Ex USS MASON (Type
A -
BELMONT-Class) built by Newport New Shipbuilders. This
ship was laid
down on 10th July 1918 and launched on 8th March 1919. Commissioned on 28th February
1920
for US naval service
she was held in Reserve in 1939.
The ship transferred to the RN under the UK/US Lend Lease Agreement on 3rd September 1940 and commissioned as HMS BROADWATER on 2nd October 1940 at Halifax. This name was common to towns in Virginia, USA and West Sussex and had not previously been
used f or a RN ship.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1941
Heraldic Data
None is recorded in the Official
Record of Heraldic Crests.
(Note: This may be because no
previous RN use.)
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
2nd Commissioned as HMS
BROADWATER at Halifax.
Prepared for
Atlantic passage with call in Newfoundland.
November Under refit by HM Dockyard
Devonport for modifications to suit RN deployment as a convoy
to escort
December Transferred to commercial
shipyard in Cardiff for completion of modifications.
1 9 4 1
January Under refit at Cardiff
31st Completed refit.
February Nominated for service
with 11th Escort Group.
Passage to Clyde
on completion of post refit trials.
9th Joined escort for
military convoy WS6A in Clyde for Local Escort in NW Approaches with HM
Destroyers
ATHERSTONE, COTTESMORE and KEPPEL
12th Detached from WS6A
and returned to Clyde.
Boiler defect
required attention and taken in hand for repair in Clyde.
On completion
reamed duty with Group and joined escort for Convoy HG56.
March Part of escort for
Convoy OB306 with ships of Group.
24th Joined escort for
military convey WS7 in Clyde for Local Escort in NW Approaches with HM
Destroyers
LEGION, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, MATABELE, SOMALI and Polish destroyer
ORP PIORUN.
27th Detached from WS7 and
returned to Clyde.
April
9th Taken in hand for
repair in Clyde shipyard.
17th Resumed convoy
defence duties.
May Withdrawn from service
for refit and took passage to Southampton.
June Nominated for service
with Newfoundland Escort Force on completion.
9th Transferred to
Portsmouth for completion.
20th Post refit trials
Passage to Clyde
to join escort for Atlantic convoy.
28th Joined Convoy OB339
for passage to St John's for new duties.
July Deployed for escort
of convoys from Newfoundland to Iceland and odd
Atlantic.
to
August
September Part of escort for Convoy
HX150 with RCN and RN ships.
October Joined Convoy SC48 for
escort during passage to Mid Atlantic Meeting Point.
19th Hit by torpedo fired
by U101 in position 57.01N 19.08W and sank nearly 10 hours later.
(Note: Casualty
List was published on 16th November 1942.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
BROADWATER
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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15/03/41
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28/03/41
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HG 056
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30/03/41
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02/04/41
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03/04/41
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04/04/41
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OB 306
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07/04/41
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09/04/41
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26/06/41
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27/06/41
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OB 339
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10/07/41
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12/07/41
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11/07/41
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15/07/41
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HX 138
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23/07/41
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27/07/41
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21/07/41
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26/07/41
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OB 349
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01/08/41
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01/08/41
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16/08/41
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16/08/41
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HX 145
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26/08/41
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31/08/41
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18/09/41
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30/09/41
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SC 045
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03/10/41
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04/10/41
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09/10/41
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14/10/41
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TC 014
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16/10/41
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17/10/41
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05/10/41
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16/10/41
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SC 048
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18/10/41
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22/10/41
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(Note on Convoys)
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