ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY A B 36 SHIPS
29)BOADICEA (DESTROYER
Photo. en.wikipedia.org
Completed 1931
Displacement 1,360 tons
Length 323 ft
Beam 32,3 ft
Draught 12,2 ft
Propulsion: 2 shafts; geared steam turbines, 3 oil fired boilers, 34,000 hp (25.4 MW), 380 tons oil fuel
Speed: 32,2 kts
Complement: 138
Armament: 4 × 4.7 inch (120 mm) guns, 2 × 2-pounder anti-aircraft, 8 × 21 inch (530 mm) torpedo tubes.
Fate: Boadicea was sunk on the 13 June 1944 while escorting a convoy of merchant ships in convoy EBC-8 from Milford Haven in support of the Normandy invasion. She was possibly struck by an Hs 293 air-to-surface missile launched by a German Do 217; only 12 of her crew survived. However, official British reports attribute the sinking to a torpedo launched by a Ju 88 aircraft which disguised itself in a formation of RAF Beaufighters.
HMS Boadicea plying the rolling Atlantic waters. Photo. en.wikipedia.org
On 18/Jul/43 HMS Boadicea joined by HMS Bridgewater rescued 220 survivors from British merchant Incomati sunk that same day by U-508 in pos 03º 09’N 04º 15’W.
Below, a detailed activity of HMS Boadicea in South Atlantic.
April 1943. Under repair. Nominated for convoy escort duty at Freetown.
May 19th Joined military convoys WS30 (For Freetown) and KMF 15 (For Mediterranean) in the Clyde for passage to Freetown. (Note: HM Cruiser SUFFOLK provided Ocean Escort)
25th Gibraltar Section KMF15 detached. HM Destroyers ANTELOPE, CATTERICK and FOXHOUND joined WS30 (Freetown Section). Remained with WS30.
28th Detached from WS30 on arrival at Freetown and joined Local Escort Force.
June 1943 6th Joined WS30 on departure from Freetown for Local Escort with H M Destroyers RAPID, WITCH and WOLVERINE.
9th Detached from WS30 and returned to Freetown.
July West African escort duty in continuation. 19th Rescued survivors from mv INCOMATI sunk SW of Accra.
August Freetown Convoy defence duties in continuation
September 14th Joined military convoy WS33 with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, BULLDOG, WOLVERINE and HM Frigate BANN for Local Escort during calls at ports in West Africa.
19th. Detached from WS33 with Local Escort and returned to Freetown. Withdrawn from Freetown for refit and conversion.
Took passage to UK. Deployed temporarily with 8th Escort Group for A/S duty in NW Approaches.
By www.naval-history.net
