| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Sloop |
| Class | Bridgewater |
| Pennant | L 01 / U 01 |
| Built by | Hawthorn Leslie & Co. (Hebburn-on-Tyne, U.K.) |
| Ordered | 19 Sep 1927 |
| Laid down | 6 Feb 1928 |
| Launched | 14 Sep 1928 |
| Commissioned | 14 Mar 1929 |
| End service | |
| Loss position | |
| History | In March 1935 HMS Bridgewater was based on the Cape Station and was first docked in the Selborne dry dock at Simonstown, South Africa on the 18th of this month. She often used the facilities provided at Simonstown prior to the outbreak of war. In September 1940, HMS Bridgewater in company with HMS Milford were summoned from the South Atlantic to proceed to Freetown and then on to the Mediterranean, to team up with the fleet involved in operation \"Menace\". This was the plan to prevent the Vichy French fleet from entering Dakar. British naval forces attacked Dakar to prepare a landing by the Free French troops. Bridgewater and Milford formed part of the British unit, with Vice Admiral Cunningham in overall charge. On New Years Day 1942 convoy WS-14 arrived in South Africa from the U.K. with reinforcements. The convoy consisted of 18 ships. Bridgewater in company with the light cruiser HMS Ceres were responsible for the escorting of this convoy. On 19 March convoy WS-16 arrived in South Africa from the U.K. with reinforcements. The convoy consisted of 14 ships and HMS Bridgewater assisted with the escorting of this convoy. In September 1943 HMS Bridgewater was serving in the Atlantic in company with Milford and formed a unit of the 40th escort group, involved in escorting convoys on the U.K. - Gibraltar route and was based at Freetown. On 22 May 1947 Bridgewater was sold to Howells, Gelleswick Bay for breaking up. |
Commands listed for HMS Bridgewater (L 01 / U 01)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | ||
| 1 | Cdr. Roy Carlton Harry, RN | 2 Jun 1939 | 17 Dec 1939 | |
| 2 | A/Cdr. (retired) Henry Fawcus Gerrans Leftwich, RN | 17 Dec 1939 | 23 Feb 1942 | |
| 3 | Cdr. (retired) Nelson Ward Hampton Weekes, RN | 23 Feb 1942 | ??? | |
| 4 | Lt. Peter James Hill Hoare, RN | ??? | Feb 1944 | |
| 5 | Cdr. (retired) Richard Herbert Mack, RN | Feb 1944 | 4 Apr 1945 | |
| 6 | Cdr. (retired) Michael Wentworth Ewart-Wentworth, RN | 4 Apr 1945 | 23 Jun 1945 | |
| 7 | Lt.Cdr. David Drummond Bone, RN | 23 Jun 1945 | Oct 1945 ? | |
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Noteable events involving Bridgewater include:
18 May 1941
The British merchant Piako is torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-107 about 130 nautical miles south-west of Freetown in position 07º52'N, 14º57'W. HMS Bridgewater (Cdr. H.F.G. Leftwich, RN (retired)) later picks up 65 survivors.
1 Dec 1942
HMS Bridgewater (Cdr. N.W. Weeks, OBE, RN) picks up 19 survivors from the British tanker Cerinthus that was torpedoed and sunk on 10 November 1942 by the German submarine U-128 about 180 nautical miles south-west from the Cape Verde Islands in position 12º27'N, 27º45'W.
18 Jul 1943
At 07.56 hours on 18 July 1943, the unescorted British passenger ship Incomati was torpedoed and damaged by the German submarine U-508 about 200 nautical miles south of Lagos. At 08.18 hours, the U-boat began shelling the ship, setting her on fire and left the wreck in sinking condition. The ship finally sank in position 03º09'N, 04º15'E. One crew member was lost. The master, 101 crew members, eight gunners and 112 passengers were picked up by the British destroyer HMS Boadicea (Lt.Cdr. F.C. Brodrick, RN) and the British sloop HMS Bridgewater (Cdr. N.W.H. Weekes, OBE, RN) and landed at Takoradi.