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Withdrawn from service for refit and took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
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
15/03/41
|
28/03/41
|
HG
056
|
30/03/41
|
02/04/41
|
03/04/41
|
04/04/41
|
OB
306
|
07/04/41
|
09/04/41
|
26/06/41
|
27/06/41
|
OB
339
|
10/07/41
|
12/07/41
|
11/07/41
|
15/07/41
|
HX
138
|
23/07/41
|
27/07/41
|
21/07/41
|
26/07/41
|
OB
349
|
01/08/41
|
01/08/41
|
16/08/41
|
16/08/41
|
HX
145
|
26/08/41
|
31/08/41
|
18/09/41
|
30/09/41
|
SC
045
|
03/10/41
|
04/10/41
|
09/10/41
|
14/10/41
|
TC
014
|
16/10/41
|
17/10/41
|
05/10/41
|
16/10/41
|
SC
048
|
18/10/41
|
22/10/41
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|