The first USS McLanahan (DD-264) was a in the United States Navy and transferred to the Royal Navy where she served as HMS Bradford (H72) during World War II.
Design
The Clemson-class was a modified version of the previous (itself a faster version of the ) with more fuel, as many of the Wickes-class had poor fuel economy and hence endurance. Like the Wickes-class ships, the Clemsonss had flush-decks and four funnels and were ordered in very large numbers to meet the US Navy's need for ships to counter German U-boats as well as to operate with the fleet.
The Clemsons were long overall and at the waterline, with a beam of and a draft of . Displacement was normal and full load. The machinery had a design rating of , giving a design speed of . with her machinery producing .
As USS McLanahan
Named for Tenant McLanahan, McLanahan was laid down on 20 April 1918 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Victory Destroyer Plant in Squantum, Quincy, Massachusetts. The ship was launched on 22 September 1918;
As HMS Bradford
After crossing the Atlantic, Bradford was refitted at Devonport dockyard, but after a number of defects were discovered during post-refit workup, it was decided to modify the ship as a long-range escort. A new bridge was also fitted and two funnels removed.
Following completion of the conversion, Bradford joined the 43rd Escort Group in October 1941, escorting convoys between Britain and Gibraltar. with Bradford being under repair on Humberside from June to August 1942.
In December 1942, Bradford underwent a period of repair at Liverpool,