Allied Warships

HMS Mackay (D 70)

Destroyer of the Admiralty Leader class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeDestroyer
ClassAdmiralty Leader 
PennantD 70 
Built byCammell Laird Shipyard (Birkenhead, U.K.) 
OrderedApr 1917 
Laid down5 Mar 1918 
Launched21 Dec 1918 
Commissioned19 May 1919 
End service 
Loss position
 
History

Mackay was converted into a long-range escort at the outbreak of WWII with a reduced gun armament but carrying a complement of 50 DCs.
In May 1940 she took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk, in 2/1941 was with Capt Pizey's Division when it attempted attacking Scharnhorst & Gneisenau as they returned to Germany via the Channel but failed to get in range.
Spent a short time escorting Russian convoy then switched to the East coast where she remained until the Normandy invasion. On 6/6/44 she was escorting one of the invasion convoys.
Sold to be broken up for scrap on 18 February 1947.

Commanding Officers:
Capt. Philip Louis Vian, RN
September 1939 – 25 September 1939

Cdr. Graham Henry Stokes, RN
25 September 1939 – ???

Lt.Cdr. Ernest Adams, RN (retired)
??? - ???

Capt. Thomas Edgar Halsey, DSO, RN
15 May 1941 – 16 September 1941

Capt. John Piachaud Wright, DSO, RN
16 September 1941 – 5 July 1942
Bar to DSO awarded on 31 March 1942

Capt. Selwyn Victor Jephson, RN
5 July 1942 – 15 November 1943

Cdr. Richard Frederick Jessel, RN
15 November 1943 – ca. mid 1944

Lt.Cdr. James Woore Courtlandt-Simpson, RN
Ca. mid 1944 – 1 December 1944

A/Cdr. Walter John Phipps, OBE, RN (retired)
1 December 1944 >

HMS Mackay is not listed in the October 1945 Navy List

 
Former nameHMS Claverhouse

Commands listed for HMS Mackay (D 70)

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CommanderFromTo
1Capt. Philip Louis Vian, RNSep 193925 Sep 1939
2Cdr. Graham Henry Stokes, RN25 Sep 1939???

3Lt.Cdr. (retired) Ernest Adams, RN??????

4Capt. Thomas Edgar Halsey, DSO, RN15 May 194116 Sep 1941
5Capt. John Piachaud Wright, DSO, RN16 Sep 19415 Jul 1942
6Capt. Selwyn Victor Jephson, RN5 Jul 194215 Nov 1943
7Cdr. Richard Frederick Jessel, DSC, DSO, RN15 Nov 1943Mid 1944
8A/Lt.Cdr. (retired) James Woore Cortlandt-Simpson, RNMid 19441 Dec 1944
9Cdr. (retired) Walter John Phipps, OBE, RN1 Dec 1944???

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Noteable events involving Mackay include:


17 Jan 1940
HMS Mackay (Cdr G.H. Stokes, RN) picks up 48 survivors from the british merchant Cairnross that was sunk after hitting a mine laid on 6 January 1940 by the German submarine U-30 seven nautical miles bearing 276 from the Bar Lightvessel, Liverpool in position 53º32'N, 03º27'W.

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