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Allied Warships

HMS Broadway (H 90)

Destroyer of the Town class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeDestroyer
ClassTown 
PennantH 90 
Built byNewport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. (Newport News, Virginia, U.S.A.) 
Ordered 
Laid down20 Aug, 1918 
Launched14 Feb, 1920 
Commissioned9 Oct, 1940 
End serviceMay, 1948 
Loss position
 
HistoryHMS Broadway arrived at Belfast 24 October 1940, where she joined the 11th Escort Group, Western Approaches Command, with whom she engaged in escorting numerous convoys. On 9 May, with the help of destroyer HMS Bulldog and corvette HMS Aubretia, she captured German submarine U-110 between Iceland and Greenland. On the previous night, the U-boat had crept in to attack Broadway's convoy but was prevented from surfacing by the strong destroyer escort. She continued to shadow the Allied ships until early in the afternoon watch when she launched three torpedoes from periscope depth. HMS Broadway and her fellow escorts promptly counterattacked and forced her to surface where she surrendered. Unfortunately the prize sank while in tow to port but only after her captors had recovered documents of great value and importance.

During 1942 and 1943 Broadway continued to escort Atlantic convoys. On 12 May 1943 she joined frigate HMS Lagan and aircraft from escort carrier HMS Biter in destroying another German submarine, U-89, which was sunk northeast of the Azores.

After refitting at Belfast in September 1943 HMS Broadway became a target ship for aircraft and served as such at Rosyth in Scotland until the war ended in Europe. In May 1945 she left Rosyth for Northern Norway with one of the occupation forces. At Narvik, Norway, she took charge of a convoy of German submarines which was sailing to Trondheim.

Decommissioned and sold for scrap in May 1948.

Commanding Officers:
Lt.Cdr. Thomas Taylor, RN
October 1940 – ca. late 1941 / early 1942
DSC awarded on 1 August 1941

HMS Broadway in Dockyard Control during refit

Cdr. Evelyn Henry Chevasse, DSC, RN
2 March 1942 – September 1943
DSC awarded on 2 June 1943
DSO awarded on 7 September 1943

Lt. Glynn Percy Watkin Edwards, RN
22 September 1943 – 28 December 1943

A.Lt.Cdr. Phillip Graham Sharp, DSC, RNVR
28 December 1943 – 4 June 1944

Lt. John Bruce Lamb, DSC, RN
4 June 1944 – November 1944

A/T/Lt.Cdr. Thomas Wilson Boyd, DSO, RN
November 1944 – May 1945

T/Lt.Cdr. E.R.O.C. Greenstreet, RN
May 1945 – still in command in July 1945 according to the Navy List

HMS Broadway is not listed in the October 1945 Navy List 

Former nameUSS Hunt (DD 194)

Noteable events involving Broadway include:

9 May, 1941
The German submarine U-110 was captured on 9 May 1941 in the North Atlantic south of Iceland by the British destroyers HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. A.J.B. Cresswell, RN) and HMS Broadway (Lt.Cdr. T. Taylor, RN) and the British corvette HMS Aubretia (Lt.Cdr. V.F. Smith, RNR). The U-boat was allowed to sink the day after to preserve the secret capture.

12 May, 1943
The German submarine U-89 was sunk in the Northern Atlantic, in position 46º30'N, 25º40'W by a Swordfish aircraft (Sqdn. 811) from the British escort carrier HMS Biter (Capt. E.M.C. Abel Smith, RN), the British destroyer HMS Broadway (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Chevasse, RN) and the British frigate HMS Lagan (Lt.Cdr. A. Ayre, RNR). (see map)


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