Construction and design
HMS Tartar was ordered from the Southampton shipbuilder John I. Thornycroft & Company under the 1905–06 shipbuilding programme for the Royal Navy, one of five Tribal-class destroyers ordered under that programme. [1] The Tribals derived from a requirement by the First Sea Lord "Jackie" Fisher, for a steam turbine powered, oil-fueled destroyer capable of at least 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph). Armament was specified as three 12-pounder (3 in, 76 mm) 12 cwt guns [lower-alpha 1] and two 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes. [2] [3] While the Admiralty laid down the basic requirements, the details of the design of individual ships was left to the builders, although the builder's designs did need to be approved by the Director of Naval Construction before orders were placed. This meant that individual ships of the class differed significantly from each other. [2] [3]
Tartar was 274 feet 3 inches (83.59 m) long overall and 270 feet 0 inches (82.30 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 26 feet 0 inches (7.92 m) and a draught of 8 feet 4 inches (2.54 m). Displacement was 870 long tons (880 t) normal and 960 long tons (980 t) deep load. [4] Tartar had a turtleback forecastle, but with a raised bow compared with Mohawk (also fitted with a turtleback forecastle), thus avoiding the seakeeping problems that forced Mohawk to be rebuilt with a raised forecastle. [5] Six Thornycroft boilers (in three boiler rooms) fed steam to turbines driving three propeller shafts. The main high-pressure turbine drove the centre shaft, with the outer shafts being fitted with low-pressure turbines, together with cruise and astern turbines. Four funnels were fitted. [1] [6] The ship's machinery was rated at 14,500 shaft horsepower (10,800 kW). The ship had a complement of 74 officers and ratings. [4]
Tartar was laid down at Thornycroft's Woolston shipyard on 13 November 1905 and launched on 25 June 1907. [7] Tartar made 36.3 knots (67.2 km/h; 41.8 mph) during sea trials, [1] with one run during final trials on 16 December reaching a speed of 37.037 knots (68.593 km/h; 42.621 mph), a speed record. [8] [lower-alpha 2] She was completed in April 1908. [7] It had been realised during construction that the armament of the Tribals was too light, so it was decided to strengthen the armament of the first five ships of the class by adding another two 12-pounder guns. The two guns were added to Tartar following acceptance by the Royal Navy. [10]
Service
Tartar formed part of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet when it was formed in 1909 and remained part of this formation until 1913, when she joined the 4th Destroyer Flotilla based at Portsmouth. [11] [12] In October that year, the Tribals were officially designated the F class, and as such the letter "F" was painted on the bows of the class. [13] [14] In February 1914, the Tribals (including Tartar), as their range was too short for effective open sea operations, were sent to Dover, forming the 6th Destroyer Flotilla. [11] [13] On 8 September 1915, the destroyer Leven was involved in a collision with a transport in the English Channel, suffering a badly damaged bow. She was towed stern first back to Dover, assisted by Tartar, Viking and the tug Lady Crundall. [15]
On the night of 26/27 October 1916, German torpedo boats of their Flanders Flotilla carried out a large scale raid into the English Channel, hoping to attack the drifters watching the anti-submarine nets of the Dover Barrage, and to sink Allied shipping in the Channel. Six Tribal-class destroyers (Tartar, Mohawk, Viking, Nubian, Amazon and Cossack) were being held at readiness at Dover as a fast response force, at readiness in Dover harbour, and when the German 5th Half Flotilla attacked the drifters and sank the old supporting destroyer HMS Flirt, they were ordered to intervene. The destroyers split up as they left Dover harbour, with Viking leading Mohawk and Tartar from the Western entrance to the port, while the other three destroyers left by the Eastern entrance and failed to join up with Viking's group. Nubian and Amazon separately ran into the German 17th Half Flotilla, on its way home after sinking the merchant ship Queen, with Nubian first being badly damaged by a torpedo and Amazon then heavily hit by German shells. Viking's group then encountered a third German formation, the 18th Half Flotilla. Mohawk, second in line of the three British destroyers, was hit by German shells which caused her steering to jam, and turn out of line. Tartar followed Mohawk's turn, while Viking's attempts to pursue the German torpedo boats were thwarted when her course was blocked by Mohawk. All the German torpedo boats that took part in the nights operations escaped successfully. [16]
Tartar struck a German mine on 17 June 1917, killing 43 of her crew, including her newly appointed captain, G. K. Twiss, but was towed to safety. [11] [17] [18] By November 1917, Tartar had joined the 11th Destroyer Flotilla, based at Blyth, Northumberland. [19] [20] On 18 February 1918, Tartar collided with the merchant ship Ardgantock off West Hartlepool, sinking the merchant ship. [15] Tartar still served with the 11th Submarine Flotilla on 11 November 1918, when the Armistice ended fighting between the Allies and Germany. [21]
The first HMS Zulu was a Tribal class destroyer launched 16 September 1909 at Hawthorn Leslie Shipyard and commissioned in March 1910. She was mined during the First World War, on 27 October 1916 off Dover in a minefield lain by the Imperial German submarine UC-1. Her stern was blown off and sank, but the forward section remained afloat. It was towed into port and attached to the stern of Nubian, which had been torpedoed, to form a new destroyer named HMS Zubian.
