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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2003

HMS SKATE (H 39) - Old R-class Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Skate (NavyPhotos/Mark Teadham, click to enlarge)

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Admiralty R-Class destroyer ordered from John Brown, Clydebank with the 7th Order. Emergency War Programme on 5th December 1915. She was launched on 11th January 1917 as the 2nd RN ship to bear this name, previously used by a destroyer built in 1895 and sold in 1907. In 1938 she was attached to the Torpedo School at Portsmouth for training. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 this destroyer was adopted by the civil community of Redcar, then in the North Riding of Yorkshire.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC 1940-44 - ARCTIC 1943 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue a Skate Gold.

 

Motto

Per sequara labor: “I glide (skate) over the surface'.

 

 

D e t a i 1s   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             Deployed for training duties at Portsmouth

to                            Modified for minesweeping trials

December              On completion deployed for convoy defence duties.

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Modified for convoy defence

 

February                Deployed at Scapa Flow on completion.

                28th        Escorted ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during minelay in

                                Northern Barrage (Operation SN85)

                                Experienced heavy weather conditions and returned to base.

 

March                    Deployed in NW Approaches for convoy escort.

to July                    Transferred to 2nd Escort Group

                                (Note: Other ships in Group were HM Destroyers DOUGLAS, VETERAN

                                and SALADIN.)

 

August                  Escort Group deployment in continuation.

 

September             Transferred with Group for escort of mid Atlantic convoys

                                based in Iceland

                11th        Deployed with Group from Iceland in support of Convoy SC42 defence.

 

October                  Atlantic convoy defence in continuation with Group.

to December

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation.

 

February                Nominated for escort during minelay.

                28th        Detached for escort of HM Auxiliary Minelayers MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC,

                                SOUTHERN PRINCE and AGAMEMNON during minelay in Northern Barrage.

                                (Operation SN85.)

                                Forced to leave due to extreme weather conditions and returned to base.

 

March.                   Resumed Atlantic convoy defence with Group

 

 

April                       Atlantic convoy escort with Group

to August

 

September             Part of escort for Convoys HX147, SC45 and ON18.

 

October                  Deployed with Group for escort of convoys ON25, HX154 in NW Approaches

                24th        Sustained structural damage including loss of after funnel in heavy

                                weather.

                                Taken in hand for repair.

 

November              On completion of repair resumed Atlantic convoy defence with Group

to December

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Transferred for deployment as Local Escort in Home waters

                                to September

 

October                  Deployed with HM Cruiser CURACOA, HM Destroyers BRAMHAM

                                and COWDRAY for convoy defence in NW Approaches

                2nd         Assisted in rescue of survivors from HMS CURACOA after that ship

                                had sunk in collision with rms QUEEN MARY

                                Part of escort with Group for convoys ONS25 and HX 154.

                30th        Deployed with HM Destroyer SARDONYX as escort for

                                mercantiles on passage from Liverpool to join military convoy

                                WS24 in Clyde

 

November              Local Escort deployment in continuation.

to December

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Deployed for Local Escort of convoys in coastal waters.

to February

 

March

                16th        Deployed as part of Local Escort for joint military convoy

                                WS28/KMF11 for first part of passage in coastal waters and

                                returned to Clyde

 

April                       Coastal convoy defence in continuation,

                                to October

 

November

                22nd       Deployed with HM Destroyers MIDDLETON and SALADIN as Local Escort

                                for Russian Convoy JW54B during passage from Loch Ewe.

                25th        Detached from JW54B on arrival of Ocean Escort and returned to Loch Ewe.

 

December

                5th          Joined inward Convoy RA54B in NW Approaches for Local Escort with HM

                                Destroyers BRISSENDEN, MIDDLETON and SALADIN.

                9th          Detached from RA54B on arrival at Loch Ewe.

 

1 9 4 4

 

                                Local Escort deployment in Home waters

                                (Note: This ship was not deployed for escort of military convoys during

                                allied landings in Normandy

                                (Operation NEPTUNE see Naval Staff History.)

 

 1 9 4 5

 

January                  Home waters deployment for coastal convoy defence in continuation.

to April                  (Note: Increase in attacks on coastal convoys by SCHNORKEL fitted

                                U-Boats had resulted in an increase in modern escorts more

                                suited to anti-submarine operations and fitted with improved

                                weapons.)

 

May                        Withdrawn from service and placed in Reserve

to August              (Note:  Serious manning problems required transfer of personnel to

                                new construction warships to be used in Pacific or Indian

                                Oceans.

