BRIDGEWATER-Class Escort Sloop ordered from Hawthorne Leslie, Newcastle on 19th September
1927 under the 1927 Build Programme with sister
ship HMS SANDWICH as replacements for the FLOWER Class built during WW1. The
ship was laid down on 6th February 1928 and launched without
ceremony on 14th September that year. She was the 5th RN ship
to bear this name, introduced in 1654
for a 52 gun ship, to commemorate the capture of the Somerset town, actually named BRIDGWATER,
by the Parliamentary army in 1645. This ship was renamed
ANN in 1660 and the name last used in 1754
for a 6th Rate built at Southampton which was run ashore at Cuddalore in April 1758 to avoid capture by
the French and deliberately
set on fire. Build of this Sloop was completed on 14th March 1929 and before the outbreak of war in 1939
had been deployed on the China Station for six years followed by service based at Simonstown. In March 1942
she was adopted by the civil community of Westhoughton,
Lancs. after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
PORTO FARINA 1653 - SANTA CRUZ 1657
- CALCUTTA 1757 - NORTH SEA 1942 - ATLANTIC 1942-43
H e r a l d i c
D a t a
Badge: On a Field Gold, three castles on a bridge.
all Silver, below
a star and a fleur-de-lys Gold.
M o t t o
Stet fortuna nostra:
'May
our fortune stand'
M a n n i n g P o r t
Devonport
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
August
Arrived at Simonstown after passage from UK with calls in West African ports
after
recommissioning at Devonport for further period
of foreign service.
Took passage to Freetown to take up war station.
September
Deployed at Freetown for trade defence and patrol.
Nominated for return to Simonstown.
October
Passage to Simonstown for trade defence.
to December
Deployed in South Atlantic.
1 9 4 0
January
Took passage to Freetown for convoy defence duties.
Deployed at Freetown
February
Convoy escort and patrol based at Freetown in continuation
to
April (Note: Extensive fouling of underwater structure
required attention
Docking arranged at Simonstown.)
May Passage to Simonstown for routine docking and refit
Taken in hand for refit and docking by HM
Dockyard.
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes
changed to U01.
June Under refit
to August
Nominated for escort duty in support of planned Free French landings at Dakar.
September
23rd On completion of post refit trials took passage to resume convoy
defence duty
at Freetown.
Deployed for escort of military convoy on
passage for planned Free French
landings in West Africa supported by Royal Navy warships (Operation MENACE).
(Note: To be confirmed and possibly associated
with later landings at Libreville.
Further research is needed.)
October
Deployed at Freetown for local convoy escort and patrol.
to December.
1 9 4 1
January
Freetown deployment in continuation.
8th Deployed with HM Sloop
MILFORD, HM Destroyers VELOX and VIDETTE,
HM Corvettes ASPHODEL and CALENDULA to provide
Local anti-submarine
escort for military convoy during initial stage
of passage from Freetown to Cape
of Good Hope.
(Note: This convoy had been attacked by German
cruiser ADMIRAL HIPPER
during passage to Freetown from UK. See ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett and the Naval Staff
History.)
February
Passage to Simonstown for refit and docking.
March
Under refit and docking.
Passage to Freetown to resume convoy escort
duties.
April Freetown deployment in continuation.
to August
September
26th Deployed as escort for HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE during passage to
Gibraltar.
(Note: HMS EAGLE had been carrying out
anti-submarine operations in Atlantic.)
October
Freetown deployment in continuation.
to November
December
Part of escort for Convoy SL10 during passage to Freetown.
25th Deployed with HM Destroyer BEAUFORT and HM Battleship RAMILLIES as
escort for military convoy WS14 during passage
from Freetown to Cape of Good
Hope.
1 9 4 2
January
4th Detached from WS14 on arrival off Simonstown.
Taken in hand for docking.
February
Took passage to Freetown to resume convoy escort duties.
March
Deployed at Freetown.
