TRACKPADSHistory Wins the FutureBack to Trackpads
A TRACKPADS COLLECTIONWARSHIP ARCHIVE

UNITED KINGDOM / WORLD WAR II / INDIVIDUAL SHIP

HMS Bath

USS Hopewell (DD-181) is documented as one ship that later served as HMS Bath in the Town-class transfer group.

Town class (Destroyers-for-Bases)Royal NavyWorld War IIVerified subject image
The Japanese destroyer JMSDF Asakaze (DD-181) refueling from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La (CVA-38) in 1959. The Shangri-La was deployed to the Western Pacific from 9 March to 3 October 1959.
The Japanese destroyer JMSDF Asakaze (DD-181) refueling from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La (CVA-38) in 1959. The Shangri-La was deployed to the Western Pacific from 9 March to 3 October 1959. Asakaze had been commissioned in 1941 as USS Ellyson (DD-454).U.S. Navy photo [1] from the USS Shangri-La (CVA-38) 1959 cruise book available at Navysite.de · Public domainImage source
Hull / pennantDD-181
ClassWickes class
NavyRoyal Navy
CountryUnited Kingdom

What is known about this ship

USS Hopewell (DD-181) is documented as one ship that later served as HMS Bath in the Town-class transfer group.

Service history

U.S. destroyer and later Allied identities remain attached to this single hull rather than being documented as separate ships.

Class context: Wickes class

The Wickes class was the first mass-produced U.S. flush-deck destroyer design of the World War I era.

This ship is recorded as a member of Wickes class. Shared design history belongs on the class page; this page concentrates on the individual hull where evidence is available.

Sources and further reading

  1. Destroyers Transferred to Great Britain Under the Destroyers-for-Bases Agreement ↗Naval History and Heritage Command · accessed 2026-09-19
  2. Destroyers for Great Britain: A History of the 50 Town Class Ships Transferred From the United States to Great Britain in 1940 ↗accessed 2026-09-19
  3. Flush-deck destroyer ship list ↗Destroyer History Foundation · accessed 2026-09-19
Spot an error or have additional information?Send a correction, stronger source, image lead, or additional detail for this profile.
Corrections & Contributions →
Related classesBrowse class records →Individual shipsBrowse ship records →