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS SKATE was Paid Off after the end of the war in Europe. The ship was laid-up in Reserve and later placed on the Disposal List. Sold to BISCO on 4th March 1947 and arrived in tow at the Breakers yard in Newport, Wales on 20th July that year.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS SKATE

by Don Kindell

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Date convoy sailed

Joined convoy as escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date convoy arrived

 

 

 

 

 

13/11/39

13/11/39

SA 017

14/11/39

14/11/39

30/08/40

02/09/40

OB 206

02/09/40

05/09/40

18/08/40

04/09/40

SL 044

07/09/40

07/09/40

07/09/40

08/09/40

OB 210

10/09/40

10/09/40

19/09/40

19/09/40

OL 003

21/09/40

22/09/40

09/09/40

21/09/40

HX 072

21/09/40

21/09/40

27/09/40

27/09/40

OB 220

30/09/40

01/10/40

19/09/40

01/10/40

HG 044

04/10/40

04/10/40

05/10/40

05/10/40

OB 224

08/10/40

12/10/40

27/09/40

09/10/40

SC 006

12/10/40

12/10/40

21/10/40

21/10/40

OB 232

25/10/40

26/10/40

14/12/40

15/12/40

OB 259

17/12/40

17/12/40

28/12/40

28/12/40

OB 266

31/12/40

01/01/41

15/12/40

01/01/41

SL 059

05/01/41

05/01/41

02/01/41

13/01/41

HX 098/1

15/01/41

17/01/42

19/01/41

19/01/41

OG 050

20/01/41

31/01/41

08/01/41

21/01/41

HG 050

24/01/41

26/01/41

24/01/41

24/01/41

OB 278

27/01/41

27/01/41

10/01/41

30/01/41

SL 062

03/02/41

03/02/41

03/02/41

08/02/41

OB 282

12/02/41

08/02/41

30/01/41

12/02/41

HX 106

18/02/41

18/02/41

27/04/41

30/04/41

OB 316

04/05/41

05/05/41

19/04/41

04/05/41

SC 029

08/05/41

08/05/41

22/05/41

22/05/41

OB 326

26/05/41

29/05/41

16/05/41

29/05/41

HX 127

01/06/41

02/06/41

04/06/41

05/06/41

OG 064

08/06/41

18/06/41

17/05/41

09/06/41

SL 075

12/06/41

13/06/41

04/06/41

15/06/41

HG 064

18/06/41

19/06/41

26/06/41

07/07/41

HX 135

10/07/41

12/07/41

17/07/41

17/07/41

OB 348

22/07/41

31/07/41

12/07/41

24/07/41

SC 037

27/07/41

28/07/41

31/07/41

01/08/41

ON 003

05/08/41

14/08/41

27/07/41

06/08/41

HX 141

09/08/41

11/08/41

01/08/41

12/08/41

HX 142

unknown

18/08/41

10/08/41

22/08/41

HX 144

unknown

30/08/41

16/08/41

29/08/41

HX 145

unknown

31/08/41

05/09/41

06/09/41

ON 013

09/09/41

11/09/41

30/08/41

12/09/41

SC 042

18/09/41

20/09/41

19/09/41

21/09/41

ON 018

24/09/41

02/10/41

18/09/41

30/09/41

SC 045

03/10/41

04/10/41

10/10/41

11/10/41

ON 025

16/10/41

24/10/41

10/10/41

19/10/41

HX 154

22/10/41

23/10/41

01/11/41

02/11/41

ON 032

06/11/41

16/11/41

21/11/41

22/11/44

ON 039

27/11/44

04/12/41

01/12/41

02/12/41

ON 042

06/12/41

14/12/41

28/11/41

10/12/41

SC 057

13/12/41

15/12/41

21/12/41

05/01/42

HX 166

05/01/42

05/01/42

28/01/42

28/01/42

DS 021

01/02/42

01/02/42

02/02/42

02/02/42

SD 021

04/02/42

04/02/42

11/02/42

11/02/42

DS 022

15/02/42

15/02/42

16/02/42

16/02/42

SD 022

19/02/42

19/02/42

27/07/42

27/07/42

UR 034

01/08/42

01/08/42

03/08/42

03/08/42

RU 034

07/08/42

07/08/42

04/08/42

22/08/42

SL 118

23/08/42

26/08/42

14/09/42

14/09/42

TA 022

15/09/42

19/09/42

06/09/42

14/09/42

HX 206

16/09/42

18/09/42

27/09/42

01/10/42

AT 024

02/10/42

02/10/42

22/11/43

22/11/43

JW 054B

25/11/43

03/12/43

26/11/43

05/12/43

RA 054B

09/12/43

09/12/43

16/12/43

16/12/43

DS 047A

18/12/43

18/12/43

19/12/43

19/12/43

SD 047A

21/12/43

21/12/43

31/12/43

31/12/43

DS 048

03/01/44

03/01/44

04/01/44

04/01/44

SD 048

07/01/44

07/01/44

06/01/44

18/01/44

HX 274

20/01/44

21/01/44

24/01/44

25/01/44

ON 221

25/01/44

11/02/44

05/02/44

05/02/44

WP 472

07/02/44

07/02/44

08/02/44

09/02/44

WP 474

10/02/44

10/02/44

12/02/44

12/02/44

WP 476

13/02/44

14/02/44

14/02/44

14/02/44

WP 477

15/02/44

16/02/44

11/03/44

11/03/44

WP 490

12/03/44

13/03/44

13/03/44

13/03/44

WP 491

15/03/44

15/03/44

25/03/44

26/03/44

WP 497

27/03/44

27/03/44

08/04/44

08/04/44

WP 504

09/04/44

10/04/44

12/04/44

12/04/44

WP 506

13/04/44

14/04/44

04/05/44

04/05/44

WP 517

05/05/44

06/05/44

06/05/44

06/05/44

WP 518

07/05/44

08/05/44

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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