Dates: 1937 - 1942

HMS Scorpion reached Shanghai in 1937 and replaced HMS Bee as flagship in 1938. She was never able to proceed to Hankow because of a Chinese blockade on the Yangtze consisting of sunken vessels and mines. She sailed for Singapore in December of 1940 and was sunk by Japanese bombs a little over a year later.

A report originating from the Mata Hari which picked up five of the Scorpion’s crew who had been swimming in the water for over five hours. The Mata Hari surrendered to the Japanese later that night at the mouth of the Moesi river which flows into Palembang. Reportedly, 42 of the 47 ships that left Singapore that night were sunk. The actual specifics of the Scorpion’s demise appear to be that she was damaged by aircraft on February 9, 1942 and later sunk by a Japanese destroyer at the Banka Straits three to four days later.

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