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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2005

HMS BROADWAY (H 90) -  ex-US Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Broadway (Photo Ships, click to enlarge)

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Ex USS HUNT (Type A - BELMONT-Class) built by Newport News Shipbuilding. This ship was laid down on 20th August 1918 and launched on 14th February 1920. Commissioned on 8th June 1920 for service in the US Navy she was held in Reserve in 1939. The ship transferred to the RN under USA/UK Lend Lease Agreement on 8th October 1940 and commissioned at Halifax, NS Canada for RN use. Like other Ex US Navy destroyers transferred to the Royal Navy in 1940, her name was common to a town in the USA and to several villages in the UK. It had not previously been used for any RN ship.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC 1941-43 - NORTH SEA 1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

None is recorded in the Official List of Royal Navy Heraldic Crests.

 

 

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 at Halifax as HMS BROADWAY.

                                Took passage to Devonport with call at St Johns Newfoundland.

                29th        Arrived at Devonport.

                                Taken in hand for refit and modification by HM Dockyard Devonport to suit use as

                                a convoy escort.

                                (Note: The work included removal of mainmast and shortening of foremast.

                                The after funnels were also shortened and the 3in and 4in guns mounted aft were replaced

                                by a 12pdr British HA gun in X position.

                                Two of the torpedo tube mountings aft were also removed and US Navy type Depth

                                Charges replaced by RN pattern.

 

November              Nominated for service in 11th Escort Group after working-up for operational service..

                19th        On completion of post refit trials took passage to Scapa Flow for work-up with ships of Home

                                Fleet.

 

December

                7th          Sustained damage during work-up and withdrawn for repair.

                                Passage to Hull for repair in commercial shipyard.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January

                7th          Passage to Scapa Flow to complete work-up.

 

February                Taken in hand for further defect repair at Clyde shipyard.

 

March                    Additional repair required and taken in hand in Liverpool.

                                Passage to Devonport to complete repair work.

 

April                       On completion of repair took passage to Tobermory to complete work-up.

                28th        Arrived at Liverpool to commence operational service in Western Approaches.

                                Passage to Iceland to join Group.

 

May                        Deployed with Group, based in Iceland for escort of convoys during mid-Atlantic passage.

                7th          Deployed with HM Destroyer BULLDOG and HM Corvette AUBRETIA to join Convoy

                                OB318 in place of 7th Escort Group during mid Atlantic passage.

                                (Note: Sailed from Iceland as escort for four mercantiles and HM Armed Merchant Cruiser

                                RANPURA to join convoy,

                                7th Escort Group remained with convoy for additional period.

                8th          Convoy under attack by U94 .

                                Anti-submarine operations carried out by HM Sloop ROCHESTER, HM Destroyers

                                AMAZON and BULLDOG after loss of two ships in convoy.

                9th          Convoy under attack by U110 and U201 during which two more mercantiles were sunk.

                                After detection of submarine by HMS AUBRETIA ships of both Escort Groups carried out

                                three depth charge attacks on U110 the last of which caused significant damage forcing the

                                submarine to surface,

                                Crew of U110 abandoned submarine after surface gunfire attacks and ramming attempt.

                                (Note: Submarine boarded by party from HMS BULLDOG which were able to recover the

                                ENIGMA Coding machine with associated documentation.

                                For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp, HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR

                                by C Blair, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO) and BREAKING THE

                                ENIGMA by D Kahn.)

                                U110 was taken in tow by HMS BULLDOG but foundered on 11th May.

                                32 of U-Boat crew survived.

                                Sustained major damage after hitting U110 bow plane

                                Ship’s hull was ruptured causing major flooding in forward compartments.

 

June                        Under repair at Dundee in commercial shipyard.

 

July                         On completion of post repair trials deployed in Hone waters.

                                Nominated for escort of military convoy.

 

August

                2nd         Joined escort for military convoy WS10 in Clyde for Local Escort in NW Approaches

                                with HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA, WITCH,

                                GURKHA, LANCE, LEGION, Dutch destroyer ISAAC SWEEPS, Polish destroyer

                                ORP PIORUN and HM Armed Merchant Cruiser WORCESTERSHIRE.

                6th          Detached from WS6A with HM Destroyers GURKHA, LANCE, LEGION, Dutch

                                ISAAC SWEERS and returned to Clyde.

                                Took passage to Newfoundland to join 17th Escort Group for convoy escort.

                                Deployed with HM Corvette POLYANTHUS and two Canadian Corvettes at St Johns.

 

September             Part of escort for Convoy HX1M6 with ships of Group.

 

October                  Transferred to 4th Canadian Escort Group as Senior Officer's Ship.

 

November              Escorted Convoys ON28 and ONS38 with ships of Group during passage in the western

                                Atlantic.

                                Nominated for return to UK for refit and completion of modifications.

 

December              Under refit at Sheerness.

                                (Note: Completion of modifications included:

                                Removal of Beam 4in guns and replacement by 20mm Oerlikon guns.

                                Removal of remaining torpedo tube mounting and replacement by a British triple

                                mounting on centre-line.

                                Installation of surface warning radar Type 271.

                                (For details of development and use of radar see RADAR AT SEA by D Howe)

                                Installation of HEDGEHOG Anti-submarine Mortar mounting forward.

                                (For details see SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann.)

