HMS Radstock (1916)

Two R class destroyers, sistership HMS Rob Rob in the foreground
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Radstock
Builder: Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend
Yard number: 1005
Laid down: 6 September 1915
Launched: 8 June 1916
Commissioned: 20 September 1916
Decommissioned: 29 April 1927
Fate: Sold to be broken up
General characteristics
Class and type: R-class destroyer
Displacement:
Length: 265 ft (80.8 m) p.p.
Beam: 26 ft 7 in (8.10 m)
Draught: 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m)
Propulsion:
  • 3 Brown-Curtis boilers
  • 2 geared Parsons steam turbines, 27,000 shp (20,000 kW)
Speed: 36 knots (41.4 mph; 66.7 km/h)
Range: 3,440 nmi (6,370 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement: 82
Armament:

HMS Radstock was the first in a class of sixty two R-class destroyers. The ship was launched on 8 June 1916 and served with the Grand Fleet of the Royal Navy during World War I. While undertaking escort duties, the destroyer collided with the merchant ship Volute, but otherwise had an uneventful war, and was sold to be scrapped on 29 April 1927.

Design

Radstock was originally ordered by the British Admiralty in May 1915 as part of the Sixth War Construction Programme as one of eighteen M-class destroyers. However, the ship was equipped with geared turbines and became the prototype for the R-class.[1]

The ship was 265 feet (80.77 m) long between perpendiculars, with a beam of 26 feet 7 inches (8.10 m) and a draught of 9 feet 8 inches (2.95 m). Displacement was 975 long tons (991 t) normal and 1,035 long tons (1,052 t) deep load. Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding two Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines rated at 27,000 shp (20,000 kW) and driving two shafts, to give a design speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph).[2] Three funnels were fitted. 296 long tons (301 t) of oil were carried, giving a design range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[3]

Armament consisted of three 4 in (100 mm) Mk IV QF guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised platform and one between the second and third funnels.[3] A single 2-pounder (40 mm) pom-pom anti-aircraft gun was carried, while torpedo armament consisted of two twin mounts for 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes.[2] Fire control included a single Dumaresq and a Vickers range clock.[4] The ship had a complement of 82 officers and men.[1]

Service

Radstock was laid down by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend on the River Tyne in September 1915 and launched in June 1916.[1] On commissioning, Radstock joined the newly created 15th Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet.[5] The destroyer carried out escort duties and was found jointly culpable for a collision with the merchant ship Volute, which was leading a convoy that Radstock and sistership Undine were escorting, on 12 April 1918.[6]

Radstock remained part of the 15th Destroyer Flotilla at the end of the war.[7] After the Grand Fleet was disbanded, the ship was recommissioned with Reduced Complement on 15 October 1919 and based at Port Edgar.[8] The destroyer was sold to Thos W Ward on 29 April 1927 to be broken up at Grays.[9]

Pennant numbers

Pennant Number Date
G791916[10]
G761917[10]
G811918[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. p. 310. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
  2. 1 2 Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. p. 81. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
  3. 1 2 Parkes, Oscar; Prendegast, Maurice (1918). Jane’s Fighting Ships. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. p. 107.
  4. ↑ "Fire Control in H.M. Ships". The Technical History and Index: Alteration in Armaments of H.M. Ships during the War. 3 (23): 31. 1919.
  5. ↑ "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". The Navy List: 13. July 1916.
  6. ↑ Dewar, M.J. (1989). Collision at Sea – How?. Glasgow: Brown, Son and Ferguson. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-85174-561-9.
  7. ↑ "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". The Navy List: 12. July 1918.
  8. ↑ "Radstock". The Navy List: 851. July 1920.
  9. ↑ Colledge, J.J. (1987). Ships of the Royal Navy : The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 329.
  10. 1 2 3 Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton: Ian Allen. p. 69. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.