[4][6] The ship carried 368 long tons (374 t) of oil giving a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

[8] Wrestler, the first ship of that name to serve with the Royal Navy,[9] was laid down at Swan Hunter's Wallsend shipyard during July 1917, and was launched on 25 February 1918.

[16][17][18] Wrestler was also converted for arctic use, with additional ballast to counter the buildup of topweight owing to icing, and improved insulation and heating.

[22] In March 1919, in a reorganisation of the Royal Navy, Wrestler transferred to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla of what became the Atlantic Fleet, based at Rosyth.

[29] On 8 October 1921, the American steamer West Camak rammed the British passenger ship Rowan from astern in fog in the North Channel.

[30][31][32][20][b] Wrestler was reduced to reserve at the Nore in January 1922, but in May that year was recommissioned to serve as tender to HMS Vernon the torpedo school at Portsmouth.

[20] On 27 June 1927, Wrestler formed part of the escort for the battlecruiser Renown, carrying the Duke and Duchess of York into Portsmouth at the end of their tour of Australia and New Zealand.

[33][34] On 24 January 1928, Wrestler, together with the destroyer Vanoc, escorted the minesweeper Caterham as she carried the body of Admiral of the Fleet John de Robeck from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight.

[20] On 15–17 July 1935, Wrestler took part in King George V's Silver Jubilee Fleet Review, escorting the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert.

[38] On 13 October 1935, Wrestler went to the aid of the Norwegian tanker Barfonn, which had been damaged by an explosion in one of her oil tanks, which killed three, when off Portland Bill.

[20] On 3 July 1940 Wrestler she was present at the British attack on the Vichy French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria, where she was assigned to watch the nearby port of Oran.

[42][43] On 8 July, Wrestler[1][44][45][c] sailed with Force H on a diversion for operations of the Mediterranean Fleet to cover the passage from Malta to Alexandria of two convoys.

This time Ark Royal's Swordfish bombers successfully attacked Cagliari, while Argus's Hurricanes reached Malta safely and Force H returned to Gibraltar unharmed.

[48][49] On 18 October 1940, Wrestler, together with the destroyer Firedrake and two Saro London flying boats of 202 Squadron RAF attacked and sank the Italian Adua-class submarine Durbo east of Gibraltar.

[51][52] Wrestler remained based at Gibraltar until June 1941, when she transferred to Freetown, joining the 18th Destroyer Flotilla for convoy operations off West Africa.

[66][67] On 21 October 1942, Wrestler left Britain as part of the escort to Convoy KX4A to Gibraltar, carrying troops and equipment for the invasion, and then formed part of the Eastern Naval Task Force bound for Algiers, left Gibraltar escorting Convoy KMS1 on 5 November with the landings taking place on 8 November.

[71] From December 1942 to May 1943, Wrestler was refitted and modified to a Long Range Escort at Sheerness Dockyard, joining Western Approaches Command after completion of her reconstruction.

[74] From late September to early August 1943, Wrestler, now part of the 8th Support Group, escorted convoys to the Azores to help set up airbases for use by the RAF under the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance.

[75] On 20 December 1943, the Arctic convoy JW 55B left Loch Ewe in Scotland, with Wrestler part of the convoy's close ocean escort, which consisted of 10 destroyers, two corvettes and a minesweeper, with a covering force of three cruisers and distant cover provided by the battleship Duke of York, another cruiser and four destroyers.

[76][77] Wrestler sailed with the return convoy RA 55B, which left the Kola Inlet on 31 December 1943 and arrived, unharmed, back at Loch Ewe, on 8 January 1944.