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.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
JUTLAND 1916 -
DOVER PATROL 1916-18 -
NORTH
SEA 1939 -
ATLANTIC 1939-42 - ARCTIC 1942 -
NORTH AFRICA 1942
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field White. a
right arm proper holding a trident Gold
over a spray of laurel Green
M o t t o
Saevum tridentem servamus : 'Let us keep the dread trident'
A spotless f'cstle, prewar (NavyPhotos)
D e t a i l s o f W
a r S e r v i c e
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 OG 17F 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 Hacknam)
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.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
BROKE
by Don Kindell
Date convoy
Joined convoy
Convoy
No. Left convoy Date convoy
Sailed as escort arrived
20/10/39 20/10/39 FS 0024 22/10/39 22/10/39
26/11/39 26/11/39 OA 042 27/11/39 30/11/39
25/11/39 07/12/39 SL 010F 08/12/39 08/12/39
11/12/39 11/12/39 OA 051 13/12/39 14/12/39
22/12/39 22/12/39 OA 058 24/12/39 25/12/39
27/12/39 29/12/39 OA 061 30/12/39 30/12/39
19/12/39 02/01/40 SL 013F 03/01/40 03/01/40
04/01/40 04/01/40 OA 066 06/01/40 08/01/40
09/01/40 09/01/40 AXS 009 10/01/40 10/01/40
13/01/40 13/01/40 HG 015F 15/01/40 22/01/40
16/01/40 16/01/40 OA 073GF 18/01/40 18/01/40
23/01/40 23/01/40 OA 078GF 24/01/40 26/01/40
30/01/40 31/01/40 OA 083GF 03/02/40 03/02/40
03/02/40 03/02/40 OG 017F 03/02/40 09/02/40
29/01/40 04/02/40 HG 017F 06/02/40 07/02/40
08/02/40 08/02/40 OA 088GF 10/02/40 11/02/40
15/02/40 15/02/40 OA 092 16/02/40 18/02/40
07/03/40 09/03/40 OA 105G 11/03/40 11/03/40
11/03/40 11/03/40 OG 021 11/03/40 17/03/40
18/03/40 18/03/40 OG 022 20/03/40 24/03/40
25/03/40 31/03/40 HG 024F 03/04/40 03/04/40
27/03/40 unknown OA
118 unknown 28/03/40
08/04/40 08/04/40 OA 125G 10/04/40 10/04/40
10/04/40 10/04/40 OG 025 11/04/40 16/04/40
05/04/40 12/04/40 HG 025 15/04/40 15/04/40
03/07/40 05/07/40 OA 178 06/07/40 unknown
29/10/40 29/10/40 OB 236 01/11/40 02/11/40
20/10/40 01/11/40 HX 082 03/11/40 06/11/40
04/11/40 11/11/40 OB 239 14/11/40 14/11/40
27/10/40 14/11/40 SL 053 18/11/40 18/11/40
14/11/40 26/11/40 HX 087 27/11/40 29/11/40
14/11/40 27/11/40 HX 088 28/11/40 30/11/40
08/12/40 08/12/40 OB 256 12/12/40 12/12/40
20/12/40 21/12/40 OB 262 23/12/40 23/12/40
07/12/40 25/12/40 SL 058 28/12/40 28/12/40
20/02/41 06/03/41 HG 054 12/03/41 12/03/41
17/03/41 18/03/41 OG 056 21/03/41 02/04/41
01/03/41 23/03/41 SL 067 26/03/41 26/03/41
02/04/41 03/04/41 OB 305 06/04/41 06/04/41
24/03/41 06/04/41 HG 057 09/04/41 11/04/41
10/06/41 23/06/41 HX 132 28/06/41 28/06/41
10/06/41 23/06/41 SC 034 28/06/41 29/06/41
26/06/41 07/07/41 HX 135 11/07/41 12/07/41
03/07/41 23/07/41 SL 080 29/07/41 29/07/41
04/09/41 22/09/41 SL 086 26/09/41 26/09/41
02/10/41 02/10/41 ON 022 07/10/41 15/10/41
29/09/41 11/10/41 SC 047 15/10/41 20/10/41
22/10/41 23/10/41 ON 029 28/10/41 05/11/41
22/10/41 01/11/41 HX 156 04/11/41 05/11/41
13/11/41 13/11/41 ON 036 18/11/41 25/11/41
10/11/41 22/11/41 SC 054 26/11/41 26/11/41
03/12/41 03/12/41 ON 043 07/12/41 15/12/41
04/12/41 15/12/41 SC 058 16/12/41 21/12/41
03/12/41 16/12/41 HX 163 18/12/41 19/12/41
24/12/41 24/12/41 ON 050 28/12/41 03/01/42
21/12/41 02/01/42 SC 061 07/01/42 07/01/42
13/01/42 24/01/42 HX 170 28/01/42 28/01/42
02/08/42 06/08/42 AT 019 07/08/42 07/08/42
31/07/42 08/08/42 SC 094 12/08/42 13/08/42
22/08/42 22/08/42 ON 123 29/08/42 03/09/42
30/08/42 02/09/42 HX 205 04/09/42 11/09/42
22/10/42 22/10/42 KX 004A 04/11/42 04/11/42
26/10/42 06/11/42 KMF 001 08/11/42 08/11/42
(Note on Convoys)