6th Joined HM Destroyers BRILLIANT and WILD SWAN, HM Corvettes JASMINE
and NIGELLA as escort for military convoy WS16
during passage from Freetown
to Cape of Good Hope
18th Detached from WS16 on arrival off Cape of Good Hope.
Return passage to Freetown.
April Deployed at Freetown.
Nominated for return to UK.
May Deployed as part of escort for Convoy SL114 from
Freetown during passage
to UK.
June Taken in hand for refit in Tyne commercial shipyard
during which Radar Type
271 was fitted to provide surface warning cover and Close Range defence improved
by installation of 20mm Oerlikon weapons
(Note: For details of development and use of
radar by Royal Navy see RADAR
AT SEA by D Howse and SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann.)
July Under refit
to August
September On
completion of post refit trials took passage to Clyde for return to Convoy
defence
deployment at Freetown.
(Note: The award of Battle Honour NORTH SEA
1942 suggests that this ship
was deployed as a convoy escort on passage to or
from Tyne refit and
was involved in defence of a convoy against air
or E-Boat attack.)
Joined Convoy OS42 as part of escort in Atlantic
during passage to Freetown.
October
9th Resumed convoy defence and patrol duties based at Freetown on
arrival of OS42.
November
Freetown Escort Force deployment in continuation.
December
Nominated for detached service from Freetown Escort Force.
2nd Joined HM Cruiser PHOEBE as escort during passage from Freetown to
Trinidad
(Note: HMS PHOEBE had been seriously damaged by
a U-Boat attack in South
Atlantic on 23rd October and was taking passage
to USA for repair.)
Took return passage from Trinidad as part of
escort for Convoy TF1.
1 9 4 3
January
Resumed convoy defence duties at Freetown on arrival of TF1.
February
Freetown deployment in continuation.
to August
(Note: This ship was frequently deployed for escort for coastal convoys between
West African ports and for passage to and from
Gibraltar in SR and RS
Series.)
September
Nominated for return to UK
(Note: Increase in defect rate due to age of
this ship made deployment away from
base dockyard support and was a factor in
withdrawal from foreign
service. Other new escorts were becoming
available.)
Passage to Liverpool as part of escort for Convoy SL136 which was joined by
Convoy MKS24 at Gibraltar.
25th Detached from SL136/KMS24 on arrival at Liverpool.
October
Deployed in Western Approaches for escort of convoys between UK and Gibraltar
to November
pending refit.
(Note: These included Convoy OS56 to Freetown
combined with military convoy
KMS29 to Gibraltar.)
Nominated for refit at commercial ship yard at
Southampton.
Taken in hand for refit.
December
Under refit at Southampton.
1 9 4 4
January
Under refit and nominated for service in 40th Escort Group, Western Approaches.
February
Planned deployment cancelled and to be withdrawn from operational duties
(Note: By this date ship had been fitted with
HEDGEHOG Anti-submarine
Mortar, Radar Type 291 for surface/aircraft
warning and a High
Frequency Direction Finding outfit for use in
convoy defence.
See above references.)
Allocated for service in 3rd Submarine Flotilla
based in Clyde
(Note: This decision was made in view of poor
condition of hull structure.)
March
Joined 3rd Submarine Flotilla for duty as Target Vessel during submarine
training and escort for submarines during
surface passage in NW Approaches.
April Clyde deployment with 3rd Submarine Flotilla in
continuation.
to December
1 9 4 5
January
Submarine Training and escort duties in continuation based in Clyde.
to Nominated for reduction to Reserve status after
end of hostilities.
June
July Paid off and reduced to Reserve in Category C.
August
Laid-up at Ardrossan.
