| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Minesweeper |
| Class | Halcyon |
| Pennant | J 69 |
| Mod | Third group |
| Built by | William Hamilton & Co. (Port Glasgow, Scotland): J.S. White & Co. (Cowes, U.K.) |
| Ordered | 26 Aug 1937 |
| Laid down | 17 Jan 1938 |
| Launched | 7 Feb 1939 |
| Commissioned | 27 Jul 1939 |
| Lost | 3 Feb 1940 |
| Loss position | 57° 57'N, 2° 00'W |
| History | Upon completion she joined the 6th Minesweeping Flotilla shifting to the 5th Minesweeping Flotilla in September 1939. On 3 February 1940 HMS Sphinx (Cdr. John Robert Newton Taylor, RN) was sweeping an area about 15 nautical miles miles north of Kinnairds Head (near Fraserburgh) in position 57º57'N, 02º00'W when attacked by enemy aircraft. A bomb pierced the fo'c'sle deck and exploding destroying the fore part of the ship. She remained afloat and was taken in tow by HMS Halcyon but steadily flooded and capsized and sank. The wreck was later washed ashore north of Lybster and was sold for scrap. The Commanding Officer and forty of the men were killed in the explosion. |
Commands listed for HMS Sphinx (J 69)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Cdr. John Robert Newton Taylor, RN | 28 Jul 1939 | 3 Feb 1940 (+) |
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Notable events involving Sphinx include:
15 Oct 1939
HMS H 43 (Lt.Cdr. W.A.K.N. Cavaye, RN) departed Sheerness for Portsmouth. She was escorted by HMS Sphinx (Cdr. J.R.N. Taylor, RN) (1)
Sources
- ADM 173/15730
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.