HMS Wizard (1895)

Last updated

HMS Wizard (1895) As refitted in 1908 with two funnels instead of the original three.. (51105361997).jpg
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameWizard
Builder J. Samuel White, East Cowes, Isle of Wight
Launched26 February 1895
FateSold, 1920
General characteristics
Class and type Conflict-class destroyer
Displacement320 long tons (325 t)
Length200 ft (61 m)
Propulsion White-Forster boilers, 4,500 hp (3,356 kW)
Speed27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Complement53 officers and men
Armament

HMS Wizard was a Conflict-class destroyer built by the White shipyard for the Royal Navy, and launched on 26 February 1895. [1] In 1910, she was reconstructed with only two funnels. She is believed to be the only destroyer fitted with in turning screws. She was sold in 1920.

Contents

Construction and design

On 7 November 1893, the British Admiralty placed an order for three "27-knotter" torpedo boat destroyers (Wizard, Conflict and Teazer) with the shipbuilder J. Samuel White under the 1893–1894 shipbuilding programme for the Royal Navy, with delivery of the three ships to be completed by April 1895. [2] In total, the 1893–1894 programme ordered 36 destroyers from 14 shipbuilders as a follow-on to the six prototype "26-knotter" destroyers ordered under the 1892–1893 programme. [3]

The Admiralty did not specify a standard design for destroyers, laying down broad requirements, including a trial speed of 27 knots (31 mph; 50 km/h), a "turtleback" [lower-alpha 1] forecastle and specified armament, which was to vary depending on whether the ship was to be used in the torpedo boat or gunboat role. [5] As a torpedo boat, the planned armament was a single QF 12 pounder 12 cwt (3 in (76 mm) calibre) gun on a platform on the ship's conning tower (in practice the platform was also used as the ship's bridge), together with a secondary gun armament of three 6-pounder guns, and two 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes. As a gunboat, one of the torpedo tubes could be removed to accommodate a further two six-pounders. [6] [7]

The three White-built destroyers were 205 ft 6 in (62.64 m) long overall and 200 ft 0 in (60.96 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 20 ft 0+11⁄16 in (6.11 m) and a draught of 8 ft 3 in (2.51 m). Displacement was 320 long tons (330 t) light and 360 long tons (370 t) full load. Three Water-tube boilers of White's own design fed steam to 2 four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, rated at 4,500 ihp (3,400 kW). [2] [8] Three funnels were fitted. [9] Uniquely for early destroyers, Wizard's propellers rotated inwards, [9] [10] which was found to give the ship particularly poor handling. [9] [11]

Wizard was laid down at White's Cowes, Isle of Wight shipyard on 3 April 1894 as Yard number 947 and was launched on 27 February 1895. [12] The three Wight-built destroyers had difficulty meeting their required contract speed of 27 knots, [9] [11] and Wizard was not accepted into service until July 1899. [12]

Operational service

Wizard served as tender to Excellent, the shore establishment near Portsmouth. In early December 1901, under the command of Lieutenant and Commander Frederick Hare Hallowes, she was damaged in a collision with a tug at Portsmouth, and her crew was transferred to the destroyer Hunter during repairs. [13] She was paid off at Portsmouth on 13 May 1902 to be strengthened. [14] Lieutenant Henry Wilcox Osborn was appointed in command on 11 June 1902, [15] and she took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII. [16] Lieutenant Robert Wilberforce Myburgh was appointed in command on 1 October 1902, but only two weeks later she was damaged in a collision with German liner Kronprinz Wilhelm , taking place in Southampton water. [17] Lieutenant Myburgh and the crew were temporarily posted to HMS Star from 12 October while the ship went in for repairs, [18] but were back aboard Wizard the following month when she was recommissioned on 8 November for service in the Portsmouth instructional flotilla. [19]

Wizard was refitted by White's in 1904–1904. [11] In 1908, Wizard was docked at Sheerness Dockyard in order to carry out a survey to determine if the ship's condition was good enough to warrant carrying out a refit to support further service, [20] with the results confirming that the ship was worth the cost of a thorough refit. [21] The refit was completed in April 1909, with the ship rejoining the Nore destroyer flotilla. [22] In 1910 she had two of her funnels trunked together, making Wizard a two-funneled ship. [23]

