Allied Warships

HMS Scorpion (ii) (G 72)

Destroyer of the S class

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	S
Pennant	G 72
Built by	Cammell Laird Shipyard (Birkenhead, U.K.)
Ordered	9 Jan 1941
Laid down	16 Jun 1941
Launched	26 Aug 1942
Commissioned	11 Mar 1943
End service
History	Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy on 1 October 1945 being renamed Kortenaer. Scrapped in 1963.

Commands listed for HMS Scorpion (ii) (G 72)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Lt.Cdr. William Stratford Clouston, RN	5 Apr 1943	Oct 1944
2	Cdr. Colin William McMullen, DSC, RN	Oct 1944	ca mid 45

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Notable events involving Scorpion (ii) include:

24 May 1943
In the morning, HMS Syrtis (Lt. M.H. Jupp, DSC, RN), conducted A/S exercises with HMS Scorpion (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Clouston, RN). During the evening she conducted attack exercises on the ‘battlefleet’. (1)

25 Jul 1943
The battleship HMS Malaya (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) shifted from Scapa Flow to Port H.H.Z. (Loch Cairnbawn) where she was to participate in special trials.

During the passage she was escorted by the destroyers HMS Saumarez (Lt.Cdr. E.N. Walmsley, DSC, RN), HMS Scorpion (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Clouston, RN) and HMS Impulsive (Lt. P. Bekenn, RN).

The destroyers returned to Scapa Flow later the same day. (2)

17 Oct 1943
HMS Storm (T/Lt. E.P. Young, DSC, RNVR) conducted A/S exercises with HMS Musketeer (Cdr. R.L. Fisher, OBE, RN), HMS Scorpion (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Clouston, RN) and HMS Ashanti (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Barnes, RN). (3)

18 Oct 1943
HMS Storm (T/Lt. E.P. Young, DSC, RNVR) conducted A/S exercises with HMS Urchin (Lt.Cdr. J.T.B. Birch, DSO, DSC, RN) and HMS Scorpion (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Clouston, RN).

Upon completion of the exercises Storm departed Scapa Flow for Holy Loch. She made the passage together with the British submarine HMS H 43 (Lt. C.A.J. Nicoll, RN) and the Dutch submarine HrMs K XV (Lt.Cdr. Baron C.W.T. van Boetzelaer, RNN). They were escorted by the British armed yacht HMS Cutty Sark (Cdr.(Retd.) R.H. Mack, RN). (3)

17 Nov 1943
HrMs O 15 (Lt.Cdr. A.J. Schouwenaar, RNN) conducted A/S exercises at / off Scapa Flow with HMS Scorpion (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Clouston, RN) and HMS Scourge (Lt.Cdr. G.I.M. Balfour, RN). (4)

31 Oct 1944
HMS Virulent (Lt. S.J. Fovargue, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Scapa Flow with HMS Zebra (Lt.Cdr. E.C. Peake, RN) and HMS Scorpion (Cdr. C.W. McMullen, DSC, RN). (5)

18 Apr 1945
At 0341 hours, HMS Varne (Lt. I.G. Raikes, DSC, RN), was illuminated by friendly destroyers that were operating in the area. HMS Varne was out of position and did not identify herself before crash diving. She was lucky not to be depth charged.

The friendly destroyers encountered were HMS Scorpion (Cdr. C.W. McMullen, DSC, RN), HMS Savage (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Malins, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Scourge (Lt.Cdr. C.G.H. Brown, DSC, RN) and HMS Zambesi (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Palmer, RN). They were on operation 'Invective', an anti-shipping raid. (6)