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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Withdrawn from work-up because of high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
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Date
convoy sailed
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Joined
convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left
convoy
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Date
convoy arrived
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28/10/41
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28/10/41
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OG
076
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11/11/41
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11/11/41
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26/12/41
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26/12/41
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SL
096
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01/01/42
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13/01/42
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30/01/42
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06/02/42
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OS
018
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15/02/42
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20/02/42
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21/02/42
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23/02/42
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SL
101
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01/03/42
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15/03/42
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24/03/42
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26/03/42
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OS
023
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11/04/42
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11/04/42
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16/04/42
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16/04/42
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SL
107
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05/05/42
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07/05/42
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25/10/42
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25/10/42
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KMS
002G
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27/10/42
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12/11/42
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15/02/43
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15/02/43
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UC
001
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16/02/43
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06/03/43
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15/05/43
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15/05/43
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WP
339
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17/05/43
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17/05/43
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(Note
on Convoys)
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