| HMS Osprey (1897) | |
|---|---|
| Career |  |
| Name: | HMS Osprey |
| Ordered: | 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates |
| Builder: | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, Glasgow |
| Laid down: | 14 November 1896 |
| Launched: | 7 April 1897 |
| Commissioned: | July 1898 |
| Out of service: | December 1918 paid off and laid up in reserve awaiting disposal |
| Fate: | 4 November 1919 sold to J.H. Lee of Dover for breaking |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Fairfield three funnel - 30 knot destroyer[1][2] |
| Displacement: |
355 t (349 long tons) standard 400 t (394 long tons) full load |
| Propulsion: |
4 × Thornycroft water tube boiler |
| Speed: | 30 kn (56 km/h) |
| Range: |
80 tons coal 1,615 nmi (2,991 km) at 11 kn (20 km/h) |
| Complement: | 63 officers and men |
| Armament: |
1 × QF 12-pounder 12 cwt Mark I L/40 gun on a P Mark I Low angle mount |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Operations: | World War I 1914 - 1918 |
HMS Osprey was a three funnel, 30-knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates from Fairfields. She was the fifth ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1797 for a 18-gun ship-sloop.[3][4]
Construction[]
She was laid down as yard number 397 on 14 November 1896 at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company shipyard at Govan, Glasgow and launched on 7 April 1897. During her builder’s trials she made her contracted speed requirement. She was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in July 1898.[3][4]
Pre-War[]
After commissioning she was assigned to the Portsmouth Flotilla of the 1st Fleet.
On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. Since her design speed was 30-knots and she had three funnels she was assigned to the C Class. After 30 September 1913, she was known as an C Class destroyer and had the letter ‘C’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.[5]
World War I[]
For the test mobilization in July 1914 she was assigned to the 8th Destroyer Flotilla based at Chatham. Here she provided local anti-submarine and counter mining patrols. In August 1914 she had been redeployed to the Scapa Flow Local Flotilla to provided anti-submarine patrols for the fleet anchorage until the defences of Scapa Flow could be improved.
She was deployed to the North Channel Patrol and based at Larne, Ireland in November 1916. Her deployment included anti-submarine and counter mining patrols as well as contraband enforcement. She was attached to the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla when it was transferred to Londonderry in 1918, and remained based at Larne.
Disposition[]
In 1919 Osprey was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. She was sold on 4 November 1919 to J.H. Lee of Dover for breaking.[6]
She was awarded the battle honour "Belgian Coast 1914 – 17" for her service.
Pennant numbers[]
| Pennant number[6] | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| P80 | 6 Dec 1914 | 1 Sep 1915 |
| D64 | 1 Sep 1915 | 1 Jan 1918 |
References[]
Note: All tabular data under General Characteristics only from the listed Jane's Fighting Ships volume unless otherwise specified
- ↑ Jane, Fred T. (1969) [1905 Sampson Low Marston, London]. Jane’s Fighting Ships 1905. New York: ARCO Publishing Company. p. 77.
- ↑ Jane, Fred T. (1990) [1919]. Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I. Jane’s Publishing. p. 77. ISBN 1 85170 378 0.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jane, Fred T. (1898, Reprinted 1969). Jane’s All The Worlds Fighting Ships 1898. New York: first published by Sampson Low Marston, London 1898, Reprinted ARCO Publishing Company. pp. 84–85.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jane, Fred T. (1990) [1919]. Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I. Jane’s Publishing. p. 76. ISBN 1 85170 378 0.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 ""Arrowsmith" List – Part 1 Destroyer Prototypes through "River" Class". http://www.gwpda.org/naval/s0420000.htm. Retrieved 1 Jun 2013.
- Manning, Captain T.D. The British Destroyer. Godfrey Cave Associates. ISBN 0-906223-13-X.
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The original article can be found at HMS Osprey (1897) and the edit history here.