SHAKESPEARE-Class
Flotilla Leader ordered from Thornycroft
at Woolston in 1916 at an estimated cost of
£275,000 and laid down in October
1918. She was launched as HMS ROOKE on 16th
September 1920 and towed to HM Dockyard,
Pembroke
Dock for completion as an economy measure.
On 13th
April 1920 the ship was renamed BROKE after
the sale
to Chile of the WW1 destroyer which was
the first RN ship to carry this name. Build
was completed on 20th January 1925. She
served with the Local Destroyer Flotilla at
Devonport in 1933 until the outbreak of
war. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in March 1942 this
destroyer was
adopted by the civil community of Bromley,
Kent.
1 9 3 9
September
Deployed
for convoy defence and patrol in North
Sea.
October
Transferred
to Western Approaches Command for
Atlantic convoy defence and anti-
to
submarine
patrol.
December
(For
details of naval activities in Home
waters in 1939-40 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY
by Corelli
Barnett
and Naval Staff History).
1 9 4 0
January
Atlantic
deployment in continuation
13th
Joined Convoy HG15F in SW Approaches as
escort for passage to Liverpool.
15th
Detaches from
HG15F on arrival.
February
Atlantic
deployment in continuation
3rd
Escorted Outward Convoy OG17F from
assembly point in SW Approaches and
detached
later same
day.
March
11th
Escorted outward Convoy OG21 from
assembly point in SW Approaches and
detached
later same
day.
18th
Escorted outward Convoy OG22 from
assembly point in SW Approaches.
20th
Detached from OG21 and returned to
Plymouth.
31st
Joined inward Convoy HG24F during
passage from Gibraltar as escort.
April
3rd
Detached from
HG24 on arrival in
Liverpool.
12th
Joined inward Convoy HG25 during passage
from Gibraltar as escort.
15th
Detached from HG25
on arrival in
Liverpool.
May
Home
waters deployment in continuation.
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes
changed to I 83.
June
Transferred to Portsmouth to support
evacuation of allied
troops and civilians from Bay
of Biscay
ports
11th
Embarked demolition party and assisted
in evacuation from St.
Nazaire.
Returned to
Portsmouth.
(Operation
CYCLE - See Naval Staff History
, HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P
Smith
and BEF SHIPS
by J de Winser.)
Resumed Atlantic
convoy defence duties.
July
Joined
6th Escort Group for Atlantic convoy
defence.
(For
details of defence of convoys in 1940
see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO)
and THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D MacIntyre)
August
Atlantic convoy defence with Group in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 1
January
Deployment
with Group for Atlantic convoy defence
in continuation.
to
March
April
6th
Rescued 180 survivors with HM Destroyer
LINCOLN from HM Armed Merchant Cruiser
CORMORIN which sank
in
Atlantic
after fire in
position 53-34N 21.20W.
(Note: ss
GLENARTY also took part
in the rescue. In all 405 of the 426 on
board were
saved.) This
operation was carried out in extreme
weather
conditions which made
necessary
outstanding seamanship to prevent damage
to the
rescue ships.
(See BRITISH
DESTROYERS by E. March).
May
Atlantic
convoy defence with Group in
continuation.
to
September
October
Part
of escort for Convoy ONS29 with Group
In collision with HM
Destroyer VERITY and sustained major
structural damage.
Taken
in hand for repair and converted for use
as Short Range Escort destroyer.
(For
details of conversion see V AND W
DESTROYERS by A Preston).
November
Under repair and conversion.
to
(Work
done included
December
Fitting
of Radar Type 271 for surface warning
and modified RAF radar
(Naval Type 286P)
with rotating aerial for aircraft
warning.
(For
details of development of radar in RN
see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
1 9 4 2
January
Under
repair and refit
to
Direction
finding radio equipment Type FH3 fitted
for interception of radio transmissions
March
was
also provided.
(For
development of new anti-submarine
tactics see SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackman)
April
On
completion of post refit trials worked
up for operational service in Atlantic.
May
Deployed
in NW Approaches for defence of Atlantic
convoys
to
July
August
8th
Despatched
to support escort of Convoy SC94 to
supplement defence against attacks by
STEINBECK Group of
U-Boats. (See above references).
9th
Deployed with Polish destroyer ORP
BLYSKAWICA and HM Corvette DIANTHUS to
carry out
anti-submarine operations against
continued heavy
and sustained attacks.
(For
details of the heavy losses see HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR Volume 1 by C Blair.)
September
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
October
Detached
for escort of military convoys for North
African landings.
(Operation
TORCH - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY and Naval Staff
History).
Nominated for
service in Eastern Task Force for
support of planned
landings.
November
Deployed
at Gibraltar and prepared for TORCH
Nominated
with HM Destroyer MALCOLM to prevent any
attempt by any Vichy French to
destroy
harbour installations or to scuttle
warships.
(Operation
TERMINAL - See RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W Tute
and Naval Staff
History).
7th
Embarked US troops for passage to
Algiers.
Detached after dark
to enter harbour at Algiers.
8th
Found harbour entrance at fourth
attempt and forced way through boom
defences.
Came
under heavy fire from the shore
batteries and although badly damaged was
able
to
land assault
party and withdraw.
Disabled
by return fire and taken in tow by HM
Escort Destroyer ZETLAND.
Sank
in position 36.50N 00.40E after
collision with towing ship.