HMS Broke (D83)

Coordinates: 36°50′N 0°40′E / 36.833°N 0.667°E / 36.833; 0.667
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other ships with the same name, see HMS Broke.

HMS Broke
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Broke
NamesakePhilip Broke
OrderedApril 1918
BuilderJohn I. Thornycroft & Company
Yard number983
Laid downOctober 1918[1]
Launched16 September 1920[1]
Commissioned15 April 1925[1]
RenamedFrom Rooke, April 1921
FateSunk, 8 November 1942[2]
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeThornycroft type destroyer leader
Displacement
  • 1,554 long tons (1,579 t) (standard)
  • 2,009 long tons (2,041 t) (full load)
Length
  • 329 ft (100 m) o/a
  • 318 ft 3 in (97.00 m) pp
Beam31 ft 6 in (9.60 m)
Draught12 ft 3 in (3.73 m)
Installed power40,000 shp (30,000 kW)
Propulsion
Speed36.5 kn (42.0 mph; 67.6 km/h)
Capacity500 short tons (450 t) fuel oil
Complement164
Armament5 ×
21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
(2 × 3)
Service record
Part of: 4th Destroyer Flotilla
Commanders:
Henry Fancourt
Operations: Operation Terminal

HMS Broke was a

Dutch Wars and the Battle of Vigo Bay
.

The naturalist Peter Scott, among the ship's crew in 1940, conducted experiments in ship camouflage, having the two sides of Broke painted in different patterns.

Design and construction

The Thornycroft type[3] or Shakespeare-class[4][5] leaders, were like the similar and contemporary Admiralty type (also known as the Scott-class)[6][7] were designed to meet a requirement from Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, commander of the Grand Fleet, for a large, fast and heavily armed flotilla leader to match and outclass rumoured large German destroyers.[8]

The ships had a length of 329 ft 1 in (100.30 m)

sea trials.[12] Up to 500 tons of oil fuel could be carried, giving a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[10][11]

The class had a main gun armament consisted of five

21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes between the 3-inch AA gun and the rear pair of 4.7-inch guns.[13]

Four Shakespeare-class leaders (

Woolston, Hampshire shipyard in October 1918 and was launched on 16 September 1920.[1] Her name was changed to Broke in April 1921,[2] after Rear-Admiral Sir Philip Broke (/ˈbrʊk/[16]).[17] Broke was moved to the Royal Dockyard at Pembroke Dock for completion, but was not completed until 1925. She was commissioned on 15 April 1925.[1] The ship's cost was £409,394.[12]

Operational history

1925–1939

After trials and workup, Broke was ordered to the

Forever England based upon C. S. Forester's novel Brown on Resolution, with John Mills playing Able Seaman Brown in his first leading role.[19][20][21]

Broke was refitted at Devonport from September 1936 to March 1937, having her boilers re-tubed.[18] After completing the refit, Broke returned to reserve duties at Devonport, again acting as Emergency destroyer and as a tender for the Royal Naval Engineering College.[18] On 2 September 1937 Broke was sent to investigate an SOS signal from the South African merchant ship Sherard Osborn in the Bay of Biscay. The Captain of Sherard Osborn had sent the signal fearing an imminent mutiny owing to an overtime dispute and poor conditions aboard the ship, but intervention by Broke was not needed.[22] On 20 November that year, Broke was damaged in a collision with the destroyer Witch and was under repair at Devonport from 31 December 1937 to 28 January 1938. She was temporarily brought forwards into full commission later into 1938, replacing Codrington as leader while Codrington was being refitted. Broke returned to reserve in October 1938 and again underwent refit at Devonport from January to June 1939.[18]

World War II

At the outbreak of war, Broke was part of the 29th Division,

Western Approaches Command at Plymouth in October.[24][18] During this period, she escorted merchant ships on the north- and south-bound Gibraltar and South Atlantic routes.[24] Broke's commanding officer, Lieutenant commander Richard Iwan Alexander Sarell, was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 23 December 1939 for "successful actions against enemy submarines".[25]

