For other ships with the same name, see HMS Halcyon.
The third HMS Halcyon was a Dryad-classtorpedo gunboat[1] of the Royal Navy. Once described as "perhaps the smallest and least formidable vessel that ever crept into the 'Navy List'",[2] she was launched in 1894 and was put up for sale before World War I. She was recommissioned in 1913, was converted to a minesweeper and served under the orders of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves. She was sold for breaking in 1919.
Ordered under the Naval Defence Act of 1889, which established the "Two-Power Standard", the class was contemporary with the first torpedo boat destroyers. With a length overall of 262 ft 6 in (80.01 m),[1] a beam of 30 ft 6 in (9.30 m)[1] and a displacement of 1,070 tons,[1] these torpedo gunboats were not small ships by the standard of the time; they were larger than the majority of World War I destroyers. Halcyon was engined by Hawthorn Leslie and Company[1] with two sets of vertical triple-expansion steam engines, two locomotive-type boilers, and twin screws. Halcyon produced 6,000 indicated horsepower (4,500 kW),[1] nearly twice the power of the rest of her class. She was capable of 19[3] or 20 knots (37 km/h).[1] She carried between 100 and 160 tons of coal and was manned by 120 sailors and officers.[1]
Armamentedit
The armament when built comprised two QF 4.7-inch (12 cm) guns, four 6-pounder guns and a single 5-barrelled Nordenfelt machine gun. Her primary weapon was five 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes,[Note 1] with two reloads.[1] On conversion to a minesweeper in 1914 two of the five torpedoes were removed.[1]
Constructionedit
Halcyon was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 2 January 1893[1] and launched on 6 April 1894.[4]
Operational historyedit
Naval review of 1897edit
On 26 June 1897 Halcyon was present at the Fleet Review at Spithead in celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.[3]
Mediterranean stationedit
HMS Halcyon was commissioned to serve at the Mediterranean Station by Commander Scott W. A. Hamilton Gray in March 1898. She was stationed at Souda Bay in early March 1900,[5] but later the same month left for Port Said to temporary relieve HMS Rupert as coast defence ship.[6] In May 1901 she left the Mediterranean and paid off at Devonport, to be placed in the Fleet Reserve for refitting.[7]
Pre-war serviceedit
Although being offered for sale,[3] she was recommissioned with a new crew from the Chatham Depot by Commander A.A. Ellison, R.N., at Sheerness on 5 July 1913, to do duty as Senior Naval Officer’s Ship, North Sea Fisheries, under the orders of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves.[8][3]
World War I serviceedit
She was involved in the Raid on Yarmouth on 3 November 1914, when she was surprised by enemy cruisers, whom she challenged, and who responded shortly after 7 a.m. with gunfire.[9]
“Halcyon, perhaps the smallest and least formidable vessel that ever crept into the ‘Navy List’ [sic], engaged the enemy imperturbably when they fled, losing one man from a fragment of shell, though practically unhurt herself. Private letters speak of salvoes falling short and over in the most disconcerting manner, and of the ship being so drenched with water as to be in danger of foundering.”[10]
On 29 July 1917, Halcyon spotted a periscope near the Smiths Knoll buoy east of Yarmouth, and carried out a ramming attack, followed by dropping two depth charges. Halcyon was credited with sinking the submarine, UB-27.[11]
Disposaledit
She was sold to J H Lee of Dover for breaking on 6 November 1919.[1]
Notesedit
^British "18 inch" torpedoes were 17.72 inches (45.0 cm) in diameter
Brown, Les (2023). Royal Navy Torpedo Vessels. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-3990-2285-9.
Corbett, Julian S. (1920). History of the Great War: Naval Operations: Volume I: To the Battle of the Falklands. London: Longmans, Green & Co.
Corbett, Julian S. (1920). History of the Great War: Naval Operations: Volume II. London: Longmans, Green & Co.
Grant, Robert M. (1964). U-Boats Destroyed: The Effects of Anti Submarine Warfare 1914–1918. London: Putnam.
Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.
