HMS Broke (D83)

HMS Broke was a Thornycroft type flotilla leader of the Royal Navy. She was the second of four ships of this class that were ordered from J I Thornycroft in April 1918, and was originally named Rooke after Rear Admiral Sir George Rooke of the Dutch Wars and the Battle of Vigo Bay.

The naturalist Peter Scott, among the ship's crew in 1940, conducted experiments in ship camouflage, having the two sides of Broke painted in different patterns.

Construction

She was laid down in October 1918 at Woolston, Hampshire by J I Thornycroft and launched on 16 September 1920. Her name was changed to Broke in April 1921, after Rear-Admiral Sir Philip Broke (/ˈbrʊk/).Broke was moved to the Royal Dockyard at Pembroke Dock for completion, but was not completed until 1925. She was commissioned on 15 April 1925.

Operational History

On 2 September 1937, Broke, based at Plymouth, was sent to investigate an SOS signal from the South African merchant ship Sherard Osborn in the Bay of Biscay. The Captain of Sherard Osborn had sent the signal fearing an imminent mutiny owing to an overtime dispute and poor conditions aboard the ship, but invervention by Broke was not needed.

HMS Broke

Three vessels of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Broke, after Admiral Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke of HMS Shannon:

References

HMS Broke (1914)

HMS Broke was a Faulknor-class destroyer leader of the Royal Navy, initially built for the Chilean Navy as the Almirante Lynch-class destroyer Almirante Goñi. The outbreak of the First World War led to her being purchased by the Admiralty in August 1914 shortly after her launching, and renamed HMS Broke. All of the class were present at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May to 1 June 1916 where Broke, out of control after hits from German ships, collided with the Acasta-class destroyer HMS Sparrowhawk leading to the latter's loss. Broke saw action in several battles, and was resold to Chile after the conclusion of the war.

Construction

Built as the Almirante Goni by J S White, Cowes, HMS Broke was launched on 25 May 1914, and was completed in 1914.

Service

Battle of Jutland

Broke formed part of the 4th destroyer flotilla commanded by Captain Charles Wintour onboard HMS Tipperary. During the night of 31 May the flotilla was stationed behind (north) of the Grand Fleet to guard against German attack and was heading south keeping station with the fleet. At around 23.15 Leading Torpedoman Cox on board HMS Garland, fourth ship in the twelve strong line, sighted three ships approaching. These were reported to Captain Wintour, who being unable to determine whether the ships were British or German issued a British challenge signal to the approaching ships. This was immediately answered by a hail of fire at a range of around 600 yards from the approaching German light cruisers, SMS Stuttgart, SMS Hamburg, SMS Rostock and SMS Elbing. Shortly behind them, the battleships SMS Westfalen and SMS Nassau also opened fire with their secondary armament. The ships were the van of the German High Seas Fleet, which was passing behind the British fleet.