HMS SCARBOROUGH was a 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. The Sloop was completed and commissioned on 31st July 1930. Home Port - Chatham. She visited Scarborough on Friday 5th September 1930 in company with the cruiser HMS YORK. Thereafter she was deployed as a Sloop on the North America and West Indies station based at Bermuda, 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, returning to the UK on the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939. Arrived Plymouth January 1940 for modifications and wartime deployment.
HMS SCARBOROUGH passing through the St. Peter's Canal, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1931.
Photograph from Steve and Jamie's Yahoo Flikra account with thanks.
Perhaps HMS SCARBOROUGH's most famous captain was First World War hero Augustus Agar V.C.
Commodore Augustus Willington Shelton Agar, VC, DSO, RN was a Royal Navy officer in both the First
and Second World Wars and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be
awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Details of this most exceptional Royal Navy officer can be seen at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus_Agar.
Coastal Motor Boat No.4 in which Augustus Agar won his VC for the attack on Kronstadt naval base during British clandestine operations in the Baltic Sea against the Bolsheviks in 1919 and in which he sank the Russian cruiser Oleg, was for many years, at the Vosper Thornycroft works on Platt's Eyot on the Thames near Kingston. When these works closed it was restored and can now be seen in the Imperial War Museum's Duxford base with details of these boats and the action. Agar's VC is at the Imperial War Museum in London.
HMS SCARBOROUGH's war record is second to none, a classic diary of the small ship carrying out convoy escort duties in the North and South Atlantic and later taking part in the major world war two invasions of Africa and Europe. Come the end of the war the ship was worn out and paid off without ceremony. Then after a period of being laid up, sent to the breakers yard.
| 1939 |
| 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 Red Sea and Mediterranean. |
| 1940 |
| January Arrived at Plymouth and taken in hand for refit prior to operational service as part of the 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. 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 during passage in Irish Sea from Liverpool. Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to U25. |
| June to August 19th June HMS SCARBOROUGH (Cdr C.T. Addis, RN) picks up 30 survivors from the British merchant ship BARON LOUDON that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-Boat U48 WestNorthWest of Cape Ortegal in position 45°00'N 11°21'W. 20th June HMS SCARBOROUGH (Cdr C.T. Addis, RN) picks up 16 survivors from the British merchant ship OTTERPOOL that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-Boat U30 about 130 nautical miles West of Ushant in position 48°45'N 08°13'W. |
| September Joined inward Convoy SC2 on passage to Liverpool from Sydney, 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. HMS SCARBOROUGH Initially deployed as sole escort. 16th Convoy SC7 sighted by U124 before arrival of HM Sloop FOWEY and HM Corvette BLUEBELL. 17th Convoy under attack by U48 during which two merchant ships were sunk and another damaged. 18th Convoy under attack by U38 which damaged another merchant ship. HM Sloop LEITH and HM Corvette HEARTSEASE joined escort. Further attacks by U38, U46, U47, U48 and U100 during which total number of merchant ships sunk, as determined by post war analysis, was 21 of the 236 in convoy. (Published details: 'Hitlers U Boat war by C Blair, Night of the U Boats by Lund and Ludlam, U Boat war in the Atlantic, HMSO). |
| November to December Atlantic convoy escort duties. |
| 1941 |
| January to February Atlantic convoy escort duties. |
| March 13th Intercepted German supply ship SPICHERN which scuttled on approach. Note: This ship was previously the Norwegian merchant ship 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 a 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, a concentrated depth charge attack was carried out causing extensive damage to the U-Boat. U76 surfaced and scuttled in position 58°35'N 20°20'W. 40 of submarine crew were rescued by the escorts. For further 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 to July Atlantic convoy escort duties. |
| August Taken in hand for refit at commercial shipyard in Liverpool. |
| September Post refit trials, then to Tobermory, Isle of Mull, for work up exercises and training for operational service. |
| October Joined 43rd Escort Group and deployed for escort of convoys on UK to Freetown route. |
| November to December Freetown route convoy escort duties. |
| 1942 |
| January Freetown route convoy escort duties. 30th Joined escort for outward Convoy OS18 on departure from Liverpool. |
| February Detached from OS18 |
| March Freetown to UK convoy escort duties. In March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Seaton, Devonshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign. |
| April 16th Involved in collision with HM Destroyer BRADFORD. |
| May to June Atlantic convoys. |
| July Taken in hand for refit at commercial shipyard in Liverpool. |
| August to September Under refit. (Work included installation of Radar Type 271 for surface warning.) |
| 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 deployment including military convoy escort prior to and after allied landings in North Africa (Operation TORCH). |
| December Gibraltar deployment in continuation. |
| 1943 |
| January Deployed in western Mediterranean, 31st Part of escort for military Convoy GUF4 during passage from Algiers. |
| February 8th HMS SCARBOROUGH (Lt. Cdr. E. B. Carnduff, RN) picks up 55 survivors from the British merchant ship EMPIRE MORDRED that is sunk west of Gibraltar in position 35° 58'N, 05° 59'W by mines laid on 1st/2nd February 1943 by German U-boat U-118. Detached from GUF4 during westward passage and returned to Gibraltar. Transferred to 39th Escort Group and took passage to Londonderry. |
| March Deployed with 39th Escort Group. 6th Part of escort for outward Convoy OS44 with ships of Group. during passage in Atlantic. 13th HMS SCARBOROUGH (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Carnduff, RN) picks up 69 survivors from the British merchant ship CLAN ALPINE that was torpedoed and damaged by German U-boat U-107 190 nautical miles west of Cape Finisterre in position 42º 45'N, 13º 31'W. The CLAN ALPINE was finally sunk by gun fire from HMS SCARBOROUGH. |
| April to July Atlantic convoy escort with Group on UK-Gibraltar route in continuation. |
| August 27th Part of escort for outward joint Convoy OS54//KMS25 during passage from Liverpool. 29th Detached from OS54/KMS25. |
| September to December Atlantic convoy escort with Group. |
| 1944 |
| January Transferred to 15th Escort Group and deployed in NW Approaches. (Note: Based at Belfast, this Group was to be joined eventually 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 to April Atlantic deployment for escort and anti-submarine patrol duties. |
| 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 Operation NEPTUNE the invasion of Europe. |
| June Deployed at Portsmouth with HM Sloops ROCHESTER and LONDONDERRY. 6th Passage to beach head areas with Trinity House vessels. 7th Re-deployed for duty as Control Ship 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 to December Laid-up at Hartlepool. |
| 1945 |
| January to August Laid-up at Hartlepool. |
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.
HMS Scarborough's wartime details are from the Royal Navy and Naval History website and the The U-Boat Wars 1939 - 1945 website - with many thanks.
Scarborough's third naval visit of the summer opened today with the arrival of HMS York, one of the newest cruisers in the fleet, built under the terms of the Washington treaty,and HMS Scarborough, which has only just completed her trials after leaving the builders' yards.
Extract from the Scarborough Mercury 05/09/1930.
Andy Hovington, Town Hall Superintendent, holds the Silver Salver presented to the Captain of HMS Scarborough Lieut. Commander Guy A. Harrison RN by the Mayor of Scarborough, Abraham Moore, on behalf of the town on Monday 8th September 1930 during the ships first visit to the town over the period Friday 5th to Wednesday 10th September 1930.
The salver was returned to the town in 1978 by HMS Apollo, a later adopted ship, for safe keeping until another HMS Scarborough is commissioned.