On 11 March 1940, Broke, together with the destroyers

Dunkirk Evacuation owing to the boiler repairs, Broke took part in Operation Cycle, the evacuation of British and Allied troops from Le Havre and Saint-Valery-en-Caux in Normandy between 10 and 13 June.[29] One of Broke's boats, commanded by the naturalist, artist and camoufleur Peter Scott, reconnoitered Saint-Valery-en-Caux's harbour on the night of 10/11 June and found that the troops from the 51st (Highland) Division which were planned to be evacuated that night had not yet reached the port, but were expected the next night.[30][31] German attacks over-ran the British defences of Saint-Valery during the day, and while 1350 British and 930 French troops were evacuated from Saint-Valery and nearby beaches, including 55 brought back to Britain aboard Broke, about 8000 men of the 51st Highland Division were captured by the Germans.[32][33] There were still large British forces in France, and from 15 June, Operation Aerial, began, evacuating British and allied troops and civilians from western France. Broke picked up 180 Polish troops and 20 British civilians from Brest, France on 18 June, landing them at Plymouth.[18][34][24]

In July 1940, she joined 6th

South Atlantic, and the east- and west-bound North Atlantic route. In this role, Broke was engaged in all the duties performed by escort ships; protecting convoys, searching for and attacking U-boats which attacked ships in convoy, and rescuing survivors. She operated in this role the next two and a half years.[24] During this time, she escorted 30 north-south convoys, two of which were attacked.[citation needed] Peter Scott was still a member of the ship's crew in July 1940 and he had the ship experimentally camouflaged, differently on the two sides. To starboard, the ship was painted blue-grey all over, but countershaded with white in naturally shadowed areas. To port, the ship was painted in "bright pale colours" to combine some disruption of shape with the ability to fade out during the night, again with shadowed areas painted white.[35]

She also escorted 27 east-west convoys, seven of which were attacked.[

Armed Merchant Cruiser Comorin, on passage to Freetown with the steamer Glenartney, and the destroyer Lincoln, caught fire in the North Atlantic. The fire could not be contained and Comorin had to be abandoned. Broke, in the vicinity, was called to assist, and together with Lincoln and Glenartney, rescued the survivors of the Armed Merchant Cruiser, with Broke remaining on the leeward quarter of Comorin for three hours in a gale to pick up survivors, picking up 180 men before scuttling Comorin with a torpedo. In total 405 men were rescued by the three ships, with 20 killed.[18][36][37] On 26 July 1941, while escorting the convoy SL 80, Broke collided with the destroyer Verity near Derry. Both ships were damaged, with Broke having a badly damaged bow which required repair by Palmers at their Hebburn yard from 8 August to 12 September, while Verity was under repair by Harland & Wolff at Belfast until 22 September that year.[38][39]

After repair, Broke returned to the 6th Escort Group, by now based at

HF/DF also fitted.[23][40] Broke was involved in one major battle on the North Atlantic route in August 1942; when SC 94 was attacked. SC 94 saw 11 ships sunk and two U-boats destroyed in a six-day running battle; Broke joined the escort on 9 August, her commander, Arthur Layard, assuming command for the last three days of the battle. Although attacked by the U-boat U-595, the U-boat's torpedoes missed and Broke was undamaged.[42][43]

On 8 November 1942 Broke, together with the destroyer

Henry Fancourt[nb 5] were to attempt to land infantry directly onto the portside in Algiers in the hope of capturing the port facilities and preventing their destruction by the Vichy French forces. It was hoped that either complete surprise would be achieved or that the defenders would support the invasion to the extent at least of refusing to fire on the attackers. However, the Vichy forces opened fire on the ships, damaging them heavily. Malcolm was forced to withdraw, but Broke had better luck. On her third attempt, she sliced through the boom and succeeded in landing her troops under fire on the Quai de Fécamp, four hours after the operation started. Broke continued to receive heavy fire and was forced to withdraw at 10:30. Broke was again hit by shore batteries when withdrawing which compounded earlier damage. She was taken in tow by the destroyer Zetland, but sank two days later on 10 November[44][45][46][47] at position 36.50N 00.40E.[24]

