HMS Brocklesby (L42)
Brocklesby underway 13 October 1942
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History | |
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United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Brocklesby |
Builder | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead |
Laid down | 18 November 1939 |
Launched | 30 September 1940 |
Completed | 9 April 1941 |
Commissioned | 9 April 1941 |
Identification | Pennant number: L42 |
Honours and awards | ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942-43 - DIEPPE 1942 - SICILY 1943 - SALERNO 1943 - ATLANTIC 1943 - ADRIATIC 1944 |
Fate | Scrapped at Faslane, 1968 |
Badge | On a field red, a buckle gold |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type I Hunt-class destroyer |
Displacement |
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Length | 264 ft 3 in (80.54 m) o/a |
Beam | 29 ft 0 in (8.84 m) |
Draught | 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 27.5 knots (31.6 mph; 50.9 km/h) |
Complement | 146 |
Armament |
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HMS Brocklesby was a
Construction and design
HMS Brocklesby was ordered from Cammell Laird on 4 September 1939, one of 17 Hunt-class destroyers ordered from various shipbuilders on that date, (including two from Lairds), which followed on from 20 ships ordered earlier in the year.[1] The Hunts were meant to fill the Royal Navy's need for a large number of small destroyer-type vessels capable of both convoy escort and operations with the fleet, and were designed with a heavy anti-aircraft armament of six 4-inch anti-aircraft guns and a speed of 29 knots (33 mph; 54 km/h).[2][3] An error during design, which was only discovered once the first ship of the class Atherstone was built, meant that the ships as designed were dangerously unstable. To restore stability, the first 23 Hunts, including Brocklesby,[a] were modified by removing a twin 4-inch mount, cutting down the ships' superstructure and adding ballast. These ships were known as Type I Hunts.[11][12] Later ships in the class had their beam increased, which allowed them to carry the originally intended armament, and were known as Type II Hunts.[13]
Brocklesby was 264 feet 3 inches (80.54 m) long
The ship's main gun armament was four
Brocklesby was laid down at Cammell Laird's Birkenhead shipyard on 18 November 1939 and was launched on 30 September 1940. She was completed on 9 April 1941.[17]
Service history
Second World War
After commissioning and workup, Brocklesby joined the 15th Destroyer Flotilla based at
On the night of 13/14 October 1942, the German commerce raider Komet attempted to break out into the Atlantic through the Channel, escorted by torpedo boats and minesweepers. Brocklesby was part of one of two groups deployed to intercept Komet. After Komet was sunk by the motor torpedo boat MTB 326, part of the other group, Brocklesby engaged Komet's escort, before breaking off the engagement after coming under fire from German coastal artillery.[18][19][23] Brocklesby continued to carry out both convoy escort and offensive operations against German shipping and was involved in an inconclusive engagement with an enemy convoy on 1 November 1942.[18][19] On the night of 11/12 December, Brocklesby, together with the destroyers Albrighton, Eskdale, Vesper, Whitshed and Worcester, attacked a German convoy off Dieppe. Eskdale torpedoed and sank a German Sperrbrecher or auxiliary minesweeper, while all of the British ships were damaged, with Brocklesby receiving splinter damage from near misses which killed one of her crew.[24][25][26][27]
During February 1943 she sailed for the Mediterranean, carrying out convoy escort duties near Gibraltar and in the Western Mediterranean.
In October 1943 she transferred to the Adriatic, where carried out shore bombardment and landing operations in support of partisans in addition to her normal convoy escort and patrol duties.
Postwar and fate
In 1945 Brocklesby along with Southdown was sent to Wilhelmshaven to show the flag immediately after the end of the war.[18][32] She was then converted to an aircraft target training ship, having her armament removed, serving in that duty at Rosyth and Portsmouth before being placed in reserve at Portsmouth in May 1946.[4][33] She was reduced to Category C, or extended reserve after 1948, where she was not required for operational service but was preserved for future use.[34]
Brocklesby went into refit at Devonport between 1951 and 1952, being converted into a trials vessel for anti-submarine operations. She was attached to the 2nd Training Squadron, although mainly carried out trials on behalf of the Underwater Detection Establishments at Portland or Gibraltar.
On 22 June 1963 she was paid off for the last time. Brocklesby was finally sold for scrap on 21 October 1968 and arrived at Faslane for breaking up on 23 October.[18] She was the last of the Hunt class in Royal Navy service.[38]
Affiliations and awards
Brocklesby was named after the
The ship was awarded the following Battle honours:[19][15]
- Dieppe 1942
- English Channel 1942–1943
- Atlantic 1943
- Sicily 1943
- Salerno 1943
- Adriatic 1944
Notes
References
- ^ English 1987, pp. 16–17
- ^ English 1987, pp. 7–9
- ^ Friedman 2008, pp. 71–72
- ^ a b Critchley 1982, p. 30
- ^ Lenton & Colledge 1973, p. 124
- ^ Elliott 1977, p. 162
- ^ English 1987, p. 11
- ^ Friedman 2008, pp. 76–77
- ^ a b Gardiner & Chesneau 1980, p. 47
- ^ a b c d e Lenton 1970, p. 87
- ^ English 1987, pp. 10–11
- ^ Friedman 2008, pp. 75–77
- ^ English 1987, pp. 11–12
- ^ Lenton 1970, p. 85
- ^ a b c d e "The last 'Hunt' comes of age: Brocklesby's Fine Record". Navy News. March 1962. p. 8. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ Friedman 2008, p. 319
- ^ English 1987, p. 17
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p English 1987, p. 44
- ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 133
- ^ "No. 38086". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 September 1947. p. 4633.
- ^ H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action 1952, p. 209
- ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 169
- ^ English 1987, pp. 44, 60
- ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 182
- ^ H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action 1952, pp. 221–222
- ^ Kindell, Don (18 April 2009). "1st – 14th December 1942 - in date, ship/unit & name order". Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies, World War 2. naval-history.net. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 222
- ^ Roskill 1960, p. 143
- ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 225
- ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 316
- ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 354
- ^ English 1987, pp. 44–45
- ^ English 1987, pp. 6, 44
- ^ Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15 June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
- ^ Osborne & Sowdon 1990, pp. 111, 116
- ^ Osborne & Sowdon 1990, p. 34
- ^ English 1987, p. 25
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.
- English, John (1987). The Hunts: a history of the design, development and careers of the 86 destroyers of this class built for the Royal and Allied Navies during World War II. Kendal, UK: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-44-4.
- Elliott, Peter (1977). Allied Escort Ships of World War II: A complete survey. London: Macdonald & Jane's. ISBN 0-356-08401-9.
- Friedman, Norman (2008). British Destroyers and Frigates: The Second World War and After. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-015-4.
- Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger, eds. (1980). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action: 3rd. SEPT. 1939 to 2nd. SEPT. 1945. Admiralty. 1952. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- Lenton, H.T. (1970). Navies of the Second World War: British Fleet & Escort Destroyers Volume Two. London: Macdonald & Co. ISBN 0-356-03122-5.
- Lenton, H. T.; Colledge, J. J. (1973). Warships of World War II (Second ed.). London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0403-X.
- Osborne, Richard; Sowdon, David (1990). Leander Class Frigates. Kendal, UK: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-56-8.
- Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-117-7.
- Roskill, S. W. (1960). The War at Sea 1939–1945: Volume III: The Offensive: Part I: 1st June 1943–31st May 1944. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
- Whitley, M.J. (2000). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.