HMS Scylla

HMS Scylla was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Scotts, Greenock. Laid down in January 1939, she was launched on 24 July 1940 and commissioned on 12 June 1942. Her service during the Second World War included operations in the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean.

Design and description

The Dido-class cruisers were designed as smaller versions of the contemporary Southampton-class cruisers. They were intended to defend the fleet from aircraft with their main battery of dual-purpose guns. Scylla displaced 5,450 long tons (5,540 t) at standard load and 6,850 long tons (6,960 t) at deep load. The ship had an overall length of 512 feet (156 m), a beam of 50 feet 6 inches (15.4 m) and a mean deep draught of 14 feet (4.3 m).

Service history

During World War II, Scylla served in several theatres of operation. She was involved in the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942, the Battle of the Atlantic, and the Arctic convoys. In 1944, she was seriously damaged by a mine off the Normandy coast and was not repaired. After the war, she was used as a target ship before being sold for scrap in 1950.

Legacy

The name HMS Scylla was later used for a Leander-class frigate launched in 1968. This ship was sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Cornwall in 2004, and is now a popular site for divers.