Sister ship Scotsman in 1933 | |
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | Scout |
Ordered | 17 April 1917 |
Builder | John Brown & Company, Clydebank |
Yard number | 475 |
Laid down | 25 October 1917 |
Launched | 27 April 1918 |
Completed | 15 June 1918 |
Out of service | 29 March 1946 |
Fate | Sold to be broken up |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | S-class destroyer |
Displacement | |
Length | 265 ft (80.77 m) p.p. |
Beam | 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m) |
Draught | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) mean |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 36 knots (41 mph; 67 km/h) |
Range | 2,750 nmi (5,090 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h) |
Complement | 90 |
Armament |
|
HMS Scout was an S-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy from the end of the First World War to the end of the Second World War. On retirement, the vessel was the oldest destroyer in the Royal Navy. The S class was a development of the previous R class, with minor differences, constructed as a cheaper and faster alternative to the V and W class. Launched in 1918, Scout joined the Grand Fleet for the last few months of the First World War before sailing in 1919 under the command of Rear-admiral Walter Cowan to participate in the British campaign in the Baltic. Scout was part of a flotilla attacked by four Russian destroyers, led by Avtroil, but sustained no damage and, on returning to the UK, was placed in reserve. The vessel participated in coastal artillery training exercises near the River Tees in 1934 and ran aground in 1938 but returned to service in the China Station before the start of the Second World War. Scout assisted in the defence of northern Sumatra after the United Kingdom declaration of war on Japan and evacuated naval personnel from Singapore after the fall of the island before being transferred to Trincomalee, Ceylon, in 1942, serving as an escort for the remainder of the war. With peace, Scout was retired and, in 1946, sold to be broken up.
Scout was one of 33 Admiralty S class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty on 17 April 1917 as part of the Eleventh War Construction Programme. The design was a development of the R class introduced as a cheaper and faster alternative to the V and W class. [1] [2] Differences with the R class were minor, such as having the searchlight moved aft. [3]
Scout had an overall length of 276 ft (84.12 m) and a length of 265 ft (80.77 m) between perpendiculars. The beam was 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m) and draught 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m). Displacement was 1,075 long tons (1,092 t) normal and 1,221 long tons (1,241 t) deep load. Three Yarrow boilers fed steam to two sets of Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines rated at 27,000 shaft horsepower (20,000 kW ) and driving two shafts, giving a design speed of 36 knots (67 km/h ; 41 mph ) at normal loading and 32.5 knots (60 km/h; 37 mph) at deep load. Two funnels were fitted. A full load of 301 long tons (306 t) of fuel oil was carried, which gave a design range of 2,750 nautical miles (5,090 km; 3,160 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). [4]
Armament consisted of three QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline. [5] One was mounted raised on the forecastle, one on a platform between the funnels and one aft. [6] The ship also mounted a single 2-pounder 40 mm (1.6 in) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft gun for air defence. Four 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes were carried in two twin rotating mounts aft. [5] Four depth charge chutes were also fitted aft. Typically ten depth charges were carried. [7] The ship was designed to mount two additional 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes either side of the superstructure but this required the forecastle plating to be cut away, causing excess water to come aboard at sea, so they were removed. [3] The weight saved enabled the heavier Mark V 21-inch torpedo to be carried. [1] Fire control included a training-only director, single Dumaresq and a Vickers range clock. [8] The ship had a complement of 90 officers and ratings. [9]
Laid down on 25 October 1917 by John Brown & Company in Clydebank with the yard number 475, Scout was launched on 27 April the following year and completed on 15 June. [10] The vessel was the twelfth with the name to serve in the Royal Navy, the first being recorded in 1577, and one of nine of the class to be built by the yard. [11] [12] [9] The vessel joined the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet shortly before the Armistice that ended the First World War. [13]
