Halcyon class minesweeper
Encyclopedia
The Halcyon class was a class
of 21 oil-fired minesweepers
(officially, "fleet minesweeping sloops") built for the British
Royal Navy
between 1933 and 1939. They were given traditional small ship names used historically by the Royal Navy and served during World War II
.
escort sloops. Niger and Salamander of the reciprocating group used vertical triple expansion engines, instead of the vertical compound engines of their sisters. As a result of the increased installed power they had a half knot speed advantage, even though they used slightly shorter hulls. The turbine ships used the same shorter hulls as Niger and Salamander, but with lower installed power, speed dropped back to 16.5 knots (32 km/h).
Gleaner, Franklin, Jason and Scott were completed as unarmed survey vessels, Sharpshooter and Seagull being converted to follow suit. They were all re-armed and deployed in their original role on the outbreak of war. Seagull had the first all-welded hull built for the Royal Navy.
On 3 February 1940 Sphinx (Cdr. J. R. N. Taylor, RN) was sweeping an area 15 miles (24 km) north of Kinnaird Head
when attacked by enemy aircraft. A bomb pierced the fo'c'sle
deck and exploding destroying the fore part of the ship. She remained afloat and was taken in tow by Halcyon
but steadily flooded and capsized and sank. The wreck was later washed ashore north of Lybster
and was sold for scrap. The Commanding Officer and forty of the men were killed in the explosion.
Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. F. B. Proudfoot, RN) was attacked and sunk by a force of German dive-bombers off De Panne
, Belgium
on 1 June 1940. On board Skipjack were between 250 and 300 soldiers just rescued from the Dunkirk beaches during Operation Dynamo
. Eye witness William Stone said "she just disappeared".
Halcyons were pressed into service as anti-submarine escorts; this task slowly decreasing as the ships specifically designed for this task, such as Flower class corvette
s, came off the slips. Halcyons accompanied most of the Arctic Convoys
, serving both as minesweepers and anti-submarine escorts. Several spent extended periods working out of Soviet naval bases in Northern Russia, such as Murmansk
. Four Halcyons were lost during this period.
Hebe
and Speedy
served in the Mediterranean as part of the 14th/17th Minesweeper Flotilla
based in Malta
. The minesweepers saw action during the Malta Convoys
, Operation Torch
, and Operation Corkscrew
. Hebe was lost to a mine off Bari
, Italy
on 22 November 1943.
Britomart
(Lt. Cdr. Nash, MBE, RNR) and Hussar
(Lt.Cdr. A. J. Galvin, DSC, RNR) were sunk by aerial rockets fired from RAF
Typhoons
in a "friendly fire
" incident on 27 August 1944 off Cap d'Antifer
, Le Havre
. Salamander was badly damaged astern in the same incident and she was written off as a constructive total loss and eventually scrapped without repair. Jason
was attacked during the same incident but escaped major damage.
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of 21 oil-fired minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
(officially, "fleet minesweeping sloops") built for the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
between 1933 and 1939. They were given traditional small ship names used historically by the Royal Navy and served during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Design
There were 21 ships in the Halcyon class, built in two groups; the first using reciprocating steam engines, with steam turbines in the latter. They were generally smaller versions of the Grimsby classGrimsby class sloop
With the realisation that war was approaching, 13 Grimsby class sloops were laid down in the mid to late 1930s. Of these eight were built in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy, four in Australia for the Royal Australian Navy and one for India...
escort sloops. Niger and Salamander of the reciprocating group used vertical triple expansion engines, instead of the vertical compound engines of their sisters. As a result of the increased installed power they had a half knot speed advantage, even though they used slightly shorter hulls. The turbine ships used the same shorter hulls as Niger and Salamander, but with lower installed power, speed dropped back to 16.5 knots (32 km/h).
Gleaner, Franklin, Jason and Scott were completed as unarmed survey vessels, Sharpshooter and Seagull being converted to follow suit. They were all re-armed and deployed in their original role on the outbreak of war. Seagull had the first all-welded hull built for the Royal Navy.
Service history
Halcyons served in Home waters, at Dunkirk, on Arctic convoy duty, and in the Mediterranean.On 3 February 1940 Sphinx (Cdr. J. R. N. Taylor, RN) was sweeping an area 15 miles (24 km) north of Kinnaird Head
Kinnaird Head
Kinnaird Head is a headland projecting into the North Sea, within the town of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire on the east coast of Scotland. It is the site of the first lighthouse in Scotland to be lit by the Commissioners of Northern Lights...
when attacked by enemy aircraft. A bomb pierced the fo'c'sle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
deck and exploding destroying the fore part of the ship. She remained afloat and was taken in tow by Halcyon
HMS Halcyon (J42)
HMS Halcyon was a built for the Royal Navy in 1933. She was the lead vessel in the class. Her pennant number was J42.Halcyon was built by John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd., at Clydebank, in Scotland. She was laid down on 27 March 1933 and launched on 20 December of the same year...
but steadily flooded and capsized and sank. The wreck was later washed ashore north of Lybster
Lybster
Lybster is a village on the east coast of Caithness in northern Scotland.It was once a big herring fishing port, but has declined in recent years, due to problems in the industry....
and was sold for scrap. The Commanding Officer and forty of the men were killed in the explosion.
Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. F. B. Proudfoot, RN) was attacked and sunk by a force of German dive-bombers off De Panne
De Panne
De Panne is a municipality located along the North Sea coast of the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Adinkerke and De Panne proper. On 1 January 2006 De Panne had a total population of 10,060. The total area is 23.90 km² which gives a population...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on 1 June 1940. On board Skipjack were between 250 and 300 soldiers just rescued from the Dunkirk beaches during Operation Dynamo
Operation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
. Eye witness William Stone said "she just disappeared".
Halcyons were pressed into service as anti-submarine escorts; this task slowly decreasing as the ships specifically designed for this task, such as Flower class corvette
Flower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
s, came off the slips. Halcyons accompanied most of the Arctic Convoys
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
, serving both as minesweepers and anti-submarine escorts. Several spent extended periods working out of Soviet naval bases in Northern Russia, such as Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
. Four Halcyons were lost during this period.
- Gossamer (Lt.Cdr. T. C. Crease), having escorted the very first Arctic ConvoyArctic convoys of World War IIThe Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
, attacked a German U-boatU-boatU-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
while escorting Convoy PQ 11Convoy PQ 11Convoy PQ 11 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II.It sailed in February 1942 and arrived in Murmansk without loss.-Ships:...
, and helped rescue the crew of HMS EdinburghHMS Edinburgh (C16)HMS Edinburgh was a Town-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy, which served during World War II. She was one of the last two "Town"-class, which formed the Edinburgh sub-class...
. Gossamer dive-bombed and sunk on 26 June 1942 in the Kola Inlet. - NigerHMS Niger (J73)HMS Niger was a of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1936 and was sunk during the Second World War by a mine near Iceland in 1942. Five merchants she was escorting also sank top mines at the same spot.-External links:* *...
(Cdr. A. J. Cubison, DSCDistinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
and BarMedal barA medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
) was lost off IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
on 5 July 1942 while escorting Convoy PQ-13Convoy PQ-13PQ-13 was a British Arctic convoy which delivered war supplies from the Western Allies to the USSR during World War II. The convoy was subject to attack by German air, U-boat and surface forces and suffered the loss of five ships, plus one escort vessel...
, when part of the convoy wandered into a British minefield. - Leda was torpedoed and sunk in the Greenland SeaGreenland SeaThe Greenland Sea is a body of water that borders Greenland to the west, the Svalbard archipelago to the east, Fram Strait and the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Norwegian Sea and Iceland to the south. The Greenland Sea is often defined as part of the Arctic Ocean, sometimes as part of the...
on 29 September 1942 while escorting Convoy QP-14. - On 31 December 1943 during the Battle of the Barents SeaBattle of the Barents SeaThe Battle of the Barents Sea took place on 31 December 1942 between German surface raiders and British ships escorting convoy JW 51B to Kola Inlet in the USSR. The action took place in the Barents Sea north of North Cape, Norway...
, Bramble was attacked by the German surface raider Admiral HipperGerman cruiser Admiral HipperAdmiral Hipper, the first of five ships of her class, was the lead ship of the Admiral Hipper–class of heavy cruisers which served with the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1935 and launched February 1937; Admiral Hipper...
on while escorting Convoy JW 51BConvoy JW 51BConvoy JW 51B was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late December 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports in early January 1943....
. After sustaining serious damage, Bramble was finished off by the German destroyer Eckholdt.
Hebe
HMS Hebe (J24)
HMS Hebe was a that saw service in the Royal Navy in the Second World War. She was built at the Devonport Dockyard and she was commissioned in 1936. Her pennant number was N 24, later J 24....
and Speedy
HMS Speedy (J17)
HMS Speedy was a that saw service in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was built by William Hamilton & Co. at Port Glasgow, Scotland and completed at J. S. White & Co. at Cowes, Isle of Wight. She was commissioned in 1939...
served in the Mediterranean as part of the 14th/17th Minesweeper Flotilla
14th/17th Minesweeper Flotilla
The 14th/17th Minesweeper Flotilla was a Royal Navy minesweeper flotilla based in Malta during the Second World War.- History :The flotilla comprised four fleet minesweepers from the Devonport based 14th M/S Flotilla – two Halcyon class and two Bangor class .The four vessels were detached from...
based in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. The minesweepers saw action during the Malta Convoys
Malta Convoys
The Malta Convoys were a series of Allied supply convoys that sustained the besieged island of Malta during the Mediterranean Theatre of the Second World War...
, Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, and Operation Corkscrew
Operation Corkscrew
During World War II, Operation Corkscrew was the Allied invasion of the Italian island of Pantelleria on 10 June 1943. There had been an early plan to occupy the island in late 1940 , but this was aborted when the Luftwaffe strengthened the Axis air threat in the region.The Allied focus returned...
. Hebe was lost to a mine off Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
on 22 November 1943.
Britomart
HMS Britomart (J22)
HMS Britomart was a of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War and was sunk in 1944 in a friendly fire incident.-Construction and commissioning:...
(Lt. Cdr. Nash, MBE, RNR) and Hussar
HMS Hussar (J82)
HMS Hussar was a Royal Navy minesweeper. She was sunk by friendly fire from RAF fighters off the coast of Normandy on 27 August 1944 in the same incident as HMS Britomart.-References:...
(Lt.Cdr. A. J. Galvin, DSC, RNR) were sunk by aerial rockets fired from RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Typhoons
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
in a "friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
" incident on 27 August 1944 off Cap d'Antifer
La Poterie-Cap-d'Antifer
La Poterie-Cap-d’Antifer is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A farming village in the Pays de Caux, some north of Le Havre, at the junction of the D111 and D950 roads...
, Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
. Salamander was badly damaged astern in the same incident and she was written off as a constructive total loss and eventually scrapped without repair. Jason
HMS Jason (J99)
HMS Jason was a . She was named after the hero in Greek mythology and was the sixteenth Royal Navy ship to carry the name Jason. She was laid down on 12 December 1936, launched on 6 October 1937, and was completed on 9 June 1938. She survived the Second World War and was sold in 1946 to become...
was attacked during the same incident but escaped major damage.
Reciprocating group
- Ordered 1932
- HMS HalcyonHMS Halcyon (J42)HMS Halcyon was a built for the Royal Navy in 1933. She was the lead vessel in the class. Her pennant number was J42.Halcyon was built by John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd., at Clydebank, in Scotland. She was laid down on 27 March 1933 and launched on 20 December of the same year...
, built by John Brown & CompanyJohn Brown & CompanyJohn Brown and Company of Clydebank was a pre-eminent Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding firm, responsible for building many notable and world-famous ships, such as the , the , the , the , the , and the...
, ClydebankClydebankClydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
, sold for scrapping 1950 - HMS Skipjack, built by John Brown, bombed and sunk off Dunkirk 1940-06-01
- HMS Halcyon
- Ordered 1933
- HMS Harrier, built by John I. Thornycroft & CompanyJohn I. Thornycroft & CompanyJohn I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, usually known simply as Thornycroft was a British shipbuilding firm started by John Isaac Thornycroft in the 19th century.-History:...
, Woolston, sold for scrapping 1950 - HMS HussarHMS Hussar (J82)HMS Hussar was a Royal Navy minesweeper. She was sunk by friendly fire from RAF fighters off the coast of Normandy on 27 August 1944 in the same incident as HMS Britomart.-References:...
, built by Thornycroft, sunk in error by RAF aircraft off Cap d'Antifer, 1944-08-27
- HMS Harrier, built by John I. Thornycroft & Company
- Ordered 1934
- HMS Speedwell, built by William Hamilton and CompanyWilliam Hamilton and CompanyWilliam Hamilton and Company was a British shipyard located in Port Glasgow, Scotland. The company was purchased by Lithgow Ltd., later to become Scott Lithgow which was nationalised into British Shipbuilders in 1977....
, Port GlasgowPort GlasgowPort Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
, sold out of service 1946, wrecked and scrapped 1954
- HMS Speedwell, built by William Hamilton and Company
- Ordered 1935
- HMS NigerHMS Niger (J73)HMS Niger was a of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1936 and was sunk during the Second World War by a mine near Iceland in 1942. Five merchants she was escorting also sank top mines at the same spot.-External links:* *...
, built by J. Samuel White & Company, CowesCowesCowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, mined off Iceland 1942-06-04 - HMS Salamander, built by White, damaged in RAF rocket attack off Cap d'Antifer August 27, 1944 and written off as constructive total loss, sold for scrapping 1946
- HMS Niger
Turbine group
- Ordered 1936
- HMS Franklin, built by Ailsa Shipbuilding CompanyAilsa Shipbuilding Company-History:The company was founded in 1885 by the 3rd Marquess of Ailsa.In 1902 the Ailsa yard fitted out the polar exploration ship Scotia for the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902-04...