In November 1909, Wizard together with the scout cruiser Forward escorted the depot ship Vulcan and ten C-class submarines from Portsmouth to Dundee in Scotland, where the submarines were to be permanently based. [24] On 3 September 1910, Wizard was at anchor near the Sunk Lightvessel in the Thames Estuary when she was rammed by a torpedo boat, with her hull holed near the engine room. Wizard was taken into Sheerness Dockyard for inspection of the damage and repair. [25]

On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyers were to be grouped into classes designated by letters based on contract speed and appearance. After 30 September 1913, as a 27-knotter, Wizard was assigned to the A class. [26] [27] [28]

In February 1913, Wizard was not part of an active flotilla, but was attached as a tender to the stone frigate (or shore establishment) HMS Excellent the gunnery school at Portsmouth, with a nucleus crew, [29] although she was listed as in full commission by May 1913. [30]

Wizard was part of the Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla by June 1915. [31] She remained part of the Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla in March 1917. [32]

In January 1920, Wizard was listed as for sale, [33] and was sold on 20 May 1920 to Ward for scrapping at their Milford Haven yard. [28]

Pennant numbers

Pennant number [28] FromTo
H.3C1914April 1917
D.98January 1918-

Notes

  1. ↑ A fore deck with exaggerated camber designed to throw off sea water at high speeds. [4]

Citations

  1. ↑ "HMS Wizard". www.pbenyon.plus.com. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  2. 1 2 Lyon 2001 , pp. 64–64
  3. ↑ Lyon 2001 , pp. 17, 19
  4. ↑ Gardiner & Lambert 1992, p. 188
  5. ↑ Lyon 2001 , p. 20
  6. ↑ Lyon 2001 , pp. 98–99
  7. ↑ Friedman 2009 , p. 40
  8. ↑ Friedman 2009 , p. 290
  9. 1 2 3 4 Chesneau & Kolesnik 1979 , p. 92
  10. ↑ Manning 1961 , p. 37
  11. 1 2 3 Lyon 2001 , p. 63
  12. 1 2 Lyon 2001 , p. 62
  13. ↑ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36634. London. 10 December 1901. p. 10.
  14. ↑ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36759. London. 5 May 1902. p. 12.
  15. ↑ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36794. London. 14 June 1902. p. 9.
  16. ↑ "Naval Review at Spithead". The Times. No. 36847. London. 15 August 1902. p. 5.
  17. ↑ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36896. London. 11 October 1902. p. 12.
  18. ↑ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36898. London. 14 October 1902. p. 7.
  19. ↑ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36921. London. 10 November 1902. p. 7.
  20. ↑ "Naval Matters: Past and Prospective: Sheerness Dockyard". Vol. 30. May 1908. p. 402.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  21. ↑ "Naval Matters: Past and Prospective: Sheerness Dockyard". Vol. 30. June 1908. p. 441.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  22. ↑ "Naval Matters: Past and Prospective: Sheerness Dockyard". Vol. 31. May 1909. p. 380.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  23. ↑ Friedman 2009 , p. 46
  24. ↑ "Naval Matters: Past and Prospective: Portsmouth Dockyard". Vol. 32. January 1910. p. 213.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  25. ↑ "Naval Matters: Past and Prospective: Sheerness Dockyard". Vol. 33. October 1910. p. 99.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  26. ↑ Gardiner & Gray 1985 , p. 18
  27. ↑ Manning 1961 , pp. 17–18
  28. 1 2 3 Dittmar & Colledge 1972 , p. 56
  29. ↑ "Fleets and Squadrons in Commission at Home and Abroad: Torpedo Craft and Submarine Flotillas at Home Ports". The Navy List: 270b. March 1913. Retrieved 1 July 2019– via National Library of Scotland.
  30. ↑ "Fleets and Squadrons in Commission at Home and Abroad: Torpedo Craft and Submarine Flotillas at Home Ports". The Navy List: 270b. May 1913. Retrieved 1 July 2019– via National Library of Scotland.
  31. ↑ "Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c: VII. Local Defence Flotillas". The Navy List: 17. June 1915. Retrieved 1 July 2019– via National Library of Scotland.
  32. ↑ "Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c: VIII. Local Defence Flotillas". The Navy List: 17. March 1917. Retrieved 2 July 2019– via National Library of Scotland.
  33. ↑ "List of Obsolete Vessels, and Vessels for Sale". The Navy List: 1105j. January 1920. Retrieved 2 July 2019– via National Library of Scotland.

Related Research Articles

HMS Kangaroo was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She served with the Dover Patrol in the First World War.