January 01, 1970
halcyon, 1894, other, ships, with, same, name, halcyon, third, halcyon, dryad, class, torpedo, gunboat, royal, navy, once, described, perhaps, smallest, least, formidable, vessel, that, ever, crept, into, navy, list, launched, 1894, sale, before, world, recomm. For other ships with the same name see HMS Halcyon The third HMS Halcyon was a Dryad class torpedo gunboat 1 of the Royal Navy Once described as perhaps the smallest and least formidable vessel that ever crept into the Navy List 2 she was launched in 1894 and was put up for sale before World War I She was recommissioned in 1913 was converted to a minesweeper and served under the orders of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves She was sold for breaking in 1919 HalcyonHistory United Kingdom NameHalcyon BuilderDevonport Dockyard Laid down2 January 1893 1 Launched6 April 1894 Commissioned16 May 1895 1 FateSold for breaking on 6 November 1919 General characteristics 1 Class and typeDryad class torpedo gunboat Displacement1 070 tons Length262 ft 6 in 80 0 m Beam30 ft 6 in 9 3 m Draught13 ft 4 0 m Installed power6 000 ihp 4 500 kW Propulsion2 3 cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engines Locomotive boilers Twin screws Speed19 kn 35 km h Complement120 Armament2 QF 4 7 inch 12 cm guns 4 6 pounder 1 Nordenfelt machine gun 5 18 inch torpedo tubes On conversion to a minesweeper in 1914 two torpedo tubes were removed Contents 1 Design 2 Armament 3 Construction 4 Operational history 4 1 Naval review of 1897 4 2 Mediterranean station 4 3 Pre war service 4 4 World War I service 5 Disposal 6 Notes 7 References 8 BibliographyDesign editOrdered under the Naval Defence Act of 1889 which established the Two Power Standard the class was contemporary with the first torpedo boat destroyers With a length overall of 262 ft 6 in 80 01 m 1 a beam of 30 ft 6 in 9 30 m 1 and a displacement of 1 070 tons 1 these torpedo gunboats were not small ships by the standard of the time they were larger than the majority of World War I destroyers Halcyon was engined by Hawthorn Leslie and Company 1 with two sets of vertical triple expansion steam engines two locomotive type boilers and twin screws Halcyon produced 6 000 indicated horsepower 4 500 kW 1 nearly twice the power of the rest of her class She was capable of 19 3 or 20 knots 37 km h 1 She carried between 100 and 160 tons of coal and was manned by 120 sailors and officers 1 Armament editThe armament when built comprised two QF 4 7 inch 12 cm guns four 6 pounder guns and a single 5 barrelled Nordenfelt machine gun Her primary weapon was five 18 inch 450 mm torpedo tubes Note 1 with two reloads 1 On conversion to a minesweeper in 1914 two of the five torpedoes were removed 1 Construction editHalcyon was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 2 January 1893 1 and launched on 6 April 1894 4 Operational history editNaval review of 1897 edit On 26 June 1897 Halcyon was present at the Fleet Review at Spithead in celebration of Queen Victoria s Diamond Jubilee 3 Mediterranean station edit HMS Halcyon was commissioned to serve at the Mediterranean Station by Commander Scott W A Hamilton Gray in March 1898 She was stationed at Souda Bay in early March 1900 5 but later the same month left for Port Said to temporary relieve HMS Rupert as coast defence ship 6 In May 1901 she left the Mediterranean and paid off at Devonport to be placed in the Fleet Reserve for refitting 7 Pre war service edit Although being offered for sale 3 she was recommissioned with a new crew from the Chatham Depot by Commander A A Ellison R N at Sheerness on 5 July 1913 to do duty as Senior Naval Officer s Ship North Sea Fisheries under the orders of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves 8 3 World War I service edit She was involved in the Raid on Yarmouth on 3 November 1914 when she was surprised by enemy cruisers whom she challenged and who responded shortly after 7 a m with gunfire 9 Halcyon perhaps the smallest and least formidable vessel that ever crept into the Navy List sic engaged the enemy imperturbably when they fled losing one man from a fragment of shell though practically unhurt herself Private letters speak of salvoes falling short and over in the most disconcerting manner and of the ship being so drenched with water as to be in danger of foundering 10 On 29 July 1917 Halcyon spotted a periscope near the Smiths Knoll buoy east of Yarmouth and carried out a ramming attack followed by dropping two depth charges Halcyon was credited with sinking the submarine UB 27 11 Disposal editShe was sold to J H Lee of Dover for breaking on 6 November 1919 1 Notes edit British 18 inch torpedoes were 17 72 inches 45 0 cm in diameterReferences edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Winfield 2004 p 306 The Navy in Battle 1918 Arthur Hungerford Pollen p 250 a b c d HMS Halcyon at NavalHistory net Archived from the original on 22 February 2012 Retrieved 24 February 2009 The Times London Saturday 7 April 1894 p 12 Naval amp Military intelligence The Times No 36078 London 1 March 1900 p 6 Naval amp Military intelligence The Times No 36089 London 14 March 1900 p 7 Naval amp Military intelligence The Times No 36449 London 8 May 1901 p 9 Globe Saturday 5 July 1913 p 5 London Evening Standard Monday 7 July 1913 p 10 J S Corbett Naval Operations vol 1 1920 p 250 A J H Pollen The British Navy in Battle 1919 p 241 Grant 1964 p 62 Bibliography editBrown Les 2023 Royal Navy Torpedo Vessels Barnsley UK Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 3990 2285 9 Corbett Julian S 1920 History of the Great War Naval Operations Volume I To the Battle of the Falklands London Longmans Green amp Co Corbett Julian S 1920 History of the Great War Naval Operations Volume II London Longmans Green amp Co Grant Robert M 1964 U Boats Destroyed The Effects of Anti Submarine Warfare 1914 1918 London Putnam Winfield R Lyon D 2004 The Sail and Steam Navy List All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815 1889 London Chatham Publishing ISBN 978 1 86176 032 6 OCLC 52620555 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Halcyon 1894 amp oldid 1200721846, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
