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
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
05/10/39
|
05/10/39
|
BC
007R
|
08/10/39
|
08/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
BC
011/1
|
17/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
02/11/39
|
02/11/39
|
OB
029
|
unknown
|
07/11/39
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)