HMS Havelock (1915)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Havelock.

HMS Havelock was an Abercrombie-class monitor of the Royal Navy that saw service in the First World War.

History
United Kingdom
Name	Havelock
Operator	Royal Navy
Builder	Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Yard number	473
Laid down	12 December 1914
Launched	29 April 1915
Completed	29 May 1915
Commissioned	May 1915
Honours and awards	Dardanelles 1915
Fate	Sold 25 June 1927
General characteristics
Class and type	Abercrombie-class monitor
Displacement	6,150 long tons (6,250 t)
Length	334.5 ft (102.0 m) oa 320 ft (98 m) pp
Beam	90 ft (27 m)
Draught	10.2 ft (3.1 m)
Propulsion	Two shaft quadruple expansion reciprocating steam
Speed	6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph)
Complement	198
Armament	(as built): 2 × 14-inch (356 mm)/45 caliber guns 2 × 12-pounder (3-inch) guns 1 × 3-pounder anti-aircraft gun 1 × 2-pounder AA gun (1918): 2 × 14-inch (356 mm)/45 caliber guns 2 × 12-pounder (3-inch) AA guns
Armour	Belt: 4 in (100 mm) Bulkheads: 4 in Barbette: 8 in (200 mm) Turret: 10 in (250 mm) Deck: 2–1 in (51–25 mm)
Aviation facilities	Fitted to carry a seaplane

Background

On 3 November 1914, Charles M. Schwab of Bethlehem Steel offered Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, the use of four 14 in (356 mm)/45cal BL MK II twin gun turrets, originally destined for the Greek ship Salamis. These turrets could not be delivered to the German builders, due to the British naval blockade. The Royal Navy immediately designed a class of monitors, designed for shore bombardment, to use the turrets.

HMS Havelock was laid down at the Harland and Wolff Ltd shipyard at Belfast on 12 December 1914. The ship was named General Grant in honour of the United States General Ulysses S Grant, however as the United States was still neutral, the ship was hurriedly renamed HMS M2 on 31 May 1915. She was then named HMS Havelock on 20 June 1915.

Service history

HMS Havelock sailed for the Dardanelles in June 1915. She remained in the Eastern Mediterranean until returning to England in January 1916. She then served as a guard ship at Lowestoft. She was decommissioned in May 1919, and disarmed in June 1920. Sold for breaking up in May 1921, she was retained in reserve until resold on 25 June 1927 to the Ward shipyard at Preston for breaking up.

References

• Buxton, Ian (2008) [1978]. Big Gun Monitors. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84415-719-8.
• Dittmar, F. J. & Colledge, J. J., "British Warships 1914-1919", (Ian Allan, London, 1972), ISBN 0-7110-0380-7
• Gray, Randal (ed), "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921", (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1985), ISBN 0-85177-245-5