Designed to provide destroyerflotillas with a command ship, Bellona proved too slow in service from the start of her career. Her 25-knot (46km/h; 29mph) speed was barely capable of matching the speeds of the River-class destroyers she led in her flotilla in 1909 and proved inadequate to match the speed of later destroyers.[1]
Displacing3,350 long tons (3,400t), the ship had an overall length of 405 feet (123.4m), a beam of 41feet 6inches (12.6m) and a deep draught of 14 feet (4.3m). She was powered by two sets of Parsonssteam turbines, each driving two shafts. The turbines produced a total of 18,000 indicated horsepower (13,000kW), using steam produced by 12 Yarrow boilers that burned both fuel oil and coal, and gave a maximum speed of 25 knots (46km/h; 29mph). She carried a maximum of 780 long tons (790t) of coal and 189 long tons (192t) of fuel oil.[2] Her crew consisted of 317 officers and ratings.[1]
As a scout cruiser, the ship was only lightly protected to maximise her speed. She had a curved protective deck that was 1 inch (25mm) thick on the slope and 0.5 inches (13mm) on the flat.[2] Her conning tower was protected by four inches of armour.[1]
She was still assigned to the 1st Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow at the start of World War I.[7] On 17 December 1914, Bellona collided with the destroyer leaderBroke, although both ships were seriously damaged, there were no deaths.[8] Captain Arthur Dutton relieved Royds on 24 April 1916.[5]Bellona was at the Battle of Jutland but was assigned to a position at the rear of the squadron and did not fire her guns.[9] Dutton was relieved in his turn by Captain Claud Sinclair on 28 August and was replaced by Captain Ernest Denison on 1 February 1917.[5] The ship was on detached duty by May,[10] probably for her conversion to a minelayer the following month,[1] and was briefly assigned to the 4th Battle Squadron by July[11] before rejoining the 1st Battle Squadron in August.[5]Bellona's stay was destined to short-lived as the ship was transferred to the 2nd Battle Squadron by October.[12]Bellona laid mines at the entrance to the Kattegat on the nights of 18/19 and 24/25 February 1918,[13] part of her total of 306 mines laid in four missions.[1] Captain Theodore Bigg relieved Denison on 15 November.[5] After the war, the ship was relieved of her assignment with the 2nd Battle Squadron and assigned to Devonport Dockyard in February 1919[14] and placed in reserve there the following month.[15] By 18 December, she had been listed for sale[16] and sold for scrap on 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward at Lelant.[3]
Notes
↑ "Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.
Corbett, Julian (March 1997). Naval Operations to the Battle of the Falklands. History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents. Vol.I (2nd, reprint of the 1938ed.). London and Nashville, Tennessee: Imperial War Museum and Battery Press. ISBN0-89839-256-X.
Corbett, Julian (1997). Naval Operations. History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents. Vol.II (reprint of the 1929 seconded.). London and Nashville, Tennessee: Imperial War Museum in association with the Battery Press. ISBN1-870423-74-7.
Corbett, Julian (1997). Naval Operations. History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents. Vol.III (reprint of the 1940 seconded.). London and Nashville, Tennessee: Imperial War Museum in association with the Battery Press. ISBN1-870423-50-X.
Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-59114-081-8.
Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN978-1-84832-100-7.
Preston, Antony (1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp.1–104. ISBN0-85177-245-5.
Phillips, Lawrie (2014). Pembroke Dockyard and the Old Navy: A Bicentennial History. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN978-0-7509-5214-9.
Smith, Peter C. (2005). Into the Minefields: British Destroyer Minelaying 1916 - 1960. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN1-84415-271-5.
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