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Notable events involving Scott include:

7 Sep 1939
HMS Blanche (Lt.Cdr. R.N. Aubrey, RN) conducted exercises off Dover following which she escorted the survey vessel HMS Scott (Cdr. W.C. Jenks, RN) and also a buoy laying vessel.

Blanche returned to Dover late in the evening. (1)

9 Sep 1939
HMS Blanche (Lt.Cdr. R.N. Aubrey, RN) escorted the survey vessel HMS Scott (Cdr. W.C. Jenks, RN) near Dover. (1)

10 Sep 1939
HMS Blanche (Lt.Cdr. R.N. Aubrey, RN) escorted the survey vessel HMS Scott (Cdr. W.C. Jenks, RN) near Dover. (1)

5 Dec 1939
HMS H 31 (Lt. P.R. Ward, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Cutty Sark (Cdr.(Retd.) R.H. Mack, RN) and HMS Scott (Cdr. E.H.B. Baker, RN). (2)

12 Dec 1939
HMS Oberon (Lt.Cdr. J.A.S. Wise, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Scott (Cdr. E.H.B. Baker, RN) and HMS Pintail (Lt.Cdr. T.H. Hill-Walker, RN). (3)

24 Jan 1940
HMS Faulknor (Capt. C.S. Daniel, DSO, RN), HMS Kelvin (Lt.Cdr. J.L. Machin, RN) and HMS Scott (Cdr. E.H.B. Baker, RN) together conducted A/S sweeps in the Clyde area during the night of 24/25 January 1940. (4)

14 Mar 1942

Minelaying operation SN 81.

Minelaying operation by the 1st Minelaying Squadron.

On 14 March 1942, the auxiliary minelayers Southern Prince (A/Capt. J. Cresswell, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral T.B. Drew, OBE, RN), HMS Menestheus (Capt.(Retd.) R.H.F. de Salis, DSC, OBE, RN), HMS Port Quebec (Capt.(Retd.) E.C. Watson, RN) and HMS Agamemnon (Capt.(Retd.) F. Ratsey, RN) departed Port ZA. (Loch Alsh) to lay minefield SN 84. They were escorted by the destroyers HMS Lancaster (A/Cdr. N.H. Whatley, RN) and HMS Wells (Lt. L.J. Pearson, RN).

They were joined around 1500A/14 by the destroyer HMS St. Marys (Lt.Cdr. K.H.J.L. Phibbs, RN) and escort destroyer HMS Ledbury (Lt.Cdr. R.P. Hill, RN). The had departed Scapa Flow around 0900A/14.

Cover for the operation was provided by the AA cruiser HMS Charybdis (Capt. L.D. Mackintosh, DSC, RN) which had departed Scapa Flow around 1800A/14. She joined the 1st Minelaying Squadron the following morning.

Rendezvous was made around 1300A/15 with the survey vessel HMS Scott (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Sharpey-Schafer, RN) which had been deployed to the position of the minelay to archive extreme accuracy for the upcoming minelay which commenced shortly afterwards.

A total of 2053 mines were laid along a line joining positions
62°18'2"N, 07°42'2"W,
62°26'3"N, 07°56'3"W,
62°30'3"N, 08°04'8"W and
62°37'7"N, 08°17'7"W.

The minelayers laid as follows; HMS Southern Prince 562 mines, Agamemnon 530 mines, HMS Menestheus 410 mines and HMS Port Quebec 551 mines.

Depth of the mines was 18 to 20 feet. One premature explosion was seen.

The 1st Minelaying Squadron, including HMS St. Marys arrived back at Port ZA on 16 March as did HMS Charybdis and HMS Ledbury which arrived at Scapa Flow also on the 16th. (5)

17 Apr 1942

Minelaying operation SN 88.

Minelaying operation by the 1st Minelaying Squadron.

On 17 April 1942, the 1st Minelaying Squadron departed Port Z.A. (Loch Alsh) to lay minefield SN 88. The Squadron was made up of the auxiliary minelayers Southern Prince (A/Capt. J. Cresswell, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral T.B. Drew, OBE, RN), Port Quebec (Capt.(Retd.) E.C. Watson, RN), Menestheus (Capt.(Retd.) R.H.F. de Salis, DSC and Bar, OBE, RN), Agamemnon (Capt.(Retd.) F. Ratsey, RN), the destroyers HMS Charlestown (Lt.Cdr. N.R. Murch, RN), HMS Wells (Lt. L.J. Pearson, RN), HMS Saladin (Lt.Cdr. G.V. Legassick, RNR), HMS Sardonyx (Lt.Cdr. A.F.C. Gray, RNR) and the minesweeper / survey vessel HMS Scott (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Sharpey-Schafer, RN).