P o s t W a r Notes
HMS BRIDGEWATER was used for
static bomb trials during 1946-47 before being placed on the Disposal List. The ship was
sold to BISCO on 22nd May 1947 and broken-up by Howells for demolition at Gellesick Bay. She
arrived at the breaker’s yard in tow on 25th May 1947.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
BRIDGEWATER
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
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Date convoy sailed |
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No. |
Left convoy |
Date convoy arrived |
|
|
|
|
|
01/03/40 |
12/03/40 |
SL 022F |
15/03/40 |
15/03/40 |
21/11/40 |
21/11/40 |
SL 056 |
22/11/40 |
12/12/40 |
12/11/40 |
25/11/40 |
SL 055 |
04/12/40 |
02/12/40 |
28/11/40 |
28/11/40 |
SL 057 |
30/11/40 |
19/12/40 |
07/12/40 |
07/12/40 |
SL 058 |
08/12/40 |
28/12/40 |
22/12/40 |
22/12/40 |
SL 060 |
24/12/40 |
13/01/41 |
22/12/40 |
24/12/40 |
SL 060S |
24/12/40 |
15/01/41 |
29/12/40 |
03/01/41 |
HG 049 |
03/01/41 |
15/01/41 |
18/06/41 |
18/06/41 |
SL 078 |
21/06/41 |
12/07/41 |
14/07/41 |
31/07/41 |
OB 346 |
01/08/41 |
01/08/41 |
23/09/41 |
23/09/41 |
ST 004 |
28/09/41 |
28/09/41 |
17/10/41 |
17/10/41 |
ST 006 |
22/10/41 |
22/10/41 |
11/11/41 |
11/11/41 |
ST 008 |
16/11/41 |
16/11/41 |
04/12/41 |
04/12/41 |
ST 010 |
09/12/41 |
09/12/41 |
25/04/42 |
25/04/42 |
LS 003 |
26/04/42 |
30/04/42 |
13/05/42 |
13/05/42 |
LS 005 |
20/05/42 |
20/05/42 |
25/06/42 |
01/07/42 |
SL 114 |
17/07/42 |
17/07/42 |
29/09/42 |
29/09/42 |
OS 042 |
09/10/42 |
09/10/42 |
16/10/42 |
19/10/42 |
SL 125 |
21/10/42 |
09/11/42 |
04/11/42 |
04/11/42 |
CF 007A |
12/11/42 |
17/11/42 |
26/11/42 |
26/11/42 |
FTT 003 |
30/11/42 |
01/12/42 |
15/01/43 |
15/01/43 |
TF 001/2 |
16/01/43 |
16/01/43 |
10/02/43 |
10/02/43 |
SR 001/1 |
16/02/43 |
23/02/43 |
11/02/43 |
16/02/43 |
RS 001 |
19/02/43 |
19/02/43 |
24/02/43 |
24/02/43 |
SR 002/1 |
03/03/43 |
08/03/43 |
26/02/43 |
03/03/43 |
RS 002 |
08/03/43 |
08/03/43 |
21/03/43 |
21/03/43 |
SR 003/1 |
02/04/43 |
02/04/43 |
22/03/43 |
28/03/43 |
RS 003 |
31/03/43 |
31/03/43 |
03/05/43 |
03/05/43 |
ST 063A |
07/05/43 |
06/05/43 |
05/05/43 |
05/05/43 |
TS 038 |
10/05/43 |
10/05/43 |
30/05/43 |
30/05/43 |
TS 042 |
02/06/43 |
02/06/43 |
23/06/43 |
23/06/43 |
ST 070 |
29/06/43 |
29/06/43 |
03/07/43 |
03/07/43 |
TS 046 |
08/07/43 |
08/07/43 |
11/07/43 |
11/07/43 |
ST 072 |
20/07/43 |
20/07/43 |
07/08/43 |
07/08/43 |
OSS 052 |
14/08/43 |
12/08/43 |
03/09/43 |
03/09/43 |
SL 136 |
25/09/43 |
14/09/43 |
14/09/43 |
14/09/43 |
SL 136MK |
25/09/43 |
25/09/43 |
18/09/44 |
25/09/44 |
SL 170MK |
26/09/44 |
26/09/44 |
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(Note on Convoys)