Although the war on the Western Front had finished, the escalating civil war in Russia continued. The United Kingdom decided to send units of the Royal Navy into the Baltic Sea to monitor the situation and to protect British interests. [14] The fleet was also tasked with helping to help organise the evacuation of German forces from the country and supporting the Estonian War of Independence. [15] Scout was sent as part of a detachment of ten destroyers under the command of Rear-admiral Walter Cowan in the light cruiser Caledon. The flotilla left on 25 March 1919, sailing initially to Oslo, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark. [16] Remaining there until 26 April, Scout then departed for Tallinn to support the Estonian armed forces. [17] On 14 May, the destroyer, alongside the light cruiser Cleopatra, destroyer leader Shakespeare and destroyer Walker, left the port to Narva Bay and sailed along the Gulf of Finland. There they supported the Estonian troops against the Red Army with gunfire. They also had occasional encounters with Soviet warships, but these did not lead to significant action. For example, on 17 May, the British flotilla was stationed off the island of Seskar observing the Russian fleet at Kronstadt when the dreadnought battleship Petropavlovsk was reported to have left the anchorage. As the flotilla moved in, four Russian destroyers, led by Avtroil, attacked. Returning fire, the British ships reported a hit on one of the Russian vessels. However, both sides retreated before significant damage was recorded. [18]
At the same time, the Royal Navy was returning to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and personnel needed to be reduced to save money. [19] By October, Scout had joined the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla based at Rosyth and was placed in reserve with a reduced complement. [20] The ship was briefly allocated to Plymouth as an emergency destroyer until replaced by Tuscan in August 1925. [21] On 1 April 1932, after being repaired, the vessel took up a similar role at the Nore. [22] From there, Scout undertook a visit to Southend between 9 and 13 July. [23] On 9 August 1934, the destroyer took part in an exercise with sister ship Scimitar to test the defences of the northeast coast, including the coastal artillery defending the River Tees. [24] Scout was relieved by Wanderer on 5 March the following year. [25] In April 1936, Scout ceremonially carried the body of the German Ambassador, Leopold von Hoesch, from Dover to Germany after he had died of a heart attack in London. [26] On 4 January 1938, the ship ran aground shortly after departing Sheerness Dockyard for trials but was refloated with one engine damaged and no loss of life. [27] After being repaired, Scout was recommissioned on 20 September and dispatched to Singapore, arriving at the colony on 19 December via the Suez Canal. [28] [29]
Scout joined the China Station. [30] On 12 May 1939, the destroyer was moored off the coast of Xiamen in response to Japanese aggression. [31] Based at British Hong Kong, with the United Kingdom declaration of war on Japan on 8 December 1941, the ship sailed to Singapore. [32] On 18 December, Scout was in command of a flotilla of small craft known as the Perak Flotilla whose task was to stop Japanese landings in northern Sumatra. [33] The Japanese instead attacked Palembang on the south of the island on 13 February 1942. [34] By that time, the destroyer had left the island. During the fall of Singapore, on 14 February, the destroyer left the colony carrying naval personnel, including some who had survived the sinking of Repulse, to safety. [35] Arriving in Batavia, the ship undertook a sortie on 26 February to attack a Japanese convoy, but returned without spotting it the following day. The destroyer sailed for the navy base at Trincomalee in British Ceylon for following day. [36] On 26 March, the ship initially formed part of Force B based at the island supporting the Revenge class battleships that constituted the core of the force. [37] The vessel spent the rest of the war as an escort, primarily between Ceylon and India, but occasionally further afield. For example, on 8 March 1943, the vessel accompanied the troopship Monticello on a trip from Bombay to Melbourne, Australia. [38]
After the end of the conflict, Scout was retired and sold to be broken up on 29 March 1946 by Thos. W. Ward at Briton Ferry. [39] At the time, the vessel was the oldest destroyer in the Royal Navy. [40]
Pennant number | Date |
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G35 | June 1918 [41] |
F55 | January 1919 [42] |
H6A | November 1919 [43] |
H51 | January 1922 [44] |
HMS Retriever was a Thornycroft-built R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Launched in 1917, the vessel formed part of the Harwich Force and took part in operations off the coast of Ostend in support of the bombardment of the town in June that year. During August the following year, the vessel attempted to deploy a seaplane from a towed lighter, but a lack of wind meant the operation was unsuccessful. The vessel was also jointly credited with the destruction of the submarine SM UB-54 that year, although this has been disputed. After the war, the ship was placed in reserve and was sold to be broken up in 1927.
HMS Ursa was a modified Admiralty R-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The Modified R class added attributes of the Yarrow Later M class to improve the capability of the ships to operate in bad weather. Launched in 1917, the vessel saw service as part of the Grand Fleet. The destroyer took part in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight while being commanded by Commander John Tovey, who later became Admiral of the Fleet and led the successful action against the battleship Bismark. The vessel was also one of the first destroyers to launch a torpedo at the enemy during the battle. After the war, Ursa was transferred to the Home Fleet, but was sold to be broken up in 1928.