They were joined at 1815B/17 by the light cruiser HMS Kenya (Capt. A.S. Russell, RN).

Due to the difference in depth of water the minefield had to be laid in two sections;
The first section was made up of 972 mines and was laid by HMS Southern Prince and HMS Menestheus between 1627B/18 and 1813B/18, along a line 1.5 cables either side of a line joining positions, 62°46'3"N, 09°32'0"W and 63°05'5"N, 10°05'8"W. HMS Southern Prince laid 562 mines and HMS Menestheus 410 mines.

The second section was made up of 1081 mines and was laid by HMS Port Quebec and HMS Agamemnon between 1813B/18 and 2010B/18, along a line 1.5 cables either side of a line joining positions 63°05'6"N, 10°04'0"W, 63°12'8"N, 10°16'4"W and 63°22'8"N, 10°48'5"W. HMS Port Quebec laid 551 mines and HMS Agamemnon 530 mines.

At 2230B/19, HMS Kenya, HMS Menestheus and HMS Saladin parted company with the other ships which returned to Port Z.A. (Loch Alsh early on the following day minus HMS Scott which arrived at Port Z.A. on 21 April.

At 0510B/20, HMS Kenya parted company with HMS Menestheus and HMS Saladin and arrived at Scapa Flow around 0645B/20.

HMS Menestheus and HMS Saladin arrived at Port Z.A. (Loch Alsh) later the same day. [unclear to us why they first went further to the east though.]

(6)

28 Jun 1943

Minelaying operation SN 222A.

Around 0630B/28, the auxiliary minelayers HMS Agamemnon (Commodore (Retd.) F. Ratsey, RN), HMS Port Quebec (A/Capt. (Retd.) V. Hammersley-Heenan, RN) and HMS Menestheus (Capt.(Retd.) R.H.F. de Salis, DSC and Bar, OBE, RN) departed Port ZA (Loch Alsh). They were escorted by the destroyers HMS Castleton (Cdr.(Retd.) C.W.V.T.S. Lepper, RN), HMS Lancaster (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.R. Clarke, DSC, RNVR), HMS Newark (Lt.Cdr. D.F. Townsend, RN) and HMS St. Marys (Lt. D.B.G. Dumas, RN).

Around 1400B/28, the light cruiser HMS Glasgow (Capt. E.M. Evans-Lombe, RN) departed Scapa Flow to join them which she did around 1930B/28 in position 59°45'N, 05°30'W.

HMS Scott (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Sharpey-Schafer, RN) had laid a marker where minelaying was to commence.

In the evening of the 29th a total of 1491 mines were laid three cables either side of a line joining the following positions;
A) 63°04.3'N, 11°55.0'W.
B) 63°23.0'N, 12°17.0'W.

Depths were set to 95, 185 and 275 feet in rotation. 24 premature locks occurred among the total of 57 failures.

The ships laid as follows;
HMS Agamemnon 530 mines.
HMS Port Quebec 551 mines.
HMS Menestheus 410 mines.

Around 1630B/31, HMS Glasgow parted company with the other ships in approximate position 60°00'N, 08°35'W.

The minelayers and their escorting destroyers returned to Loch Alsh on 1 July 1943.

HMS Glasgow returned to Scapa Flow around 0845B/1. (7)

17 Aug 1943
HMS Ultimatum (Lt. W.H. Kett, DSC, RNR) conducted attack exercises in the Clyde area with HMS Scott (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Sharpey-Schafer, RN) serving as target. Also gunnery exercises were carried out. (8)

17 Aug 1943
HMS Varangian (Lt. J. Nash, DSC, RN) conducted exercises in the Clyde area with HMS Scott (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Sharpey-Schafer, RN), HMS Ultimatum (Lt. W.H. Kett, DSC, RNR) and FFS Curie (Lt. P.M. Sonneville). (9)

18 Aug 1943
HMS Varangian (Lt. J. Nash, DSC, RN) conducted exercises in the Clyde area with HMS Scott (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Sharpey-Schafer, RN). (9)