HMS Scylla (98)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Career
HMS Scylla in September 1943, she was part of the Support Carrier Force at the Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche) - note 4.5 in mountings.
Built By:	Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. (Greenock, Scotland)
Laid down:	19 April 1939
Launched:	24 July 1940
Commissioned:	12 June 1942
End of Service	Constructional Total Loss (Write Off) 23 June 1944
Fate:	Scrapped, Arrived at Thomas W Ward Ltd, (Barrow-in-Furness, UK) in 4 May 1950.
Penant:	98
General Characteristics
Type:	Light (Anti Aircraft) Cruiser
Displacement:	5,600 tons standard 6,850 tons full load
Dimensions:	485 pp, 512 oa x 50.5 × 14 feet (156 × 15.4 × 4.3 m)
Armament:	Original configuration: 8 x 4.5 in DP dual guns, 8 x 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns, 2 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns, 2 x 21 in (533 mm) triple Torpedo Tubes. 1943-1945 configuration: 8 x 4.5 in DP dual guns, 8 x 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns 6 x 20 mm (0.8 in) twin power-operated guns, 2 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns, 2 x 21 in (533 mm) triple Torpedo Tubes.
Armour:	Original configuration: Belt: 3 inch, Deck: 1 inch, Magazines: 2 inch, and Bulkheads: 1 inch.
Propulsion:	Parsons geared turbines, 4 shafts, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 62,000 shp (46 MW) = 32.25 knots maximum speed
Range:	2 414 km (1,500 miles) at 30 knots, 6 823 km (4,240) miles at 16 knots ; 1,100 tons fuel oil
Complement:	480

For other ships with the same name, see Scylla.

HMS Scylla was a Dido-class cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. (Greenock, Scotland) , with the keel being laid down on 19 April 1939. She was launched on 24 July 1940, and commissioned 12 June 1942.

One of two sisters (the other was, appropriately, Charybdis, see Scylla and Charybdis), Scylla was originally completed with four twin 4.5 in Mk III in UD MK III mountings because of a shortage of 5.25 in mountings.

The forward superstructure was considerably modified to accommodate these and also to increase crew spaces. Naturally they were known as the 'toothless terrors', but proved much better anti-aircraft ships than their sisters armed with the more cumbersome and less satisfactory 5.25 in AA guns.

[edit] History

Scylla served with the Home Fleet on Arctic convoy duties until she sailed for Gibraltar on 28 October 1942. The following month she was at the French North Africa landings (Operation Torch) as part of Force "O" with the Eastern Task Force, but in December was sent into the Bay of Biscay as part of the effort to catch homecoming Axis blockade runners.

On 1 January 1943 she intercepted the German Rhakotis some 200 miles north-west of Cape Finisterre in position 45.01° N 10.50° W, when the Scylla opened fire the Germans scuttled the ship. In February she returned to the Home Fleet for Arctic convoys, but was back in the Bay of Biscay by June 1943 to cover anti-submarine operations.

In September 1943 she was part of the Support Carrier Force at the Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche), but came home to refit for duty as an Escort Carrier Flagship in October, which lasted until April 1944. She was present at the Normandy landings as Flagship of the Eastern Task Force.

On 23 June 1944 she was badly damaged by a mine and declared a Constructional Total Loss. Although towed to Portsmouth, she was not disposed of until 1950, after being used in the ship target trials between 1948 to 1950. She arrived at Thomas W Ward Ltd, (Barrow-in-Furness, UK) in 4 May 1950 for breaking up.