HMS Ursula was a Modified Admiralty R-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy. The Modified R class added attributes of the Yarrow Later M class to improve the capability of the ships to operate in bad weather. The vessel was launched in 1917 at Greenock in Scotland and served with the Grand Fleet during the First World War. After the war, the destroyer was transferred to the Home Fleet, but then moved to the Reserve Fleet. In 1924, Prince George served aboard Ursula before, in 1929, the vessel was sold to be broken up.
HMS Raider was the second of a class of sixty two R-class destroyers operated by the Royal Navy. Launched in 1916, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet during World War I. The destroyer was built as part of the preceding M-class but was equipped with geared turbines which improved efficiency and increased range. The ship was involved in anti-submarine patrols, but did not sink any German submarines. After the war, the destroyer initially moved to Harwich and was briefly stationed in Ireland after the Irish Civil War. In 1923, the Navy decided to retire the older destroyers in the fleet and, although initially spared, Raider was decommissioned and sold to be broken up in 1927.
HMS Sarpedon was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. The R class were a development of the preceding M-class, but differed in having geared turbines and other design changes. Launched in June 1916, the vessel escorted convoys that sailed between Scotland and Scandinavia in the First World War. After the war, the ship was allocated to local defence at Nore. However, in 1923, the Navy decided to retire many of the older vessels and Sarpedon was retired and was sold to be broken up on 23 June 1926.
HMS Nereus was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Launched in 1916, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet until the end of the conflict. The vessel operated as part for Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla in support of convoy operations. In 1918, the flotilla took part in one of the last sorties of the war, although the British and German fleets did not meet and the destroyer returned without seeing any action. After the conflict, the destroyer was worn out by the demands of high speed operation in poor weather. Nereus was decommissioned and sold to be broken up in 1921 after less than six years service.
HMS Rowena was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Launched on 1 July 1916, the ship operated as part of the Grand Fleet as part of a destroyer flotilla hunting for German vessels that were attacking convoys in the North Sea. Although there were many reported sightings, no submarines were sunk. After the conflict, the vessel was transferred to the Navy’s establishment at Portland to help in the development of anti-submarine warfare, which ultimately helped in the Battle of the Atlantic. Rowena did not, however, see the fruit of this labour. After twenty years of service, the destroyer was retired and sold to be broken up on 27 January 1937.
HMS Romola was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Launched on 14 May 1916, the ship operated as part of the Grand Fleet, operating as part of a destroyer flotilla. The ship sailed to intercept the German High Seas Fleet in what would be one of the last major expeditions of their Navy in the war but saw no action. After the conflict, the destroyer was held in reserve until being retired and sold to be broken up on 13 March 1930.
HMS Tourmaline was a Thornycroft S-class destroyer, which served with the Royal Navy during the Greco-Turkish War and the Russian Civil War. Tourmaline was one of three destroyers ordered from Thornycroft in June 1917 with more powerful geared turbines than the majority of the class as well as design changes that improved seakeeping. Launched on 19 April 1919, the vessel operated as part of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla serving with the Atlantic and Mediterranean Fleets. After serving in the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara, during which sister ships Speedy and Tobago were lost, Tourmaline led the Gibraltar Local Defence Flotilla. The London Naval Treaty, signed 1930, required the retirement of some destroyers to meet the Royal Navy's tonnage requirement and Tourmaline was chosen for retirement. The destroyer was decommissioned on 28 November 1931 after 12 years of service and broken up.
HMS Plover was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. Launched on 3 March 1916 by Hawthorn Leslie on the River Tyne, the vessel served as part of the Grand Fleet. Plover was based at Scapa Flow and took part in sorties in response to German submarine activity. After an uneventful war, the destroyer was placed in reserve and decommissioned, being sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Sepoy was an S-class destroyer, which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War and the Russian Civil War. Sepoy was launched in 1918 and initially joined the Grand Fleet. After the Armistice that ended the First World War, the ship was briefly transferred to the Reserve Fleet before sailing to Tallinn in 1919 as part of the Royal Navy response to the fighting there. Sepoy rejoined the Reserve Fleet at the end of the year. In 1922, the destroyer served in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship was later allocated to the naval base in Hong Kong, arriving in 1929. During exercises the following year, a depth charge explosion killed six sailors. The destroyer was also damaged. Following the signing of the London Naval Treaty a few days later, Sepoy returned to the United Kingdom and, in 1932, was sold to be broken up at Newport, Wales.
