HMS Wessex (R78)

HMS Wessex (R78) was a British W-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She served throughout the war and was later converted into a Type 15 frigate in the early 1950s.

Originally ordered as part of the 9th Emergency Flotilla in January 1941, Wessex was built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock, Scotland. She was launched on 2nd September 1943 and commissioned on 22nd February 1944.

During World War II, HMS Wessex served in various theaters, including escort duties in the Arctic and operations in the English Channel. She participated in the Normandy landings in June 1944, providing fire support for the Allied troops ashore.

Following the war, Wessex underwent a major conversion to a Type 15 anti-submarine frigate between 1951 and 1954. This involved significant structural alterations and the installation of improved sonar and anti-submarine weaponry. As a Type 15 frigate, Wessex continued to serve with the Royal Navy during the Cold War, participating in exercises and patrols.

HMS Wessex was decommissioned in 1961 and subsequently sold for scrap in 1962.