The conversion removed Wallace's old destroyer armament and substituted twin 4-inch guns, pom-poms, depth charges, and sonar. Type 272 surface-search and Type 291 air-warning sets helped her detect threats, while Type 285 supported anti-aircraft fire control. Her slightly larger flotilla-leader hull made room for a stronger fit than many related V and W-class ships. The result shows how the Royal Navy adapted First World War hulls into useful coastal escorts while purpose-built Hunt-class destroyers entered service.
Chapter · 1:08:00-1:12:35
HMS Wallace as a WAIR anti-aircraft escort conversion
Wallace shows how an elderly V and W-class leader was rebuilt with modern radar, anti-aircraft guns, and anti-submarine equipment for coastal convoy defence.