SCOTT-Class Destroyer Flotilla Leader ordered
from Cammell Laird of Birkenhead in April 1917. The ship was laid down as Yard No.
849 on I0th November 1917 and launched on 21st September 1918. She was the 2nd
RN ship to carry this
name, introduced in 1796. Build was completed on 21st December 1918 and she
served in the Atlantic Fleet until
1925 when laid up in Reserve. She was brought forward from Reserve when the
Reserve Fleet was mobilised in 1939
and in May 1942 was adopted by the civil community of Caithness following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in May 1942.
1 9 3 9
September Joined
19th Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich for convoy escort in
North Sea.
to (For
details of naval activities in
North Sea in 1939 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
December CLOSELY
by Corelli Barnett, BATTLE
FOR THE EAST COAST by J Foynes
and
Naval Staff History.)
1 9 4 0
January East
Coast convoy escort in continuation.
to Nominated
for service in Western Approaches.
February
March Deployed
in SW Approaches
25th Joined Convoy OG23 on assembly as escort
during initial stage of passage to
Gibraltar.
27th Detached from OG23 and took passage to
join inward Convoy HG23 as escort during
passage to Liverpool from Gibraltar.
30th Detached from HG23 and returned to
Plymouth
(For
details of OG and HG convoys see THE ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM by A Hague.)
April Detached
from escort of routine convoys as required by CinC Home Fleet to support
operations off
Norway.
(Note: Not recorded in Naval Staff History (HMSO - 2001) as
permanently deployed with
Home Fleet during Norwegian campaign.)
22nd Embarked 60 troops and stores for planned
landings at Molde and Andalsnes and sailed
from Rosyth with HM Destroyers VANSITTART, IVANHOE, ICARUS
and IMPULSIVE
as screen for HM Cruisers GALATEA,
SHEFFIELD and
GLASGOW during passage to
Tromso area (Operation SICKLE)
23rd Landed troops and stores at Andalsnes.
24th Returned to UK on release
from SICKLE.
June Part of escort for evacuation convoy from
Harstad.
Resumed
North convoy defence duties
July Convoy
defence duty and anti-invasion patrols
to
October
November
19th In action with
E-Boats off Southwold, Suffolk.
Rammed
and sank E-Boat S23. 19 of the crew were rescued and became PoW.
(Note: This was the first confirmed sinking of an E-Boat in
the N. Sea.
See
THE BATTLE OF THE EAST
COAST by JP Foynes)
December
North Sea deployment in
continuation.
1 9 4 1
January Deployed
in North
Sea
for convoy defence and patrol.
to (For
details of East Coast convoy activities see THREE CORVETTES by
N Montserrat
October and THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by P Scott).
November Escorted
Convoy FS50 with HM Destroyers
VERDUN, VESPER, WOLSEY, GARTH,
HAMBLEDON, QUORN, HM Corvettes KITTIWAKE and WIDGEON.
20th During defence of
FS50 opened fire on HMS GARTH in error causing serious damage.
See FRIEND OR
FOE by P Kemp).
(Note:
During these attacks tanker WAR MEHTAR, Colliers WALDINGE and ARUBA
were sunk
.Three E-Boats were also sunk, See THE
BATTLE OF THE EAST
COAST.)
December
North Sea deployment in
continuation.
1 9 4 2
January Flotilla
re-designated 21st Destroyer Flotilla.
Deployed
for North
Sea
convoy defence and patrol with HM Destroyers VIVACIOUS and
WORCESTER.
February
North Sea convoy defence and patrol in
continuation.
12th Took part in Flotilla exercises with HM
Destroyers VIVACIOUS and
WORCESTER of 21st
Destroyer Flotilla and HM Destroyers MACKAY, WHITSHED and WALPOLE of 16th
Flotilla.
Diverted
to intercept German warships SCHARNHORST, GNEISENAU and PRINZ EUGEN
on passage through
English Channel from
Brest to
Wilhelmshaven.
Carried
out unsuccessful torpedo attacks and under heavy fire from enemy ships and from
aircraft.
(For
details see THE CHANNEL DASH by T Robertson .ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY
and The Naval Staff History).
Resumed East coast duties after return to Harwich.
