HASTINGS-Class Escort Sloop ordered from Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle on 26th February 1929 under the 1929 Build Programme with sister ship HMS FOLKESTONE. The ship was laid down on 28th May that year and launched without ceremony on 14th March 1930. She was the 9th RN ship to bear this name, introduced in 1691 for a Ketch built at Scarborough and captured by the French in January 1693. She was probably named after Richard Lumley, 2nd Earl of Scarborough who was a supporter of William III. Build of this Sloop was completed on 31st July 1930 and deployed as a Sloop in the West Indies before being refitted in 1938 for use as an unarmed Survey Ship destined for use on the East Indies Station where she arrived in May 1939. In March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of  Seaton, Devonshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

LA GUARA 1743 - LOUISBERG 1758 - QUEBEC 1759 - ATLANTIC 1939-44 - NORTH AFRICA 1942 - NORTH SEA 1943 - NORMANDY 1944 - CHANNEL 1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge:  On a Field Red, an ancient ship with tower Gold on wavelets

Silver and Blue.

 

M o t t o

Tutus est fortis: 'In strength lies our safety'

 

M a n n i n g   P o r t

Chatham

 

 

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

 

(for more ship information, go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search

 

 

1 9 3 9

 

September             Deployment for survey duties based at Colombo ceased and nominated for future use

                                as an anti-submarine convoy escort

                                Taken in hand for modification to suit new role

 

October                  Under conversion at Colombo

                                Nominated for return to Home waters on completion.

 

November

                8th          Conversion completed.

                                Took passage to UK after trials and preparation for passage.

 

December              Passage in Red Sea and Mediterranean.

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Arrived at Plymouth and taken in hand fort refit prior to operational service in

                                Western Approaches Command.

 

February                Joined 1st Escort Division at Liverpool for convoy escort in Western Approaches.

                27th        Deployed with HM Destroyers VANOC, WHIRLWIND and HM Sloop WELLINGTON

                                and joined outward Convoy OG20F at sea for escort during passage to Gibraltar

                                (Note: For details of convoy organisation see THE ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM

                                1939-1945 by A Hague.)

                                HMS VANOC and HMS WHIRLWIND detached.

 

March

                2nd         Detached from OG20F with HMS WELLINGTON and took passage to Gibraltar

                23rd        Deployed with HM Destroyers CAMPBELL, VOLUNTEER, WALKER and HM Sloop

                                WELLINGTON as escort for inward Convoy HG23 during passage from Gibraltar to

                                Liverpool

                30th        Detached from HG23 with escort on arrival at Liverpool.

 

April

                22nd       Deployed with HM Sloops BIDEFORD and LEITH for escort of outward Convoy OG27F.

                                Joined convoy in Irish Sea.

                24th        Detached with other ships of escort and returned to Liverpool.

 

May

                1st           Joined HM Sloop FOLKESTONE as escort for outward Convoy OG28F on passage in Irish

                                Sea from Liverpool.

                                Detached on release from local escort requirement.

                                (Note HMS FOLKESTONE remained with OG28F.)

                                Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to U25.

 

June                        Convoy defence duties based at Liverpool with Division in continuation.

to August              Transferred for convoy escort in NW Approaches, based at Liverpool.

 

September             Joined inward Convoy SC2 on passage to Liverpool from Sydney, CB as part of

                                escort during final stage of passage in NW Approaches.

                10th        Detached from SC2 with escort on arrival at Liverpool.

                19th        Joined escort for outward Convoy OB216 for passage in NW Approaches to Canada

                23rd        Detached from OB216 when convoy dispersed.

 

October                  Passage to join inward Convoy SC7 from Canada during passage in NW Approaches.

                                Initially to be deployed as sole escort.

                16th        SC7 sighted by U124 before arrival of additional escorts.

                                HM Sloop FOWEY and HM Corvette BLUEBELL joined SC7.

                17th        Under attack by U48 during which two mercantiles were sunk and another damaged.

                18th        Under attack by U38 which damaged another mercantile.

                                HM Sloop LEITH and HM Corvette HEARTSEASE joined escort.

                                Attacks by U38, U46, U47, U48 and U100 during which total number of mercantiles

                                sunk, as determined by post war analysis, was 21 of the 236 in convoy..

                                (For details see HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair, NIGHT OF THE U-BOATS

                                by Lund and Ludlam, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO)

 

November              Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.

to December

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.

to February

 

March

                13th        Intercepted German supply ship SPICHERN which scuttled on approach.

                                (Note: This ship was previously the Norwegian mercantile KROSSSFON

                                taken as Prize by the commerce raider WIDDER in 1940.)

 

April                       Deployed as escort with HM Destroyer WOLVERINE, HAVELOCK and HM

                                Corvette ARBUTUS for inward Convoy SC26 from Halifax during passage in NW

                                Approaches.