HMS Seal was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was completed by Laird, Son & Company, Birkenhead, in 1897.

HMS Panther was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was completed by Laird, Son & Company, Birkenhead, in 1897.

HMS Griffon was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was completed by Laird, Son & Company, Birkenhead, in 1896.

HMS Earnest was an "thirty-knotter" torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Laird, Son & Company at their Birkenhead shipyard as one of six Earnest-class destroyers ordered as part of the Royal Navy's 1895–1896 construction programme, which were later classified as members of the B-class. Earnest was launched on 7 November 1896 and was completed in November 1897.

HMS Zebra was a "Twenty-seven Knotter" destroyer of the Royal Navy, later classified as part of the A Class. Zebra was built by Thames Iron Works and launched in 1895 as the fifth Royal Navy ship to be named Zebra. Entering service in 1900, Zebra was sold for scrap in 1914.

HMS <i>Charger</i> (1894) Charger-class destroyer

HMS Charger was a Charger-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched by Yarrow Shipbuilders at Poplar, London on 15 September 1894, served in home waters and was sold off in 1912.

HMS <i>Dasher</i> (1894) 1895 Charger-class destroyer

HMS Dasher was a Charger-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders in 1895, served in home waters and was sold in 1911.

HMS Fervent was a Fervent-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. Fervent was launched on 28 March 1895 at Paisley.

HMS <i>Zephyr</i> (1895) Fervent-class destroyer

HMS Zephyr was one of two Fervent-class destroyers which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched on 10 May 1895 from Hanna, Donald & Wilson at Paisley, Scotland. She served in home waters, and was sold in 1920.

HMS <i>Conflict</i> (1894) Conflict-class destroyer

HMS Conflict was the lead ship of the Conflict-class destroyers built by J. Samuel White, at East Cowes, Isle of Wight for the Royal Navy. She was launched on 13 December 1894, and entered service in 1899. After an initial spell in the Mediterranean Fleet, Conflict returned to British waters, where she served the rest of her career. Conflict was part of the Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla during the First World War, which she survived. Conflict was sold for scrap on 20 May 1920.

HMS <i>Sturgeon</i> (1894) Sturgeon-class destroyer

HMS Sturgeon was the lead ship of the Sturgeon-class destroyers which served with the Royal Navy. Built by Vickers, she was launched in 1894 and sold in 1910.

HMS Myrmidon was one of two Myrmidon-class destroyers which served with the Royal Navy.

HMS <i>Roebuck</i> (1901) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Roebuck was a Hawthorn Leslie three-funnel, 30-knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1898–1899 Naval Estimates. She was the twelfth ship to carry the name. She served during World War I and was broken up in 1919.

HMS Leopard was a Vickers three funnel - 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1895 – 1896 Naval Estimates. She was the ninth ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1635 for a 34-gun ship, captured by the Dutch in 1653.

HMS <i>Flirt</i> (1897) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Flirt was a Palmer three funnel, 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates. She was the fifth ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1782 for a 14-gun brig in service until 1795.

HMS <i>Kestrel</i> (1898) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Kestrel was a Clydebank-built three funnelled 30-knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1895 – 1896 Naval Estimates. She was the fourth ship to carry this name since it was first used in 1846 for a brigantine.

HMS <i>Speedy</i> (1893) Gunboat of the Royal Navy

HMS Speedy was a Alarm-class torpedo gunboat of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Thornycroft from 1892–1894. She was converted to a minesweeper in 1908–1909 and continued these duties during the First World War. Speedy was sunk by a German mine on 3 September 1914.

<i>TB 114</i>-class torpedo boat Type of the British torpedo boat

The TB 114 class was a class of four 160-foot torpedo boats built for the British Royal Navy in 1903–1905 by the shipbuilder J. Samuel White. All four ships served in local defence flotillas during the First World War, with one of the ships being sunk in 1918. The remaining three ships were withdrawn from use after the end of the war, with the last of the class sold for scrap in 1921.

HMS <i>Ranger</i> (1895) Sunfish-class destroyer

HMS Ranger was a "twenty-seven knotter" torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. Built by the Tyneside shipbuilder Hawthorn Leslie, Opossum was one of three destroyers built by Hawthorns that were ordered in 1894. She was launched in 1895 and completed in 1896. She remained in service during the First World War, where she was used for local patrol duties. She was sold for scrap in 1920.

References

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.