HMS Peregrine was a Admiralty M-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. Launched on 29 May 1916, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet, focusing on anti-submarine warfare. In 1917, the destroyer was involved in the search for UC-65 after the submarine had sunk the protected cruiser Ariadne. In 1918, the ship participated in one of the final sorties of the war, although this did not lead to a confrontation with the German High Seas Fleet. After the Armistice that ended the war, the destroyer was placed in reserve and subsequently sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Mons was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War and fought in the Battle of Jutland. The M class was an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speeds. The ship, the first British naval vessel to be named after the Battle of Mons, was launched in 1915. Joining the Grand Fleet as part of the new Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla, the destroyer was soon in action, taking part in patrols that aimed to draw out the German High Seas Fleet. During the Battle of Jutland in 1916, Mons attacked the German light cruisers at the forefront of the German battleline but scored no hits. After the armistice, the destroyer was placed in reserve. Mons was found to be worn out by wartime operations and, despite only serving for six years, in 1921, was sold to be broken up.
HMS Mameluke was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class was an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speeds. The ship, the first Royal Navy vessel to be named after the Mamelukes, a class of ex-slaves that ruled Egypt, was launched in 1915. The destroyer joined the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla and, although under refit during the Battle of Jutland and so unable to participate, later took part in anti-submarine operations as part of this flotilla, although no submarines were sighted or sunk. The conditions of service in the North Sea meant that the destroyer was soon worn out and, after the armistice, Mameluke was placed in reserve. Despite a service life of only six years, the vessel was decommissioned and, in 1921, sold to be broken up.
HMS Northesk was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class was an improvement on the previous L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched in 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet. Northesk was involved in escorting convoys, including the first southbound convoy on the coastal route between Lerwick and Immingham in 1917. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer joined the Mediterranean Fleet and operated in the area around Sevastopol, including assisting in the evacuation of the Crimea in 1919. Soon afterwards, in 1921, Northesk was decommissioned and sold to be broken up.
HMS Onslaught was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. The vessel, launched in 1915, joined the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla under the flotilla leader Faulknor. The ship saw action during the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, jointly sinking the German torpedo boat SMS V48 and launching the torpedo that sank the pre-dreadnought battleship Pommern, the only German battleship to be lost in the battle. Subsequently, the destroyer acted as an escort to other naval ships during the Action of 19 August 1916 and took part in anti-submarine operations. At the end of the war, Onslaught was withdrawn from service and, in 1921, sold to be broken up.
HMS Hope was the first warship constructed by Swan Hunter and one of 20 Acorn class destroyers built for the Royal Navy that served in the First World War. The Acorn class were smaller than the preceding Beagle class but oil-fired and better armed. Launched in 1910, Hope served with the Second Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet as an escort based at Devonport for most of the war, protecting ships like RMS Aquitania, until being transferred to Malta to serve with the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1917. Hope collided with and sank the destroyer HMS Arno in 1918. After the Armistice, the destroyer continued to serve in Malta under being sold in 1920.
HMS Sheldrake was one of 20 Acorn-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy. The destroyer served in the First World War. The Acorn class were smaller than the preceding Beagle class but oil-fired and better armed. Launched in 1910, Sheldrake served with the Second Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet as an escort, transferring to Malta to serve with the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1916. The ship once again served as an escort, protecting ships from submarines and mines, including the troopship Ivernia, as well as unsuccessfully attempting to rescue the sloop Nasturtium. After the Armistice, the destroyer was reduced to reserve before being sold to be broken up in 1921.
HMS Seabear was an S-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the Russian Civil War. The S class was a development of the previous R class, with minor differences, constructed at the end of the First World War. Seabear was launched in December 1917 and joined the Grand Fleet for the last few months of the War. The destroyer then joined the British campaign in the Baltic, sailing as part of a detachment of ten destroyers under the command of Admiral Walter Cowan in March 1919. Seabear sailed to Tallinn in support of the Estonian War of Independence the following month. On returning to the UK, the ship was placed in reserve. The London Naval Treaty limited to number of destroyers that the Royal Navy could operate and, as new ships entered service, older vessels were retired. Seabear was sold in February 1931 and broken up.
HMS Tintagel was an Admiralty S-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy in the Second World War. The S class was a development of the R class created during the First World War as a cheaper alternative to the V and W class. Launched in 1918 shortly after the Armistice, the ship was commissioned into the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet. However, the end of the war meant that destroyers were not needed in the front line to the same extent and Tintagel was recommissioned into the Reserve Fleet a year later. Between 1920 and 1921, the ship served with the torpedo school at Sheerness. In 1924, the vessel accompanied the submarine X1 on sea trials. After the London Naval Treaty of 1930, and the subsequent reduction in the Royal Navy's older destroyer force, Tintagel was retired and, in 1931, sold to be broken up in Plymouth.