H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: A Field wavy of nine
Silver and Blue
M o t t o
Flucto
sed affluo: ‘ I flow but flow onwards’
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
August Held in Reserve and planned use for Boys training
deferred by manning problem.
2nd Commissioned for Reserve mobilisation.
Attended Reserve Fleet Review and remained in
commission.
nominated for conversion for use as a minelayer
in anticipation of hostilities.
September Stored for war service.
7th On completion of conversion and shakedown worked-up
for minelaying duties.
8th Passage to embark mines for first operational
minelay.
10th Laid minefield in Heligoland Bight with HM Destroyer
EXPRESS after mines embarked at
Immingham (Operation AA).
12th Continued Heligoland Bight minelay with HMS EXPRESS
(Operation QQ)
23rd Deployed as escort for HM Battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN
during passage from Scapa Flow
to Portsmouth.
October Minelaying operations off Dutch coast suspended.
Paravanes fitted.
Reverted to A/S role for convoy defence in Home
waters..
November Resumed minelaying operations.
29th Laid deep minefield in approaches to Thames Estuary
with HMS EXPRESS.
(Operation RG).
December
12th Joined 20th Destroyer Flotilla on formation at
Harwich for minelaying in Home waters.
15th Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayer PRINCESS VICTORIA
with HM Destroyers EXPRESS,
BRAZEN and BOREAS and provided cover during
minelay in the East Coast Mine Barrier off
Harwich (Operation OF).
22nd Escorted HMS PRINCESS VICTORIA for second part of
Operation GF with HMS EXPRESS,
HM Destroyers CODRINGTON and BRAZEN.
1 9 4 0
January Deployed at Harwich with 20th Destroyer Flotilla for
convoy defence.
February
8th Escorted HMS PRINCESS VICTORIA with HM Destroyer
EXPRESS during lay of Dummy
mines along extent of East Coast Barrier
(Operations LD, LD2 and LD3)
14th On completion resumed Flotilla escort duties.
18th Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayer TEVIOT BANK with HMS
EXPRESS for first operational
lay of Deep minefield in Thames Approaches
(Operation DML8).
March
3rd Joined in minelay near Horns Reef, Heligoland Bight
with HM Destroyers
EXPRESS, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE (Operation 1E1)
5th Reverted to A/S role in Moray Firth area because of
increase in U-Boat activity along East coast
of UK.
21st Escorted HMS TEVIOT BANK and HMS PRINCESS VICTORIA
with HM Destroyers
EXPRESS, IMPULSIVE and ICARUS for lay of Deep
Field in Moray Firth
(Operation PA4).
28th Re-deployed in minelaying role for Operation WILFRED
and embarked mines at Immingham
for minelay off Norwegian coast.
31st Joined Home Fleet at Scapa Flow and allocated to
Force WV with ships of 20th Flotilla for
minelaying in Vest Fjord. (Operation WILFRED/R4)
April Deployed with HM Destroyers ICARUS, IMPULSIVE and
IVANHOE as 20th Destroyer
Flotilla for minelaying operations with Home
Fleet.
5th Sailed from Scapa Flows escorted by the HM
Destroyers HARDY, HAVOCK HOTSPUR and
HUNTER of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla.
8th Laid minefield in Vest Fjord (Operation EF)
9th Carried out patrol duty off Norway during landings
(Operation WILFRED).
10th Deployed with HM Destroyers IVANHOE, FORESTER,
ICARUS and KIMBERLEY for
screening of major Home Fleet ships.
15th Returned to Scapa Flow as screen for HM Battleship
RODNEY, HM Battlecruiser RENOWN
with same destroyers
16th Nominated for further minelaying operations.
27th Required for operation with HM Destroyers EXPRESS
and INTREPID to lay an extension to
Vest Fjord minefield using Narrow Gauge mine
rails and Type H2/VIII mines.
(Operation ZMB)
28th Changed mine rails and embarked mines at Immingham..
30th Rejoined Home Fleet when ZMB cancelled.
Returned to Immingham to revert to Broad Gauge
rails.
May
6th Passage to Scapa Flow for further minelaying duty
off Norway.
Operation cancelled for lack of air cover.
(For details of disastrous operations off Norway
see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by Corelli Barnett, NARVIK by D. Macintyre, THE
DOOMED EXPEDITION by Adams,
CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton, and Naval Staff
History (HMSO, 2001)).
10th Laid minefield in Heligoland Bight (Operation ZMC).
On return to Humber escorted HMS PRINCESS
VICTORIA during minelay off Dutch coast.
(Operation CBX).
12th Deployed with HMS EXPRESS and HMS INTREPID for lay
of Shallow minefield in East Coast
Barrier (Operations BS3).
11th Repeated East Coast Barrier minelay (Operation BSU).