HMS Zubian was a First World War Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyer constructed from the forward end of HMS Zulu and the rear and mid sections of HMS Nubian. These two destroyers had been badly damaged in late 1916, and rather than scrapping both hulls at the height of World War I, the Admiralty ordered that they be rebuilt as the composite Zubian and put back into service. She was commissioned into the fleet in June 1917. The name Zubian is a portmanteau of the names of the original ships.
HMS Nubian was a Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyer. She was launched in 1909 and torpedoed in 1916. With her bow blown off, the wreck was used to create a new ship by joining the bow of another destroyer of the same class, HMS Zulu. The resulting ship was given the portmanteau name HMS Zubian. She went on to sink the U-boat SM UC-50 in 1918 and was scrapped in 1919.
HMS Ghurka was a Tribal-class destroyer built in 1907 for the Royal Navy. She served as part of the Dover Patrol during the First World War, playing a part in the sinking of the German submarine U-8 in 1915, and was sunk by a German mine in 1917.
HMS Laforey was the lead ship of her class of destroyer built for the Royal Navy. Launched a year before the First World War began, she was attached to the Dover Patrol. Laforey saw action in several engagements with German torpedo boats, including the Battle off Noordhinder Bank and the action of 17 March 1917. Laforey was sunk in 1917 by a British mine after escorting several freighters to France. She was named for Francis Laforey, captain of HMS Spartiate at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
HMS Afridi was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Navy launched in 1907 and sold for scrap in 1919. During the First World War she served in the North Sea and the English Channel with the 6th Destroyer Flotilla and as part of the Dover Patrol.
HMS Viking was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Navy launched in 1909 and sold for scrap in 1919. She was the only destroyer ever to have six funnels.
HMS Mohawk was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Navy launched in 1907 and sold for scrap in 1919.
HMS Cossack was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Navy launched in 1907 and sold in 1919.
HMS Boxer was an Ardent-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy, launched on 28 November 1894. She spent several years operating with the Mediterranean Fleet and remained active during the First World War. She was sunk in a collision on 8 February 1918.
The Cricket class and following classes of coastal destroyers were a series of small torpedo boat destroyers (TBDs) intended to complement the Royal Navy's Tribal-class destroyers. The thirty-six vessels which broadly comprised this group actually consisted of several distinct classes, as each contractor built to their own designs, and even single contractor's designs evolved from year to year.
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 TB 12 was a Cricket-class coastal destroyer or torpedo-boat of the British Royal Navy. TB 12 was built by the shipbuilder Yarrow from 1905 to 1907. She was used for local patrol duties in the First World War and was sunk by a German mine in the North Sea on 10 June 1915.
HMS TB 11 was a Cricket-class coastal destroyer or torpedo-boat of the British Royal Navy. TB 11 was built by the shipbuilder Yarrow from 1905 to 1907. She was used for local patrol duties in the First World War and was sunk by a German mine in the North Sea on 7 March 1916.
HMS TB 9 was a Cricket-class coastal destroyer or torpedo-boat of the British Royal Navy. TB 9 was built by the shipbuilder Thornycroft from 1905 to 1907. She was used for local patrol duties in the First World War and was sunk following a collision in the North Sea on 26 July 1916.
HMS TB 5 was a Cricket-class coastal destroyer or torpedo-boat of the British Royal Navy. TB 5 was built by the shipbuilder J S White from 1905 to 1907. She was used for local patrol duties in the First World War and survived the war. She was sold for scrap in 1920.
HMS TB 13 was a Cricket-class coastal destroyer or torpedo-boat of the British Royal Navy. TB 13 was built by the shipbuilder J S White from 1907 to 1908. She was used for local patrol duties in the First World War and was sunk following a collision on 26 January 1916.
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 TB 23 was a Cricket-class coastal destroyer or torpedo-boat of the British Royal Navy. TB 23 was built by the shipbuilder Yarrow from 1907 to 1908. She was used for local patrol duties in the First World War and was sold for scrap in 1921.
HMS TB 4 was a Cricket-class coastal destroyer or torpedo-boat of the British Royal Navy. TB 4 was built by the shipbuilder J S White from 1905 to 1907. She served in the Dover Patrol in the First World War and survived the war. She ran aground on the way to be scrapped on 11 January 1921 and was broken up in situ.
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