SS Empire Broadsword

Last updated

History
Name
  • Cape Marshall (1943)
  • Empire Broadsword (1943-44)
Owner War Shipping Administration
Operator Cunard White Star Line
Port of registry Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg London
Builder Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California
Launched16 August 1943
CompletedDecember 1943
Out of service2 July 1944
Identification
FateStruck a mine and sank
General characteristics
Tonnage
Length396 ft 5 in (120.83 m)
Beam60 ft 1 in (18.31 m)
Depth35 ft (10.67 m)
PropulsionSteam turbines, double reduction geared driving a single screw
Armament
  • 1 × 4 in gun
  • 1 × 12 pdr gun
  • 12 × 20mm guns
France location map-Regions and departements-2016.svg
Red pog.svg
class=notpageimage|
Location of the sinking of Empire Broadsword.

Empire Broadsword was a Type C1-S-AY-1 infantry landing ship built in 1943 as Cape Marshall. She was renamed Empire Broadsword before completion and entering into service for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She had a short career, entering service in December 1943 and being sunk by a mine in July 1944.

Contents

Construction

The ship was built by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California as yard number 348. She was launched on 16 August 1943 as Cape Marshall. [1] She was 396 feet 5 inches (120.83 m) long, with a beam of 60 feet 1 inch (18.31 m) and a depth of 35 feet (10.67 m). She was propelled by two steam turbines which drove a single screw via double reduction gearing. The steam turbine were manufactured by Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Corp, Essington, Pennsylvania. [2]

Career

The ship was transferred under the terms of lend lease shortly after being completed in 1943 under the name Empire Broadsword. [3] She was chartered by the MoWT, and was operated under the management of Cunard White Star Line [2]

Empire Broadsword was mined and sunk off Normandy on July 2, 1944, while supporting the allied invasion of Europe. [4] Her position is 49°25′N0°54′W / 49.417°N 0.900°W / 49.417; -0.900 . [1] Seventy survivors were rescued by USS PC-1225. [5] The wreck lies on its starboard side in 27 metres (89 ft) of water and is now a dive site. [6] Those lost on Empire Broadsword are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London. [7]

Official Numbers and Code Letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. Empire Broadsword had the UK Official Number 169737 and used the Code Letters MYMJ. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Algerine</i>-class minesweeper Class of ships built for the navies of Britain and Canada during World War II

The Algerine-class minesweeper was a large group of minesweepers built for the Royal Navy (RN) and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during the Second World War. 110 ships of the class were launched between 1942 and 1944.

HMCS <i>Cape Breton</i> (ARE 100) Royal Canadian Navy Cape-class maintenance ship

HMCS Cape Breton was a Royal Canadian Navy Cape-class maintenance ship. Originally built for the Royal Navy as HMS Flamborough Head in 1944, she was transferred in 1952. Upon her commissioning she was the second ship to bear the name Cape Breton. She served operationally from 1953–1964, when she was laid up. She was used as a floating machine shop until the late-1990s, before being sold for use as an artificial reef off the coast of British Columbia.

Landing ship, infantry British troopship class

A landing ship, infantry (LSI) or infantry landing ship was one of a number of types of British Commonwealth vessels used to transport landing craft and troops engaged in amphibious warfare during the Second World War. LSIs were operated by the Royal Navy, British Merchant Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Indian Navy, and Royal Australian Navy. They transported British Commonwealth and other Allied troops in sea assaults and invasions throughout the war.

HMS <i>Hebe</i> (J24) Royal Navy minesweeper

HMS Hebe was one of 21 Halcyon-class minesweepers built for the Royal Navy in the 1930s. Commissioned in 1936, Hebe served during World War II, notably taking part in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940 and then serving in the Mediterranean, carrying out minesweeping operations from Malta. After taking part in several operations, including Operations Harpoon and Torch, and the invasion of Pantelleria, Hebe was sunk by a mine off Bari in November 1943, with the loss of 37 of the vessel's crew.

HMS <i>Hythe</i> (J194) UK Bangor-class minesweeper

HMS Hythe was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Rifleman</i> (J299) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Rifleman was a turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1943 and saw active service during World War II, both in the European and Far East theatres. After the war she served in the Mediterranean and was used as an accommodation ship in Barrow before being sold for breaking in 1972.

HMS <i>Brazen</i> (H80) British B-class destroyer

HMS Brazen was a B-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy around 1930. Initially assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet, she was transferred to Home Fleet in 1936. The ship escorted convoys and conducted anti-submarine patrols early in World War II before participating in the Norwegian Campaign in April–May 1940. Brazen later began escorting coastal convoys in the English Channel and was sunk in late July 1940 by German aircraft whilst doing so.

HNoMS <i>Svenner</i> (G03) Destroyer owned by the British and Norwegian Navies

HNoMS Svenner was a Royal Norwegian Navy destroyer during the Second World War. She was built for the Royal Navy as the S-class destroyer HMS Shark but on completion was lent to the Norwegian Armed Forces in exile. Svenner was sunk off Sword, one of the Allied landing zones in Normandy, at dawn on 6 June 1944 while supporting the British Army Normandy landings. It was the only Allied ship to be sunk by the Kriegsmarine during the morning of the invasion.

HMS <i>Clacton</i> (J151) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Clacton was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

HMS Felixstowe was a Bangor-class minesweepers built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Loyalty</i> (J217) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Loyalty was a turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy, formerly HMS Rattler. She served during the Second World War. Commissioned in 1943, Loyalty saw action off the coast of Normandy during the Allied assault there in 1944. While performing duties off the coast, the ship was torpedoed by a German submarine and sank.

HMS Sansovino was an infantry landing ship in service with the Royal Navy during the late stages of the Second World War.

HMS <i>Empire Spearhead</i>

HMS Empire Spearhead was a Type C1-S-AY-1 Infantry Landing Ship (LSI) chartered by the British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) during World War II. She was built by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California. She was launched as Cape Girardeau and completed as Empire Spearhead. In 1945, she was transferred to the Royal Navy and was later renamed HMS Ormonde. Later that year she was transferred back to the MoWT and renamed Empire Spearhead. In 1947, she was transferred to the United States Maritime Commission and renamed Cape Girardeau. The ship was laid up in 1950 and renamed Empire Spearhead. She was scrapped in 1966.

HMIS Kathiawar (J155) was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy, but transferred to the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) during the Second World War.

HMIS Khyber (J190) was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy, but transferred to the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) during the Second World War.

HMIS Kumaon (J182) was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy, but transferred to the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) during the Second World War.

HMIS Carnatic (J182) was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Navy, but transferred to the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) during the Second World War.

HMIS <i>Orissa</i> (J200) Bangor-class minesweeper of World War II

HMIS Orissa (J200) was a Bangor-class minesweepers built for the Royal Navy, but transferred to the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Vestal</i> (J215) Algerine-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Vestal was a turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1943 and saw service in the Pacific War against the Empire of Japan. She was critically damaged by Japanese kamikaze aircraft in 1945 and was subsequently scuttled in waters close to Thailand.

HMS <i>Gleaner</i> (J83) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Gleaner was one of 21 Halcyon-class minesweepers built for the Royal Navy in the 1930s.

References

  1. 1 2 "1169737" . Miramar Ship Index . Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  3. ↑ Colledge. Ships of the Royal Navy. p. 113.
  4. ↑ "EMPIRE - B". mariners-l.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
  5. ↑ "Waverly". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command . Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "Legacy of the landings". Dive Magazine. Archived from the original on 13 March 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  7. ↑ "Ship Index A-F". Brian Watson. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.