Summary of History
Skipjack (J38) was laid down on 4th April
1933 at John Brown Clydebank and commissioned on 3rd May 1935. She
joined the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla and sailed to Alexandria,
returning to Portland in April 1936. She then carried out the usual
range of exercises until entering the Nore Reserve in April 1938. In
September 1938 she commissioned with a full active service crew
because of the International situation, returning to her former status
on 29th October 1938. She again recommissioned on 15th June 1939 and
joined the 5th Minesweeping Flotilla operating from Harwich and
Grimsby for the first few months of the war.
In January 1940 SKIPJACK
sailed to Invergordon where she was involved in two collisions
requiring minor repairs. On 3rd Feb 1940, while sweeping with her two
sister ships HMS Sphinx and HMS Speedwell, three enemy aircraft
attacked the flotilla.
Three
separate attacks were made on
SKIPJACK,
the first and last from aft and the second from ahead, with
intervals of about five minutes between attacks. In the first attack
two bombs were dropped, one large and one small, both missed on
either quarter at about 10 feet distance. In the second attack one
small bomb was dropped which missed about 30 feet on the starboard
bow. Each attack on
SKIPJACK
was
accompanied by intense machine gun fire, the ship being repeatedly
hit though no casualties were sustained. Sphinx was badly damaged
and despite several attempts to tow her to port she later sank.
SKIPJACK then spent five weeks
refitting at Grimsby and then sailed for Dover on 26th May in
preparation for the evacuation of Dunkirk. On 1st June she was off
Dunkirk (La Panne) and was subjected to repeated air attacks. Except
when troops were boarding she circled at full speed to avoid the
attacks. By 0800 only 12 rounds of 4" ammunition were left for each
gun. By 0844, 275 troops had boarded when ten Ju88's attacked SKIPJACK
and she was hit by two bombs. She lost way and developed a heavy list
to port. Another three bombs hit the ship and at 0849 she turned
turtle, remaining afloat for about 20 minutes. Survivors in the water
were attacked by enemy aircraft. The majority of the troops were
trapped in the hull. Nineteen crew and 275 troops were killed.