                                Took part in search for convoy which had become dispersed.

                5th          Carried out depth charge attacks on U76 with HMS WOLVERINE and HMS

                                ARBUTUS after submarine was sighted on surface and had dived

                                Following firm sonar contact attack carried out concentrated depth charge attack

                                causing extensive damage. U76 then surfaced and scuttled in position 58.35N 20.20W.

                                40 of submarine crew were rescued by the escorts.

                                For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and HITLER’S U-BOAT

                                WAR by C Blair.

                8th          Detached from SC26 on arrival at Liverpool.

 

May                        Atlantic convoy escort duties in continuation.

to July

 

August                  Taken in hand for refit at commercial shipyard in Liverpool.

 

September             On completion carried out post refit trials and took passage to Tobermory to

                                work-up for operational service.

 

October                  Joined 43rd Escort Group and deployed for escort of convoys on UK – Freetown

                                route.

 

November              Freetown route convoy escort duties in continuation.

to December

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Freetown route duties in continuation.

                30th        Joined escort for outward Convoy OS18 on departure from Liverpool.

 

February                Detached from OS18

                                For details of U-Boat deployments in 1942 see U-BOAT WAR IN THE

                                ATLANTIC (HMSO) and above reference.)

 

March                    Freetown route duties in continuation.

 

April

                16th        Involved in collision with HM Destroyer BRADFORD.

 

May                        Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.

to June

 

July                         Taken in hand for refit at commercial shipyard in Liverpool.

 

August                  Under refit.

to September         (Note: Work included installation of Radar Type 271 for surface warning.

                                For details of development and use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA

                                by D Howse.)

 

October                  Carried out post refit trials and work-up.

                                Nominated for escort and support of planned landings in North Africa.

                                Deployed for convoy escort between UK and Gibraltar

 

November              Gibraltar route deployment in continuation including military convoys to Gibraltar

                                prior to and after allied landings (Operation TORCH)

                                Deployed at Gibraltar for local escort duties.

 

December              Gibraltar deployment in continuation.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Deployed in western Mediterranean,

                31st         Part of escort for military Convoy GUF4 during passage from Algiers.

 

February                Detached from GUF4 during westward passage and returned to Gibraltar.

                                Transferred to 39th Escort Group and took passage to Londonderry..

                                (Note: For details of development of new tactics and weapons for convoy

                                defence and attack see SEEK and STRIKE by W Hackmann.

 

March                    Deployed with 39th Escort Group.

                6th          Part of escort for outward Convoy OS44 with ships of Group. during passage

                                in Atlantic.

 

April                       Atlantic convoy escort with Group on UK-Gibraltar route in continuation,

to July

 

August

                27th        Part of escort for outward joint Convoy OS54//KMS25 during passage from

                                Liverpool

                29th        Detached from OS54/KMS25.

 

September             Atlantic convoy escort with Group in continuation.

to December

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Transferred to 15th Escort Group and deployed in NW Approaches.

                                (Note: Based at Belfast, this Group was to be joined by new US Built

                                CAPTAIN Class Frigates.)

 

February                Deployed with Group for escort of inward Convoy MKF28 from

                                Port Said during Atlantic passage

                7th          Detached from MKF28 on arrival at Liverpool.

 

March                    Atlantic deployment for escort and anti-submarine patrol duties.

to April

 

May                        Nominated for special escort duties during planned allied landings in

                                Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE)

                                (Note: Intended for escort of Trinity House Vessels in support of

                                landings by provision of navigational markers.)

                                Passage to Portsmouth to prepare for NEPTUNE.

 

June                        Deployed at Portsmouth with HM Sloops ROCHESTER and

                                LONDONDERRY.

                                For details of naval activities prior to and during NEPTUNE see

                                LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO), OPERATION

                                NEPTUNE by K Edwards and Naval Staff History.)

                6th          Passage to beach head areas with Trinity House vessels.

                7th          Re-deployed for duty as Control Ships for Coastal Forces craft.

                                (Note: Coastal Forces craft were deployed for interception of any attempt

                                to carry out attacks or minelaying by submarines or E-Boats..

 

 

July                         On release from Channel duties returned to Portsmouth

                                Nominated for withdrawal from operational use.

                                Passage to Hartlepool to Pay-off and reduce to Reserve status.

 

August                  Reduced to Reserve status prior to lay-up at Hartlepool.

                                (Note: Ship condition did not allow economic refit.)

 

September             Laid-up at Hartlepool.

to December

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Laid-up at Hartlepool.

to August

  

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS SCARBOROUGH was placed on the Disposal List after VJ Day and sold to BISCO on 3rd June 1949. The ship was towed to Thornaby-on-Tees for demolition by Stockton Ship and Salvage Co. and arrived at the breakers yard on 3rd July that year.

 

---

 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS SCARBOROUGH

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above 

(Note on Convoys)