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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMS BRAZEN (H 80) -  B-class Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Bulldog, sister ship (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

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B-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from Palmers, Hebburn, Newcastle on 22nd March 1929 under 1928 Programme and laid down on 22nd July 1929. The ship was launched on 25th July 1930 as the 6th RN ship to carry the name introduced in 1781 and last used by a destroyer built in 1898 and sold in 1922. Build was completed on 8th April at a cost of £221,156 excluding Admiralty supplied items. Initially the ship was part of the Mediterranean Fleet in the 4th Destroyer Flotilla and in 1935 transferred with the Flotilla to the Home Fleet. She took part in the attempted rescue of the crew of HM Submarine THETIS which sank off Liverpool during trials in June 1939.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

NORWAY 1940 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1940

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Red, trumpet Gold.

 

 

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 3 9

 

September             Deployed as part of 19th Destroyer Flotilla based at Dover for convoy defence in English

                                Channel and North Sea.

                7th          Carried out unsuccessful attack on submarine.

 

October                  Patrol and escort duties in continuation.

                13th        During patrol with sister- destroyer HMS BOREAS rescued three survivors from U40 which had

                                been sunk by mine in Dover Straits.

 

November              Flotilla duties in continuation.

                22nd       Augmented escort for HM Auxiliary Minelayer PRINCESS VICTORIA during minelay in

                                Dover Barrage with HM Destroyers CODRINGTON, ESK and EXPRESS.

                                (Operation GF - For details see Naval Staff History (Mining).)

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Flotilla duties at Dover in continuation.

 

February                Transferred to Rosyth for convoy defence.

                15th        Escorted HM Destroyer DUNCAN with HM Destroyer BOREAS during tow after being

                                mined in North Sea.

                18th        Joined Convoy HN12 (Norway - Methil) with HM Destroyer ENCOUNTER to replace HM

                                Destroyer DARING which had been torpedoed

                                Rescued survivors of Norwegian merchant ship SANGSTAD with HM Destroyer DIANA.

                21st         Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayer TEVIOTBANK with HM Destroyer BOREAS during the

                                lay of section of North Sea Barrage in Thames Estuary.

                                (Operation CML9 -See above reference).

 

March                    Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayer TEVIOTBANK with HMS BOREAS during lay of deep

                                minefield in Moray Firth.

                                (Operation PA2 - See above reference).

 

April                       Transferred for duty with Home Fleet after German invasion of Norway.

                13th        Joined escort of Convoy NP1 carrying landing troops to Namsos.

                                (Operation RUPERT/R4 - See NARVIK by D MacIntyre).

                15th        Carried out anti-submarine search with HM Destroyer FEARLESS.

                                Took part in sinking of U49 in Vaagsfjord (Position 68.53N 16.59E).

                                (Note: Some documents were recovered but proved of little value for the decryption of

                                ENIGMA traffic. )

                                All but one of the submarine crew of 42 were rescued.

                                (See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR Volume 1 by C Blair and U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)

                16th        Part of escort for HM Battleships RODNEY, VALIANT and HM Battlecruiser RENOWN

                                during return to Scapa Flow from Norwegian waters.

                18th        Arrived at Scapa Flow

                27th        Escorted troopship GUNVOR MAERSK to Namsos with H M Destroyers KIMBERLEY and

                                WOLVERINE.

                28th        In action with aircraft off Namsos without damage.

 

May                        Deployed off Norway in support of shore operations.

                2nd         Escorted Convoy FP3 to Narvik.

                3rd          Detached on arrival at Narvik.

                                Escorted French troopships carrying Polish Brigade to Tromso.

                28th        Released from Home Fleet detachment to resume operations in southern North Sea based at

                                Harwich.

                                (For details of the disastrous operations off Norway see NARVIK by D Macintyre, THE

                                DOOMED EXPEDITION by J Adams, CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton and Naval Staff

                                History).

                30th        During passage struck submerged rock off the Wash and sustained some structural damage aft.

 

June                        Passage to Hull for repair to plating in commercial shipyard.

                                Taken in hand on arrival.

 

July                         Nominated for transfer to 1st Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth.

                                Passage to Portsmouth to join Flotilla for Channel convoy defence

                8th          In action with aircraft in defence of coastal convoy off Hythe.

                20th        Whilst escorting Channel Convoy CW7 in Straits of Dover came under heavy air attack.

                                Several near misses caused major structural damage.

                                Back of ship was broken.

                                (Note: During this engagement three aircraft were claimed by ships gun crews.)

                                Ship sank during tow after direct hit in engine room in position 51.05N 01.1?E.

                                One of ship's company was killed.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS BRAZEN

by Don Kindell

 

This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above

 

 

 

 

 

Date convoy sailed

Joined convoy as escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date convoy arrived

 

 

 

 

 

15/03/40

15/03/40

TM 027

16/03/40

16/03/40

29/03/40

29/03/40

TM 035

30/03/40

30/04/40

11/04/40

13/04/40

NP 001

15/04/40

15/04/40

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 27/7/11
further editing and formatting is required


 

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