HMS Scout (1918)

Last updated

HMS Scotsman (1918) IWM Q 065744.jpg
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameScout
Ordered17 April 1917
Builder John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Yard number475
Laid down25 October 1917
Launched27 April 1918
Completed15 June 1918
Out of service29 March 1946
FateSold to be broken up
General characteristics
Class and type S-class destroyer
Displacement
Length265 ft (80.77 m) p.p.
Beam26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)
Draught9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) mean
Propulsion
Speed36 knots (41 mph; 67 km/h)
Range2,750  nmi (5,090 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement90
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.

Contents

Design and development

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]

Construction and career

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 numbers

Penant numbers
Pennant number Date
G35June 1918 [41]
F55January 1919 [42]
H6ANovember 1919 [43]
H51January 1922 [44]

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Rosalind</i> (1916) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Rosalind was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. The ship was launched by Thornycroft on 14 October 1916 as the first of five similar ships ordered from the yard. The design was used as the basis for five subsequent ships of the S-class also built by the company. Rosalind served as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War, operating as an escort to other warships and in anti-submarine patrols alongside other destroyers. The vessel was sold to be broken up on 13 July 1926.

HMS <i>Taurus</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Taurus was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Ordered from Thornycroft in 1915 and launched in 1917, the vessel operated as part of the Harwich Force until the end of hostilities. Shortly after entering service, Taurus formed part of the destroyer shield for the Royal Navy's bombardment of Ostend that successfully sank the German destroyer S20. After the War, the destroyer was reduced to the Reserve Fleet and sold to be broken up in 1930.

HMS <i>Tristram</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Tristram 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 destroyer was operational for just over four years. In 1917, Tristram joined the Grand Fleet and provided distant cover at the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight but did not engage with the enemy. After the armistice which ended the war, the destroyer was initially transferred to the Home Fleet before being placed in reserve in 1920 and then sold to be broken up in 1921.

HMS <i>Ursa</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

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 <i>Urchin</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Urchin was a Modified Admiralty R-class destroyer which served with 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. The destroyer was the third ship in the Navy to be named after the sea urchin and the first in the class to be built by Palmers in Jarrow. Launched in 1917, Urchin served with the Grand Fleet, seeing action in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. After the war, the destroyer was remained in service until being retired and sold to be broken up in 1930.

HMS <i>Ursula</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

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 <i>Tirade</i> Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Tirade was a Modified Admiralty R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. 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 April 1917 by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet. The vessel was involved in escorting convoys in the Irish Sea and North Sea. During one of these duties, in September 1917, Tirade sank the minelaying submarine UC-55. During the following month, the destroyer accidentally struck and sank the M-class destroyer Marmion. After the war the destroyer was placed in reserve and then, in November 1921, was sold to be broken up.

HMS <i>Raider</i> (1916) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

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 <i>Rowena</i> (1916) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

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 <i>Plover</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

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 <i>Maenad</i> (1915) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Maenad was an 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, served in the Battle of Jutland in 1916, attacking both battleships and destroyers of the German High Seas Fleet. However, the vessel was notorious for undertaking a sharp manoeuvre which obstructed other destroyers in the fleet from attacking. Maenad also undertook anti-submarine patrols. In 1917, the ship mistakenly attacked the British submarine G12 thinking it was a German boat. The submarine escaped with damages. After the armistice that ended of the war, Maenad was placed in reserve until being sold to be broken up in Germany in 1921.

HMS <i>Tara</i> (1918) S class destroyerI

HMS Tara was an S-class destroyer, which served with the Royal Navy. Launched on 7 August 1918, the vessel entered service at the closing of the First World War. The ship joined the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet but was placed in Reserve at Nore in 1919. Tara deteriorated over the following years and was sold to be broken up on 17 December 1931 after the signing of the London Naval Treaty that limited the amount of destroyer tonnage the Navy could retain.

HMS <i>Trojan</i> Royal Navy S class destroyer

HMS Trojan was an S-class destroyer, which served with the Royal Navy. The vessel was the only one named in honour of the citizens of Troy that has been operated by the navy. Launched on 12 July 1918, Trojan was too late to see service in the First World War. Initially allocated to the Grand Fleet and then, when this was dissolved, the Atlantic Fleet, the destroyer was transferred to the Reserve Fleet, like many of the class, within two years of being first commissioned. The vessel remained in reserve until 24 September 1936, although in a deteriorating condition. On that day, Trojan was sold to be broken up as part of a deal for the liner Majestic.

