HMS Scylla (98)

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HMS Scylla in September 1943, she was part of the Support Carrier Force at the Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche) - note 4.5 in mountings
Career (UK)
Class and type:	Dido-class light cruiser
Name:	HMS Scylla
Builder:	Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company (Greenock, Scotland)
Laid down:	19 April 1939
Launched:	24 July 1940
Commissioned:	12 June 1942
Out 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.
General characteristics
Displacement:	5,600 tons standard 6,850 tons full load
Length:	485 ft (148 m) pp 512 ft (156 m) oa
Beam:	50.5 ft (15.4 m)
Draught:	14 ft (4.3 m)
Propulsion:	Parsons geared turbines Four shafts Four Admiralty 3-drum boilers 62,000 shp (46 MW)
Speed:	32.25 knots (60 km/h)
Range:	2,414 km (1,500 miles) at 30 knots 6,824 km (4,240 miles) at 16 knots 1,100 tons fuel oil
Complement:	480
Armament:	Original configuration: 8x 5.25 in (133 mm) dual guns, 1x 4.0 in (102 mm) gun, 2x 0.5 in MG quadruple guns, 3x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns, 2x 21 in (533 mm) triple Torpedo Tubes. 1943-1945 configuration: 8x 4.5 in DP dual guns 8x 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns 6x 20 mm (0.8 in) twin power-operated guns 2x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns 2x 21 in (533 mm) triple torpedo tubes
Armor:	Original configuration: Belt: 3inch, Deck: 1inch, Magazines: 2inch, Bulkheads: 1inch.
Notes:	Pennant number 98

HMS Scylla was a Dido-class cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company (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 (114 mm) Mk III in UD MK III mountings because of a shortage of 5¼ in (133 mm) 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

A member of crew on the snow covered deck whilst HMS Scylla is on patrol in the North Atlantic

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.

[edit] References

A model of Scylla at the Glasgow Museum of Transport.

• Colledge, J. J. and Warlow, Ben (2006). Ships of the Royal Navy: the complete record of all fighting ships of the Royal Navy, Rev. ed., London: Chatham. ISBN 9781861762818. OCLC 67375475. 
• WWII cruisers
• HMS Scylla at Uboat.net