                                New design Bridge structure provided.

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Under refit

to

March

 

April                       Resumed convoy defence service on completion of Post refit trials and took passage to rejoin

                                the Canadian Escort Group.

 

May                        Deployed for Atlantic convoy defence with Group based in St Johns.

                                Part of escort for Convoy ONS100

                                (Note: For details of dates of sailing and departure see ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM IN

                                WW2 by A Hague.)

 

June                        Western Atlantic convoy escort with Group in continuation.

 

July                         Under refit at Boston, Mass,

 

August                  Part of escort for Convoy SC97 with HM Destroyer BURNHAM and four RCN Corvettes.

                                Under attack by group of nine U-Boats during which two ships were sunk.

                                (See HITLER’S U- BOAT WAR and U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO).)

 

September             Passage to UK for installation of Direction Finding Outfit FH3.

                                (For details see SEEK and STRIKE)

                                Under refit at Liverpool.

 

October                 Resumed duties with Canadian Escort Group at St Johns.

                                Part of escort with Group for Convoy ON139.

 

November              Western Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.

 

December              Under refit at Belfast.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  On completion resumed duties with Group.

                                Part of escort for Convoys ONS160 and HX225.

 

February                Transferred for escort of convoys to western Mediterranean.

                                Part of escort for military convoy KMS11 to Algiers and the return Convoy MKS12 to Clyde.

 

March                    Resumed North Atlantic convoy defence with Group

to

April

 

May                        Part of escort for Convoy HX237 with ships of Group

                                (Note: Air cover during transit was provided by HM Escort Carrier BITER.)

                14th        Shared credit for sinking of U89 with HM Frigate LAGAN in defence of HX23.

                                (Note: There were no survivors. See U-BOATS DESTROYED.).

 

June                        Future deployment under consideration due to increasing defect load.

                                Withdrawn from operational service after escort of two Atlantic convoys.

                                (Note: New construction escorts were becoming available.)

 

July                         Selected for use as an Air Target Ship.

                                Taken in hand for conversion at Belfast.

 

August                  Under conversion.

to                            (Note: Radar, Anti-submarine Mortar, Torpedo Tubes, HF D/F Outfit removed.

December              This ensured room for handling aircraft torpedoes used during training.

                                Allocated for service in North Sea off Scottish East coast. Worked up for new deployment.

 

1 9 4 4

 

                                Deployed for aircrew training at North Sea Station.

 

1 9 4 5

January                  Air Target Ship duty in continuation

to

April

 

May                        After VE Day detached for special duty with Home Fleet.

                16th        Present at Tromso with Hone Fleet ships during liberation of area.

                                (Note: U-Boat surrenders also took place and arrangements made for transfer submarines to

                                allied custody (Operation DEADLIGHT).)

 

June                        Resumed Air Target duties.

to                            Withdrawn from service.

July

 

August

                9th          Paid Off and de-stored prior to reduction to Reserve.

 

 P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS BROADWAY was kept in un-maintained Reserve until placed on the Disposal List in 1947. The ship was sold to BISCO on 18th February 1947 for demolition by Metal Industries. but was not towed to the breaker's yard in Charlestown near Rosyth until March 1948.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS BROADWAY

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

 

 

 

 

 

10/12/40

10/12/40

FS 0358

11/12/40

12/12/40

10/02/41

04/03/41

SL 065

08/03/41

08/03/41

20/04/41

29/04/41

HX 122

04/05/41

08/05/41

02/05/41

07/05/41

OB 318

10/05/41

10/05/41

30/04/41

11/05/41

HX 124

unknown

20/05/41

21/08/41

24/08/41

HX 146

02/09/41

06/09/41

01/09/41

07/09/41

ON 012

10/09/41

14/09/41

24/09/41

27/09/41

SC 046

05/10/41

10/10/41

04/10/41

10/10/41

ON 023

18/10/41

19/10/41

29/10/41

01/11/41

SC 052

03/11/41

05/11/41

22/10/41

04/11/41

ON 029

05/11/41

05/11/41

10/11/41

15/11/41

ON 035

15/11/41

27/11/41

13/11/41

16/11/41

ON 036

16/11/41

25/11/41

28/04/42

29/04/42

ON 090

09/05/42

15/05/42

14/05/42

17/05/42

SC 084

27/05/42

29/05/42

12/06/42

13/06/42

ON 103

21/06/42

26/06/42

16/06/42

27/06/42

ON 104

02/07/42

02/07/42

02/08/42

05/08/42

HX 201

05/08/42

14/08/42

06/08/42

10/08/42

ON 119

15/08/42

20/08/42

22/08/42

26/08/42

SC 097

05/09/42

07/09/42

16/10/42

22/10/42

ON 139

27/10/42

01/11/42

01/11/42

08/11/42

SC 108

14/11/42

19/11/42

26/11/42

27/11/42

ON 149

06/12/42

12/12/42

12/12/42

21/12/42

SC 113

31/12/42

02/01/43

14/03/43

24/03/43

KMS 011G

24/03/43

28/03/43

18/04/43

19/04/43

ON 179

29/04/43

06/05/43

01/05/43

07/05/43

HX 237

16/05/43

17/05/43

24/05/43

25/05/43

ON 186

02/06/43

07/06/43

07/06/43

12/06/43

HX 243

20/06/43

21/06/43

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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