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.

 
Former nameHMS Claverhouse

Commands listed for HMS Mackay (D 70)

Please note that we're still working on this section.

CommanderFromTo
1Capt. Philip Louis Vian, RNSep 193925 Sep 1939
2Cdr. Graham Henry Stokes, RN25 Sep 19391 May 1940
3Lt.Cdr. (retired) Ernest Adams, RN1 May 194010 Jun 1940
4Cdr. Graham Henry Stokes, RN10 Jun 1940Oct 1940
5Lt.Cdr. (retired) Ernest Adams, RNOct 194015 May 1941
6Capt. Thomas Edgar Halsey, DSO, RN15 May 194116 Sep 1941
7Capt. John Piachaud Wright, DSO, RN16 Sep 19415 Jul 1942
8Capt. Selwyn Victor Jephson, RN5 Jul 194215 Nov 1943
9Cdr. Richard Frederick Jessel, DSO, DSC, RN15 Nov 1943Mid 1944
10A/Lt.Cdr. (retired) James Woore Cortlandt-Simpson, RNMid 19441 Dec 1944
11Cdr. (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.

Media links


British destroyers & frigates
Norman Friedman


Destroyers of World War Two
Whitley, M. J.

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