HMS Usk (1903)
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | HMS Usk |
| Ordered | 1901 – 1902 Naval Estimates |
| Builder | Yarrows, Poplar |
| Laid down | 30 July, 1902 |
| Launched | 25 July, 1903 |
| Commissioned | March of 1904 |
| Out of service | 1919 laid up in reserve awaiting disposal |
| Honours and awards | Dardanelles 1915 - 1916 |
| Fate | 29 July, 1920 sold to Thomas W. Ward of Sheffield for breaking at Morecombe, Lancashire. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Yarrow Type River Class destroyer[1][2] |
| Displacement | list error: <br /> list (help) 590 t (581 long tons) standard |
| Propulsion | list error: <br /> list (help) 4 × Yarrow type water tube boiler |
| Speed | 25.5 kn (47.2 km/h) |
| Range | list error: <br /> list (help) 130 tons coal 1,620 nmi (3,000 km) at 11 kn (20 km/h) |
| Complement | 70 officers and men |
| Armament | list error: mixed text and list (help)
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
list error: <br /> list (help) East Coast Destroyer Flotilla - 1905 China Station - 1910 Assigned E Class - Aug 1912 - Oct 1913 5th Destroyer Flotilla - December 1914 |
| Operations: | World War I 1914 - 1918 |
HMS Usk was a Hawthorn Leslie type River Class Destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1902 – 1903 Naval Estimates. Named after the River Usk in western England flowing through Newport, she was the first ship to carry this name in the Royal Navy.
Construction
She was laid down on the 30th of July, 1902 at the Yarrow shipyard at Poplar and launched on the 25th of July, 1903. She was completed in March of 1904. Her original armament was to be the same as the Turleback torpedo boat destroyers that preceded her. In 1906 the Admiralty decided to upgrade the armament by landing the five 6-pounder naval guns and shipping three 12-pounder 8 hundredweight (cwt) guns. Two would be mounted abeam at the foc'x'le break and the third gun would be mounted on the quarterdeck.
Pre-War
After commissioning she was assigned to the East Coast Destroyer Flotilla of the 1st Fleet and based at Harwich.
On the 27th of April 1908 the Eastern Flotilla departed Harwich for live fire and night manoeuvres. During these exercises HMS Attentive rammed and sank HMS Gala then damaged HMS Ribble.
In 1909/1910 she was assigned to China Station.
On the 30th of August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. The ships of the River Class were assigned to the E Class. After the 30th of September 1913, she was known as an E Class destroyer and had the letter ‘E’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.[3]
World War I
In July of 1914 she was on China Station based at Hong Kong tendered to HMS Triumph. She deployed with China Squadron to Tsingtao to blockade the German base. After the Japanese declaration of war she remained off Tsingtao until the fall of Tsingtao in November 1914.
With the fall of Tsingtao and the sinking of the SMS Emden, she was redeployed to the 5th Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean Fleet in November of 1914 accompanying HMS Triumph, to support the Dardanelles campaign.
On the 25th of April, 1915 under the command of Lieutenant Commander W. G. C. Maxwell, she supported the landings at ANZAC Cove.
On the 22nd of May 1915 she escorted HMS Canopus to from Malta to Mudros.
The 10th of February, 1916 found her on the Smyrna Patrol enforcing the blockade of the Turkish Coast from Cape Kaba to Latitude 38o30’E, 200 nautical miles including Smyrna. At this time she was based at Port Iero on the Island of Mytelene.
On the 17th and 18th of February, 1916 she was involved in Operations at Khios. She remained in the Mediterranean until the end of the war.
Disposition
In 1919 she returned to Home waters was paid off and laid up in reserve awaiting disposaldisposal. On the 29th of July, 1920 she was sold to Thomas W. Ward of Sheffield for breaking at Morecombe, Lancashire.
She was awarded the Battle Honour Dardanelles 1915 - 1916 for her service
Pennant Numbers
It is not known if she was assigned a pennant number as no record has been found.[4]
References
- ^ Jane, Fred T. (1905, Reprinted 1969). Jane’s Fighting Ships 1905/6. New York: first published by Sampson Low Marston, London 1905, Reprinted ARCO Publishing Company. p. 75.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Jane, Fred T. (reprinted © 1990). Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I. Jane’s Publishing © 1919. p. 76. ISBN 1 85170 378 0.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1906 to 1922. Conway Maritime Press. 1985, Reprinted 1986, 1997, 2002, 2006. p. Page 17 to 19. ISBN 0 85177 245 5.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ ""Arrowsmith" List – Part 1 Destroyer Prototypes through "River" Class". Retrieved 1 Jun 2013.