HMS Bramble (J11)

History
HMS Bramble, April 1942
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Bramble
Ordered:	11 August 1937
Builder:	HM Dockyard, Devonport
Laid down:	22 November 1937
Launched:	12 July 1938
Commissioned:	22 June 1939
Honours and awards:	Arctic 1941–42
Fate:	Sunk, 31 December 1942
Badge:	On a Field White, a Bramble, slipped and leaved Proper
General characteristics
Class and type:	Halcyon-class minesweeper
Displacement:	875 long tons (889 t) standard 1,350 long tons (1,372 t) full load
Length:	245 ft 9 in (74.90 m) o/a
Beam:	33 ft 6 in (10.21 m)
Draught:	9 ft (2.7 m)
Propulsion:	2 × Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers Parsons steam turbines 2,000 shp (1,500 kW) on 2 shafts
Speed:	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Range:	7,200 nmi (13,300 km; 8,300 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement:	121
Armament:	As completed: 2 × QF 4-inch Mk.V (L/45 102 mm) guns, single mounts HA Mk.III 4 × .5-inch Mk.III (12.7 mm) Vickers machine guns, quad mount HA Mk.I 4 × single .303-inch (7.7 mm) Lewis machine guns 4 × depth charge throwers 2 × depth charge rails

HMS Bramble was a Halcyon-class minesweeper (officially, "fleet minesweeping sloop") of the British Royal Navy, which was commissioned in 1939, just prior to World War II. During the war she served as a minesweeper in the North Sea, and then on Russian convoys until sunk in the Battle of the Barents Sea on 31 December 1942.

The ship was ordered on 11 August 1937 from HM Dockyard Devonport, with engines supplied by Barclay Curle. She was laid down on 22 November 1937, and launched on 12 July 1938. After sea trials in July 1939 Bramble was assigned to the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla at Portland Harbour, sailing with the Flotilla to Scapa Flow in August. She served as a minesweeper in the North Sea until February 1941, when she transferred to Harwich for operations in the Thames Estuary.

In April 1941 she was transferred to Western Approaches Command for Atlantic convoy escort duty, and attached to the 3rd Escort Group. In October she was detached to serve on the Russian convoys, and joined Convoy PQ 2 sailing to Arkhangelsk, where she remained carrying out local minesweeping and patrol duties, as well as escorting in- and out-bound convoys. She returned to the UK in January 1942 to be refitted at a yard in Sunderland. She returned to convoy duty in April, returning to Russia with Convoy PQ 15. She served there until October, when she returned to the UK to be repaired at a shipyard in the Humber.

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Wikipedia