March East
Coast convoy escort and patrol in continuation.
to Modified
RAF radar (Naval Type 286M fitted in this period.
July (For
details of development and use of radar in RN see RADAR AT
SEA by D Howse) .
August Detached
for duty in Home Fleet at
Scapa Flow.
2nd Deployed as Local Escort from Loch Ewe
for Russian Convoy PQ18 during passage to
Iceland with HM Destroyers ESKDALE, FARNDALE and MALCOLM.
7th Detached from
PQ18 on arrival of Ocean Escort. and returned
to Scapa
Flow.
(For
details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg,
CONVOY!
by P Kemp and ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman.
September Resumed
duties at Harwich with 21st Flotilla.
to
October
November
29th In action against
E-Boats in defence of
North Sea convoy with
HM Destroyer GARTH.
(Note: German S38 sunk in this engagement.
December East coast duties in continuation.
1 9 4 3
January Convoy
defence and patrol In North Sea in continuation.
to (Radar
Type 271) fitted for detection of submarines and E-Boats.
September See above reference and SEEK
AND STRIKE By
W Hackmam) .
October
24th During escort of Convoy FN1160 with H M
Destroyers PYTCHLEY, WORCESTER,
EGLINGTON
and MACKAY in action with E-Boats attacking convoy.
(For
details see THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS).
November East
coast duties In continuation.
to (Note: By this date the ship had been converted for use as a Short Range Escort -
December For
details see V4W DESTROYERS 1917-45 by A Preston and BRITISH
DESTROYERS
by E. March which outline the extent of the changes made) .
1 9 4 4
January East coast duties in continuation.
to Detection
equipment for intercepting enemy radio traffic fitted
April.
May Nominated for duty with Force S
during planned allied landings in Normandy.
Allocated
for convoy escort from Thames to beach head area as Escort Group 113 with
HM Destroyer VIVACIOUS. for continued
escort of military convoys during duty Build-up
phase in a pre-planned cycle of convoys (Operation NEPTUNE)
(For
details of naval activities prior to and during allied landings see OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY JUNE 1944 (HMSO)
June Passage to Sheerness to Join Group.
3rd Joined escort for Convoy S13 with HMS
VIVACIOUS, HM Trawlers NORTHERN
GEM
and HUGH WALPOLE.
(Note: Convoy comprised 4 Landing Ships and 4 RHINO craft.
4th Passage to Spithead.
Operation
delayed 24 hours
5th Escort Convoy S13 through swept
Channel.
6th After arrival in SWORD area returned
to Sheerness
7th Continued NEPTUNE
escort duties in pre-arranged cycle.
July After
release from NEPTUNE resumed convoy escort and patrol in
North Sea.
August East
coast convoy escort and patrol on continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Convoy
defence requirement extended to include
English Channel traffic.
to (Note: Atlantic convoys were re-routed through Channel after threat of air attack
April had
been removed by allied advance into Low countries. In this period there
was a significant increase in enemy activity by SCHNORKEL
fitted submarines
which were concentrating attacks on convoy focal points in
Channel and SW
Approaches. Increased surface minelaying in Thames Estuary
also demanded
Increased
patrol by destroyers and other escorts.
(See
HOLD THE NARROW
SEA by P Smith ).
Deployed
in English
Channel
and North
Sea
for interception patrol and for convoy
escort duties.
May Patrol
and support of military re-occupation operations.
to
August
by
his son Patrick Holland, Perth, WA.
I
have a web site of HMS CAMPBELL in memory of my dad which has some material on
it which is not mentioned in the above service history list - see
http://home.it.net.au/~lambeth/campbell.html. This includes a photo of the
ship's Crest (now added above, with thanks to Patrick) as well as
details of her as one of the escort ships which took Crown Prince Olaf back to
Norway in May 1945. I am in touch with John Beeley who was a P.O.
Telegraphist on CAMPBELL during her encounter with SCHARNHORST during the
Channel Dash in February 1942. John was i/c the Radar on the bridge during the
battle and awarded the MID for his exemplary services. He has recently received
his Arctic Emblem badge for the time CAMPBELL was with the escort of Russian
Convoy PQ 18.