HMS <i>Sepoy</i> (1918) Royal Navy S class destroyer

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 <i>Peregrine</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

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 <i>Mons</i> (1915) British M-Class destroyer

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 <i>Northesk</i> British M-Class destroyer

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 <i>Onslaught</i> (1915) British M-Class destroyer

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 <i>Redpole</i> (1910) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Redpole was 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, the ship served with the Second Destroyer Flotilla, joining the Grand Fleet at the start of the war, and was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1915, joining the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla. Employed as an escort, the ship also undertook other duties, including rescuing the Italian destroyer Benedetto Cairoli in 1918. Redpole ended the war in Gibraltar. After the Armistice, the destroyer was placed in reserve before being sold to be broken up in 1921.

HMS <i>Seabear</i> (1918) Royal Navy S class destroyer

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.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Preston 1985, p. 85.
  2. ↑ Johnston 2014, p. 187.
  3. 1 2 March 1966, p. 221.
  4. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 297.
  5. 1 2 Preston 1985, p. 84.
  6. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 163.
  7. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 236.
  8. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 146.
  9. 1 2 Parkes & Prendergast 1969, p. 107.
  10. ↑ Johnston 2014, p. 190.
  11. ↑ Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 313.
  12. ↑ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 397.
  13. ↑ "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". Supplement to the Monthly Navy List: 12. October 1918. Retrieved 8 June 2023– via National Library of Scotland.
  14. ↑ Head 2009, p. 136.
  15. ↑ Head 2009, p. 147.
  16. ↑ Cunningham 1951, p. 99.
  17. ↑ Dunn 2020, p. 96.
  18. ↑ Dunn 2020, pp. 101–102.
  19. ↑ Moretz 2002, p. 79.
  20. ↑ "V Vessels in Reserve at Home Ports and Other Bases". The Navy List: 709. October 1919. Retrieved 8 June 2023– via National Library of Scotland.
  21. ↑ "Naval and Military: Plymouth Destroyers". The Times . No. 44033. 6 August 1925. p. 20.
  22. ↑ "The Services: Royal Navy". The Times. No. 46090. 24 March 1932. p. 17.
  23. ↑ "The Services: Royal Navy". The Times. No. 46146. 30 May 1932. p. 7.
  24. ↑ "Coastal Defence: East Coast Exercise". The Times. No. 46829. 10 April 1934. p. 19.
  25. ↑ "The Services: Royal Navy". The Times. No. 47625. 5 May 1935. p. 9.
  26. ↑ Buckle 2019, p. 104.
  27. ↑ "Destroyer's Wrong Course". The Times. No. 47898. 21 January 1938. p. 9.
  28. ↑ "Scout". The Navy List: 329. July 1939. Retrieved 8 June 2023– via National Library of Scotland.
  29. ↑ "The Services: Royal Navy". The Times. No. 48146. 8 November 1938. p. 8.
  30. ↑ "VII Other Foreign Stations". The Navy List: 207. February 1939. Retrieved 8 June 2023– via National Library of Scotland.
  31. ↑ "Japanese Action At Amoy". The Times. No. 48304. 13 May 1939. p. 14.
  32. ↑ Woodburn Kirby 1957, p. 109.
  33. ↑ Woodburn Kirby 1957, p. 233.
  34. ↑ Woodburn Kirby 1957, p. 358.
  35. ↑ Parkinson 2017, p. 496.
  36. ↑ Dull 2013, p. 73.
  37. ↑ Dull 2013, p. 111.
  38. ↑ Kindell, Don. "Admiralty War Diaries: Eastern Fleet - January to June 1943". Naval History. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022.
  39. ↑ Colledge & Warlow 2006, pp. 313–314.
  40. ↑ "News in Brief". The Times. No. 50373. 11 February 1946. p. 2.
  41. ↑ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 63.
  42. ↑ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 49.
  43. ↑ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 78.
  44. ↑ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 73.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.