1944
HMS Uther (Lt. A.A. Catlow, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Cam (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Smythe, RD, RNR), HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR), HMS Gorleston (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.A.E. Leonard, RNZNVR) and HMS Pennywort (T/Lt. A.W. James, RNR). (1)
28 Feb 1944
HMS Uther (Lt. A.A. Catlow, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Gorleston (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.A.E. Leonard, RNZNVR), HMS Pennywort (T/Lt. A.W. James, RNR), HMS Cam (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Smythe, RD, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR). (1)
29 Feb 1944
HMS Uther (Lt. A.A. Catlow, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Cam (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Smythe, RD, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR). (1)
2 Mar 1944
HMS Uther (Lt. A.A. Catlow, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Lightfoot (Lt.Cdr. T.M. Williams, RNR), HMCS Qa'Appelle (Cdr. D.C. Wallace, DSC, RCNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR). (2)
30 Dec 1944
HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived off Durban with convoy MC 14. The convoy and its escort went into Durban.
HMS Valiant was joined by the frigates HMS Test (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.B. Collinson, RD, DSC, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR) which were to escort her to Capetown. However a few hours after joining HMS Test was relieved by the frigate HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR). (3)
2 Jan 1945
HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN), HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR) arrived at Capetown. (4)
8 Jan 1945
HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Capetown for Freetown. She is escorted by the frigates HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR). (4)
19 Jan 1945
HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN), HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR) arrived at Freetown. (4)
21 Jan 1945
The battleship HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Freetown for Plymouth. She is still escorted by the frigates HMS Dovey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T.W.F. Bolland, RNR) and HMS Wye (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.C. Powys-Smith, RNR).
Around 1350A/27 they were joined by the sloop HMS Leith (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) A.W. Preston, RN) and the corvettes HMS Anchusa (T/Lt. R.A. Baker, RNVR) and HMS Convolvulus (A/Lt.Cdr. R.F.R. Yarde-Buller, RNVR).
At 0930A/31, the destroyers HMS Faulknor (Cdr. Douglas Eric Holland-Martin, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN) and HrMs Van Galen (Cdr. F.T. Burghard, RNethN) joined as additional escorts.
HMS Valiant and her escorts arrived at Plymouth on 1 February 1945. (4)
Sources
- ADM 173/19325
- ADM 173/19326
- ADM 53/120686
- ADM 53/122435
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.