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The History of HMS Scylla’s
Scylla, the name that the Navy gave these ships comes from the Greek legendary female sea monster who guar
Homer described her as a sea monster with six heads, twelve feet and a harsh voice, who lived in a cave and was not to snatch sailors out of passing ships.
There has been five ships named by the Royal Navy HMS Scylla, one of the earlier ones, built in 1809, a ‘Cruizer’, under the command of Captain.Arthur Atchinson, saw a lot of action in the Napoleonic wars. After many years of action she was finally decommissioned in 1846.
The next ship to bear that name was originally destined for the American Confederate Navy and was first called HMS Victor and after being deemed defective beyond economic repair was then later repaired and renamed HMS Scylla. She was a steam powered screw sloop and had a 400 horse-power engine that w
The next ship to bear the name HMS Scylla was also a cruiser built in 1890 and under the command of Captain Percy Scott was involved with experiments in signalling lights and ended with the fame of having the most efficient gunnery ship in the fleet. The normal percentage of hits to rounds fired was 30 per cent; Scylla achieved an amazing 80 per cent. HMS Scylla was sold in 1914 and very little is known after that.
The next ship was the 1942 Dido Cla
HMS Scylla was launched 24 July 1940 and was completed on the 12 June 1942.
HMS Scylla was to take part in the infamous ‘Convoy PQ18’ to Russia protecting vital supplies.
She then went on to sail to Gibraltar on 28 October1942. The following month she was at the Torch landings as part of Force O with the Eastern Task Force, but in December was sent into the Bay of Biscay to catch homecoming Axis blockade runners. She intercepted the German Rhakotis North-West of Cape Finisterre on 1 January 1943.
In February she returned to the Home Fleet for Artic convoys.
In October 1943 she returned for repairs and was converted to an Escort Carrier Flagship.
On June 5 HMS Scylla took part in the D-Day Landings and it was at the Sword Beach that she took up position as the Flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Phillip Vian, Commander of Force ‘S’.
HMS Scylla ended up hitting a mine and was so badly damaged that she was towed back to Britain and used as a target ship and was finally broken up by Ward, Barrow, in 1950.
Supplied By TS Scylla
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ded the Straits of Messina between Italy and Sicily and it was said by Homer that Odysseus sailed through this strait and Scylla took six of his sailors.
as capable of working up to 1200 horse-power and was originally pierced for 21 guns, but because of an increase in the weight of the guns and size of her new guns she only carried 16 x 64-pounders, rifled-shunt guns, muzzle-loading. She had been three times in Commission visiting the Mediterrean, China and Australia as part of the Flying Squadron under the command of Captain Fredrick Herbert in1869.
ss A.A. Cruiser to be affectingly known as the “Toothless Terror “ due to the fact because of the shortage of 5.25 guns instead of receiving 5 x 5.25 inch gun turrets she was given 4 x 4.5 inch gun turrets. As it turned out they were more effective for the job as many a German pilot was to find out. In 1942 the Royal Navy asked many towns to sponsor a ship and the people of Aberdeen raised over £2 million in less than 2 weeks.