16th Laid minefield off Hook of Holland with HMS EXPRESS
and HMS IVANHOE.
(Operation CBX3).
18th Joined HMS PRINCESS VICTORIA with HM Destroyers
EXPRESS, INTREPID, IVANHOE
and IMPULSIVE for lay of additional part of East
Coast Barrier. (Operation BS5).
After HMS PRINCESS VICTORIA was mined in
Humber entry, remained in area to
warn
shipping of new mine danger.
21st East Coast Barrier minelaying continued with all
ships of 20th Flotilla, except HMS
to IMPULSIVE.
27th (Operations BS6 - 21/5 ; BS7 - 23/5; BS8 - 25/5 and
BS9 - 27/5).
For details of all minelaying operations see The
Naval Staff History).
28th Passage to Dover for evacuation of allied troops
from Dunkirk. (Operation DYNAMO)
(Note: Rear Admiral Dover and Staff officers
embarked to act as Senior Naval Officer (Afloat)
off beaches.)
29th Flag of SNO (Afloat) transferred to HM Fleet
Minesweeper HEBE.
(Note: Flag later transferred to a
destroyer..).
Embarked troops and returned to Dover
30th Passage from Dover for 2nd embarkation.
31st Carried out Third trip and returned to Dover to
make second passage.
June
1st Carried out fifth trip and returned to Dover.
Sustained slight damage
2nd Resumed DYNAMO duties after repair.,
3rd Final embarkation trip and rescued over 1,000
French troops from ss SCOTIA which had been
hit during air attacks and later sank
(Note: For details of numbers of troops
evacuated see BEF SHIPS by John de Winser and
Naval Staff History (HMSO- 2002)
In all ship carried 3,100 troops to Dover in
DYNAMO evacuation trips.)
4th Rejoined Flotilla on release from DYNAMO and
resumed convoy defence and patrol.
19th Deployed as escort for HMS TEVIOT BANK, HM Coastal
Minelayer PLOVER and destroyers
to of 20th Flotilla for minelays in East Coast
Barrier.
30th (Operations BS16 - 19/6; BS17 - 22/6 and BS18 -
25/6)
(Note: Resumed Flotilla escort and patrol
duties between BS operations.
July Escort and minelay duties in continuation.
7th Operation BS22.
11th Operation BS23.
21st Joined ships of 20th Flotilla for minelay in
Galloper area of the Thames Estuary
(Operation BS26).
27th Continuation of Galloper minelay with 20th Flotilla
ships (except HMS IVANHOE).
(Operation BS28)
30th Escorted HMS PLOVER and
Netherlands minelayer VAN DER ZAAN with HMS INTREPID
for minelay in East Coast Barrier lay (Operation
BS29).
August
2nd Deployed for lay of extension to East Coast Barrier
minefield with HMS PLOVER, Dutch
VAN DER ZAAN and HM Destroyers EXPRESS, ICARUS,
INTREPID and IMPULSIVE
(Operation BS30).
6th Deployed with ships of 20th Flotilla escorted by
MTB's for lay of minefield off Belgian coast
(Operation CBX4).
25th Escorted HMS TEVIOT BANK, HMS PLOVER and Dutch VAN
DER ZAAN for lay in East Coast
Barrier with HM Destroyers ICARUS and IMPULSIVE
(Operation BS34).
27th Escorted HMS TEVIOT BANK for lay in East Coast
Barrier (Operation BS35) and remained in area
on completion to ensure all mines laid
correctly.
31st Sailed with HM Destroyers INTREPID, ICARUS, IVANHOE
and EXPRESS of 20th Flotilla
for minelay off Dutch coast, north of
Texel.
Cover to provide protection against surface
attacks was provided by HM Destroyers JUPITER,
KELLY
and VORTIGERN.
(Operation CBX5).
During passage, enemy ships were reported in
vicinity and CinC (NORE) then ordered attacks on
them,
after jettisoning mines.
Almost immediately after this order had been
received HMS EXPRESS hit a mine in new German
mine field and lost part of her bow structure.
HMS ESK closed to assist and almost immediately
struck another mine.
Some 15 minutes later there was another
explosion amidships causing ship to break in two parts,
both of
which sank quickly in position 53.23N 03.48E.
HMS IVANHOE rescued some survivors and 25 other
were taken prisoner.
135 members of the ship's company were killed.
(For full details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE and
The Naval Staff History – BRITISH
minelaying BR1736 (56))
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS ESK
by Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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05/10/39
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05/10/39
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BC 007R
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08/10/39
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08/10/39
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16/10/39
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16/10/39
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BC 011/1
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17/10/39
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17/10/39
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02/11/39
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02/11/39
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OB 029
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unknown
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07/11/39
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(Note
on Convoys)