Battle honours

During her service Broke was awarded four battle honours:[48]

Pennant numbers

Pennant number[49] From To
D83 December 1924 1940
I83 1940 1942

Notes

  1. ^ Conway's gives a legend displacement of 1,554 long tons (1,579 t) and a full load displacement of 2,009 long tons (2,041 t),[4] while Lenton gives a normal displacement of 1,480 long tons (1,504 t) and a full load displacement of 2,080 long tons (2,113 t).[10]
  2. BL
    (Breech Loading) indicated that a separate, bagged, charge was used.
  3. ^ Saunders and Spragge, along with two ships ordered from Cammell Laird, Barrington and Hughes, were cancelled after the end of the First World War before construction of these ships could begin.[14]
  4. ^ Kemp says 4 April.[36]
  5. ^ While Fancourt was in overall control of the two destroyers, and was aboard Broke during "Terminal", Arthur Layard remained Broke's captain.[44]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f Whitley 2000, p. 84
  2. ^ a b c d Gardiner & Gray 1985, pp. 82–83
  3. ^ Manning 1961, p. 129
  4. ^ a b c Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 82
  5. ^ Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 71
  6. ^ Manning 1961, p. 130
  7. ^ a b c Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 83
  8. ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 166, 281, fn. 37
  9. ^ a b Friedman 2009, p. 298
  10. ^ a b c Lenton 1970, p. 39
  11. ^ a b c Preston 1971, p. 99
  12. ^ a b Parkes 1931, p. 60
  13. ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 166–167, 298
  14. ^ a b English 2019, p. 34
  15. ^ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 378
  16. ^ Miller 1971, p. 21
  17. ^ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 118
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j English 2019, p. 35
  19. ^ "Born for Glory (1935)". IMDb.
  20. ^ "BROWN ON RESOLUTION | British Board of Film Classification". Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  21. ^ "Brown on Resolution (1935)". Archived from the original on 13 September 2017.
  22. ^ "Troubled Voyage: The Sherard Osborn". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 September 1937. p. 12.
  23. ^ a b Whitley 2000, p. 85
  24. ^ a b c d e Mason, Geoffrey B (1 July 2011). "HMS BROKE (D 83) - Shakespeare-class Flotilla Leader". Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2. naval-history.net. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  25. ^ "No. 34759". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 December 1939. p. 8546.
  26. ^ Smith 1985, pp. 29–30
  27. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Broke (D 83)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  28. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Wild Swan (D 62)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  29. ^ Winser 1999, pp. 38, 127
  30. ^ Sebag-Montefiore 2015, pp. 469–470
  31. ^ Winser 1999, p. 38
  32. ^ Sebag-Montefiore 2015, pp. 472–478
  33. ^ Winser 1999, pp. 39–40, 127
  34. ^ Winser 1999, pp. 40, 43–44, 135
  35. ^ Forbes 2009, pp. 172–173
  36. ^ a b Kemp 1999, p. 141
  37. ^ Kindell, Don (7 April 2012). "Naval Events, April 1941 (Part 1 of 2): Tuesday 1st – Monday 14th". British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day. naval-history.net. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  38. ^ English 2019, pp. 36, 114
  39. ^ Kindell, Don (8 April 2012). "Naval Events, July 1941 (Part 2 of 2): Tuesday 15th - Thursday 31st". British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day. naval-history.net. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  40. ^ a b c English 2019, p. 36
  41. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 94
  42. ^ Blair 2000, pp. 660–661
  43. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 153
  44. ^ a b "Captain Henry St John Fancourt". The Daily Telegraph. 13 January 2004. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  45. ^ Barnett 2000, p. 564
  46. ^ Morison 2001, pp. 207–208
  47. ^ Tomblin 2004
  48. ^ Warlow p
  49. ^ English 2019, p. 135

References

External links

36°50′N 0°40′E / 36.833°N 0.667°E / 36.833; 0.667

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