[1][2] He was educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth from the age of 13, and on 15 January 1923 was appointed a midshipman in the gunroom of the battleship HMS Revenge.

He subsequently served as a sub-lieutenant on the Concord and the Caledon, and on the Marlborough as a lieutenant, before taking command of the G-class destroyer HMS Glowworm on 22 July 1938.

[4] The Admiral Hipper's commander, Kapitän zur See Hellmuth Heye, wrote to the British authorities via the Red Cross, recommending award of the VC for his opponent's courage in engaging a vastly superior warship.

The citation reads: The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS for valour to:— The late Lieutenant-Commander Gerard Broadmead ROOPE, Royal Navy.

Because of the heavy sea, the Glowworm could not shadow the enemy and the Commanding Officer therefore decided to attack with torpedoes and then to close in order to inflict as much damage as possible.

The Glowworm, badly stove in forward and riddled with enemy fire, heeled over to starboard, and the Commanding Officer gave the order to abandon her.

Full information concerning this action has only recently been received and the VICTORIA CROSS is bestowed in recognition of the great valour of the Commanding Officer who, after fighting off a superior force of destroyers, sought out and reported a powerful enemy unit, and then fought his ship to the end against overwhelming odds, finally ramming the enemy with supreme coolness and skill.The award was presented to his widow on 12 February 1946.

The characters are fictional, including the Glowworm's captain, but the story depicts an "unlucky" ship that is redeemed by an heroic final action and, at the end, the fellowship between mariners, even enemies.