Hms Sphinx: Occumster Beach, North Sea
Minesweeper (20th Century)
Site Name Hms Sphinx: Occumster Beach, North Sea
Classification Minesweeper (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Clyth; Hms Sphinx
Canmore ID 114813
Site Number ND23NE 8001
NGR ND 26 35
NGR Description ND c. 26 35
Datum Datum not recorded
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/114813
- Council Highland
- Parish Maritime - Highland
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Maritime
- Former County Not Applicable
ND23NE 8001 c. 26 35
N58 18 W3 16
NLO: Occumster [name: ND 265 357]
Clyth Mains [name: ND 280 362].
Location formerly entered as ND 2630 3530 [N58 18.02 W3 15.46].
Formerly also entered as ND40SW 8003 (unlocated).
Possibly on map sheet ND23SE.
HMS SPHINX, Minesweeper, 875 ton displacement. Commander Taylor. Lost 3 Feb 1940, Occumster Beach, 2 miles from Clythness lighthouse. SE gale. Damaged by enemy action, 4 officers, 45 ratings lost, 2 officers and 44 ratings saved. Feb 3/5 while being towed to port vessel capsized and was afterwards driven ashore on the beach at Occumster, Feb 5.
[Contemporary] source: George MacDonald, Principal Lightkeeper, Clythness, Northern Lighthouse Board.
(Classified as minesweeper: date of loss cited as 3 February 1940). HMS Sphinx: aircraft attack, [under] tow, capsized, ashore bottom-up at Clyth.
Registration: London. 875 tons displacement. Length: 69m. Beam: 10m.
(Location of loss cited as N58 18.00 W3 16.00).
I G Whittaker 1998.
The location assigned to this loss is essentially arbitrary. The vessel may have stranded within the area of map sheet ND23SE. Clythness or Clyth Ness Lighthouse (ND23NE 29) is at ND 29072 36294.
It remains unclear whether or not the vessel was subsequently salvaged.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 2 February 2007.
Length oa: 245.3ft [74.8m]
Length pp: 230ft [70.1m]
Beam: 32ft [9.8m] (also cited as 33.5ft [10.2m])
Draught: 8ft 2.4m]
[Standard] displacement: 875 tons
Armament: 2x4in [102mm] guns
Propulsion: geared steam turbines (1750shp)
Speed: 17kts
Complement: 80
HMS Sphinx. This Halcyon-class sloop was built by William Hamilton and Co, Port Glasgow, and launched on 7 February 1939. She was the last of the class to be built, and a member of the (later) turbine-powered sub-class.
She was lost on 3 February 1940, on account of damage sustained during an air attack in the Moray Firth.
The statement by some authorities that this vessel foundered is incorrect, being incompatible with the primary account of her loss.
Although commonly termed minesweepers, vessels of this class were larger than specialised coastal minesweepers, being designed for more general duties, including convoy escort service. They were formally termed Fleet Minesweeping Sloops.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 30 December 2010.
HT Lenton and JJ Colledge 1968; J Young 1978; JJ Colledge and B Warlow 2006.
Loss (3 February 1940)
HMS SPHINX, Minesweeper, 875 ton displacement. Commander Taylor. Lost 3 Feb 1940, Occumster Beach, 2 miles from Clythness lighthouse. SE gale. Damaged by enemy action, 4 officers, 45 ratings lost, 2 officers and 44 ratings saved. Feb 3/5 while being towed to port vessel capsized and was afterwards driven ashore on the beach at Occumster, Feb 5.
[Contemporary] source: George MacDonald, Principal Lightkeeper, Clythness, Northern Lighthouse Board.
(Classified as minesweeper: date of loss cited as 3 February 1940). HMS Sphinx: aircraft attack, [under] tow, capsized, ashore bottom-up at Clyth.
Registration: London. 875 tons displacement. Length: 69m. Beam: 10m.
(Location of loss cited as N58 18.00 W3 16.00).
I G Whittaker 1998.
Named Location (Nlo) (26 February 1997)
NLO: Occumster [name: ND 265 357]
Clyth Mains [name: ND 280 362].
Location formerly entered as ND 2630 3530 [N58 18.02 W3 15.46].
Formerly also entered as ND40SW 8003 (unlocated).
Possibly on map sheet ND23SE.
Note (2 February 2007)
The location assigned to this loss is essentially arbitrary. The vessel may have stranded within the area of map sheet ND23SE.
Clythness or Clyth Ness Lighthouse (ND23NE 29) is at ND 29072 36294.
It remains unclear whether or not the vessel was subsequently salvaged.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 2 February 2007.
Note (30 December 2010)
Length oa: 245.3ft [74.8m]
Length pp: 230ft [70.1m]
Beam: 32ft [9.8m] (also cited as 33.5ft [10.2m])
Draught: 8ft 2.4m]
[Standard] displacement: 875 tons
Armament: 2x4in [102mm] guns
Propulsion: geared steam turbines (1750shp)
Speed: 17kts
Complement: 80
HMS Sphinx. This Halcyon-class sloop was built by William Hamilton and Co, Port Glasgow, and launched on 7 February 1939. She was the last of the class to be built, and a member of the (later) turbine-powered sub-class.
She was lost on 3 February 1940, on account of damage sustained during an air attack in the Moray Firth.
The statement by some authorities that this vessel foundered is incorrect, being incompatible with the primary account of her loss.
Although commonly termed minesweepers, vessels of this class were larger than specialised coastal minesweepers, being designed for more general duties, including convoy escort service. They were formally termed Fleet Minesweeping Sloops.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 30 December 2010.
HT Lenton and JJ Colledge 1968; J Young 1978; JJ Colledge and B Warlow 2006.
Reference (2011)
Whittaker ID : 100
Name : HMS SPHINX
Latitude : 581800
Longitude : 31600
Registration : LONDON
Type : MINESWEEPER
Tonnage : 875
Tonnage Code : D
Length : 69
Beam : 10
Draught : 4m
Position : Position Approximate
Loss Day : 3
Loss Month : 2
Loss Year : 1940
Comment : A/C attack, tow, capsized, ashore bottom-up at Clyth.
