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Sustained damage during work-up and withdrawn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)
|