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Note: Loss of HMS ESK 31 Aug, 1940On 31 August 1940 a group of destroyers sailed from Immingham ona minelaying mission off the Dutch coast. The minelayers werefrom the 20th Destroyer Flotilla and consisted of the destroyersHMS Express, HMS Esk, HMS Icarus, HMS Intrepid and HMS Ivanhoe.The minelayers were escorted by members of the 5th DestroyerFlotilla consisted of the destroyers HMS Kelvin, HMS Jupiter andHMS Vortigern. Aereal reconnaissance detected a German force andthe ships of the 20th and 5th DF were ordered to intercept,believing wrongly that the German ships were part of an invasionforce. HMS Express struck a mine and was badly damaged, HMS Eskwent to her assistance and hit a mine and sank immediately, HMSIvanhoe also went to her assistance and hit a mine and was badlydamaged, so much so she she had to be sunk by HMS Kelvin. Thefollowing day they were joined by the light cruisers HMS Auroraand HMS Galatea and while returning to base HMS Galatea struckanother mine and was slightly damaged off Cleaner Shoal Buoynear the Humber light vessel.
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