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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMS BRADFORD (H 72) -  ex-US Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Bradford (Photo Ships, click to enlarge)

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Ex USS MCLANAHAN (Type A – BELMONT-Class) built by Bethlehem Steel, Quincy. The ship was laid down on 20th April 1918 and launched on 22nd September 1918. Commissioned on 5th September 1919 for US naval service she was held in Reserve in 1939. The ship transferred to the RN under the UK/US Lend Lease Agreement on 26th November 1940 and commissioned as HMS BRADFORD at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 8th October 1940. This name was common to a town in Philadelphia, USA and the English city. It had first been  used by the Royal Navy in 1658 for 28 Gun ship and by a hired Trawler in 1915. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 the ship was adopted by the civil community of Hebden, Royd and Hepton, then in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC  1941-43 - NORTH AFRICA 1942 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1943

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue. a ram's head erased affrente White,

armed and gorged with a mural crown gold, the crown

charged with a hurt. thereon a mullet also White.

 

 

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

 

(for more ship information, go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

 

 

1 9 4 0

 

October

                8th          Commissioned as HMS BRADFORD at Halifax.

                29th        On completion of preparation for ocean passage sailed for Plymouth with call Newfoundland.

 

November              Taken in hand for modifications to suit RN use as a convoy escort.

to                            On completion took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up for operational service with ships of Home Fleet.                       

December              Withdrawn from work-up because of high incidence of defects.

                                Selected for refit and for conversion into a Long Range Escort.

                                See General Information.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Taken in hand by HM Dockyard Sheerness.

 

February                Under conversion for new role.

to                            Nominated for service in 43rd Escort Group based at Londonderry for defence of Atlantic convoys

August                  (Note: Sister destroyers CLARE and STANLEY were also converted.

                                Some sources suggest Surface warning Radar Type 271 was fitted during in this period but

                                this fit is unlikely in view of the short supply in 1941 when few sets of this new equipment

                                were available.

                                For details of development and use of radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D. Howse.)

November              Post refit trials.

                                Carried out work-up for operational service..

 

October                  Joined Group at Londonderry.

                                (Note: Other ships in this Group were HM Sloops ROCHESTER, HASTINGS, SANDWICH,

                                LEITH and sister destroyer HMS NEWPORT.)

 

November              Deployed with Group for Atlantic convoy defence.

to

December

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.

to

March

 

April

                18th        Sustained damage in collision with HM Sloop SCARBOROUGH during Atlantic convoy

                                defence deployment.

 

May                        Taken in hand for repair in Humber shipyard.

 

June                        Under repair

to                            (Note: Type 271 Radar may have been installed at this refit. See above.)

July

 

August                  Post refit trials.

 

September             Deployed with Group for Atlantic convoy defence.

 

October                  Deployed as part of escort for military convoy KMS2 to Mediterranean.

                                (Note: This was part of preparation for planned allied landings in North Africa.

                                By this period an anti-submarine mortar (HEDGEHOG) ad been fitted.

                                For details of the development of new weapons and tactics for defence of

                                convoys see SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann.)

 

November              Deployed for convoy defence in Mediterranean during the allied landings in North Africa.

                                (Operation TORCH. For details see Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE

                                CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser).)

 

December              On release from TORCH returned to UK as part of escort for returning mercantile convoy.

                                Taken in hand for repair at Liverpool.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  On completion of repair resumed convoy defence duties in NW Approaches.

to

February

 

March                    Transferred to English Channel for coastal convoy defence.

 

April                       Returned to Liverpool for repair.

 

May                        Under repair in Liverpool shipyard.

                                Found beyond economic repair and withdrawn from operational service.

                                Paid Off.

                14th        Taken In tow from Liverpool to Plymouth.

                                Selected for use as an Accommodation Ship.

 

June

                2nd         Re-commissioned as tender to HMS FOLIOT at Tamerton Foliet, Plymouth.

                                (Note: HMS FOLIOT used for Combined Operations personnel and this destroyer was

                                used to provide accommodation for these waiting draft.

 

July                         Accommodation Ship duties in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 4

 

                                Deployment as Tender to HMS FOLIOT in continuation.

 

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Deployment as tender to HMS FOLIOT in continuation.

to

August

  

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS BRADFORD was de-stored after VJ Day and placed In the Reserve Fleet at Plymouth. The ship was later put on the Disposal List and sold to BISCO on 19th June 1946 for demolition by West of Scotland  Shipbreakers. During August that year she was towed to the breaker’s yard at Troon, Ayrshire to be broken up.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS BRADFORD

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

 

 

 

 

 

Date convoy sailed

Joined convoy as escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date convoy arrived

 

 

 

 

 

28/10/41

28/10/41

OG 076

11/11/41

11/11/41

26/12/41

26/12/41

SL 096

01/01/42

13/01/42

30/01/42

06/02/42

OS 018

15/02/42

20/02/42

21/02/42

23/02/42

SL 101

01/03/42

15/03/42

24/03/42

26/03/42

OS 023

11/04/42

11/04/42

16/04/42

16/04/42

SL 107

05/05/42

07/05/42

25/10/42

25/10/42

KMS 002G

27/10/42

12/11/42

15/02/43

15/02/43

UC 001

16/02/43

06/03/43

15/05/43

15/05/43

WP 339

17/05/43

17/05/43

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 15/8/11
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