, TroonTroonTroon is a town in South Ayrshire. It is situated on the west coast of Scotland, about eight miles north of Ayr and three miles northwest of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Lying across the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Arran can be seen. Troon is also a port with freight and ferry services...
, sold for scrapping 1956 - HMS Gleaner, built by William Gray & Company, HartlepoolHartlepoolHartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
, sold for scrapping 1950 - HMS Gossamer, built by William Hamilton and CompanyWilliam Hamilton and CompanyWilliam Hamilton and Company was a British shipyard located in Port Glasgow, Scotland. The company was purchased by Lithgow Ltd., later to become Scott Lithgow which was nationalised into British Shipbuilders in 1977....
, bombed and sunk in Kola Inlet 1942-06-24 - HMS Hazard, built by William Gray, sold for scrapping 1949
- HMS HebeHMS Hebe (J24)HMS Hebe was a that saw service in the Royal Navy in the Second World War. She was built at the Devonport Dockyard and she was commissioned in 1936. Her pennant number was N 24, later J 24....
, built by HM Dockyard, DevonportHMNB DevonportHer Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
, mined and sunk off BariBariBari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, 1943-11-22 - HMS JasonHMS Jason (J99)HMS Jason was a . She was named after the hero in Greek mythology and was the sixteenth Royal Navy ship to carry the name Jason. She was laid down on 12 December 1936, launched on 6 October 1937, and was completed on 9 June 1938. She survived the Second World War and was sold in 1946 to become...
, built by Ailsa, sold out of service 1946, sold for scrapping 1950 - HMS Leda, built by HM Dockyard Devonport, torpedoed and sunk by U-435 in Greenland SeaGreenland SeaThe Greenland Sea is a body of water that borders Greenland to the west, the Svalbard archipelago to the east, Fram Strait and the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Norwegian Sea and Iceland to the south. The Greenland Sea is often defined as part of the Arctic Ocean, sometimes as part of the...
1942-09-20 - HMS SeagullHMS Seagull (J85)HMS Seagull was a , and the first Royal Navy ship to be built entirely without rivets. She was completed on 30th March 1938.During the Second World War she helped escort 21 Arctic convoys, and participated in Operation Neptune...
, built by HM Dockyard Devonport, sold for scrapping 1956 - HMS Sharpshooter, built by HM Dockyard Devonport, renamed Shackleton 1953 and converted to survey vessel, sold for scrapping 1956
- HMS Franklin, built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company
- Ordered 1937
- HMS Bramble, built by HM Dockyard Devonport, sunk by gunfire from German warships in Barents SeaBarents SeaThe Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
, 1942-12-31 - HMS BritomartHMS Britomart (J22)HMS Britomart was a of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War and was sunk in 1944 in a friendly fire incident.-Construction and commissioning:...
, built by HM Dockyard Devonport, sunk in error by RAF aircraft off Cap d'Antifer, August 27, 1944 - HMS Scott, built by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering CompanyCaledon Shipbuilding & Engineering CompanyThe Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Limited was a British shipbuilding company based in Dundee on the east coast of Scotland.-History:...
, DundeeDundeeDundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, sold for scrapping 1965 - HMS SpeedyHMS Speedy (J17)HMS Speedy was a that saw service in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was built by William Hamilton & Co. at Port Glasgow, Scotland and completed at J. S. White & Co. at Cowes, Isle of Wight. She was commissioned in 1939...
, built by William Hamilton and CompanyWilliam Hamilton and CompanyWilliam Hamilton and Company was a British shipyard located in Port Glasgow, Scotland. The company was purchased by Lithgow Ltd., later to become Scott Lithgow which was nationalised into British Shipbuilders in 1977....
, sold out of service 1946, sold for scrapping 1957 - HMS Sphinx, built by William Hamilton and CompanyWilliam Hamilton and CompanyWilliam Hamilton and Company was a British shipyard located in Port Glasgow, Scotland. The company was purchased by Lithgow Ltd., later to become Scott Lithgow which was nationalised into British Shipbuilders in 1977....
, bombed by German aircraft off Kinnaird HeadKinnaird HeadKinnaird Head is a headland projecting into the North Sea, within the town of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire on the east coast of Scotland. It is the site of the first lighthouse in Scotland to be lit by the Commissioners of Northern Lights...
1940-02-03, later sank under tow and wreck washed ashore off LybsterLybsterLybster is a village on the east coast of Caithness in northern Scotland.It was once a big herring fishing port, but has declined in recent years, due to problems in the industry....
, salved and scrapped 1950
- HMS Bramble, built by HM Dockyard Devonport, sunk by gunfire from German warships in Barents Sea