For other ships with the same name, see HMS Speedwell.
HMS Speedwell was a Sharpshooter-classtorpedo gunboat of the British Royal Navy. She was built at Devonport Dockyard from 188–1890. She was converted to a minesweeper in 1909 and continued these duties during the First World War. Speedwell was sold for scrap in 1920.
The Sharpshooter-class was designed under the leadership of William Henry White, the Director of Naval Construction, to be faster and more seaworthy than the preceding prototype torpedo gunboat, Rattlesnake and the three Grasshopper class ships, while carrying a heavier armament.[1] As torpedo gunboats, they were intended to defend the fleet from attack by torpedo-boats, while being capable of carrying out torpedo attacks themselves.[2]
The Sharpshooters were larger than the preceding ships, with a raised forecastle to improve seakeeping.[3][4] They were 242 feet 0 inches (73.76 m) long overall and 230 feet (70 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 27 feet 0 inches (8.23 m) and a draught of 10 feet 7 inches (3.23 m).[5]Displacement was 735 long tons (747 t).[3][a] Two triple-expansion steam engines, fed by four locomotive boilers, drove two propeller shafts. The machinery was intended to produce 4,500 indicated horsepower (3,400 kW) giving a speed of 21–22 knots (24–25 mph; 39–41 km/h).[9] The use of locomotive boilers was not a success, with the machinery being unreliable and unable to provide the expected power.[4][6] The machinery actually delivered 3,600 indicated horsepower (2,700 kW) giving a speed of 18.7 knots (21.5 mph; 34.6 km/h) when forced and 2,500 indicated horsepower (1,900 kW) giving 16.5 knots (19.0 mph; 30.6 km/h) under natural draft.[5]
The ship was armed with two 4.7 inch (120 mm) QF guns mounted fore and aft on the ships centreline, backed up by four 3-pounder (47 mm) guns (two in single mounts on the ship's beam and two in casemates forward). Five 14-inch torpedo tubes were fitted (one fixed in the ship's bow and two twin mounts), with three reload torpedoes carried.[3][4] The ship had a crew of 91.[3]
In August 1894 Speedwell took part in that year's Naval Manoeuvres.[10] She again took part in the Naval Manoeuvres in August the next year, where she suffered leaks in one of her high pressure pistons.[11] Under the command of Commander William Benwell, she arrived at Sheerness dockyard from Scotland in September 1902 for a refit.[12] She left for Scotland to join the Home Fleet the following month,[13] and in November 1902 was at Queensferry during the visit of the German Imperial yacht SMY Hohenzollern.[14]
Speedwell was refitted with Reed water-tube boilers in 1903.[15]Speedwell was in reserve at Chatham in 1906 and joined the Home Fleet in 1907.[16] On 14 December 1907 one of Speedwell's cutters capsized just off Sheerness Pier. Eight of the fourteen men aboard the cutter were drowned.[17] In 1908 she underwent an extensive refit at Sheerness dockyard, with her boilers being re-tubed,[18] and was converted to a minesweeper in 1908–1909.[16]
First World War
On the outbreak of the First World WarSpeedwell joined the newly established Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow in Orkney.[19] In August 1914, the minesweepers attached to the Grand Fleet, including Speedwell were employed on carrying out daily sweeps of the Pentland Firth.[20] On 27 October, the battleship Audacious struck a mine off Tory Island, north-west of Lough Swilly, and despite efforts to tow her to safety, sank later that day.[21][22] As a result, Speedwell together with sister ships Skipjack and Seagull were ordered from Scapa Flow to join Leda and Circe in clearing this minefield.[23]
On 16 July 1915, Speedwell and the gunboats Circe and Gossamer were on the way from Scapa Flow to carry out an anti-submarine patrol off Muckle Flugga when Speedwell spotted the German submarine U-41 250 yards (230 m) off her port bow. Speedwell rammed the submarine, which turned over onto her side before disappearing. U-41 had both periscopes damaged and was forced to abort her patrol and return to home.[24]
Speedwell was a member of the Second Fleet Sweeping Flotilla, based at Scapa Flow as part of the Grand Fleet, in July 1917.[25]
Disposal
Speedwell was sold for scrap on 20 March 1920 to the Cornish Salvage Company of Ilfracombe.[26]
^While most sources list displacement as 735 long tons (747 t),[3][6][7][8] Friedman gives a displacement of 828 long tons (841 t) normal and 1,070 long tons (1,090 t) full load.[5]
Brassey, T. A., ed. (1895). The Naval Annual 1895. Portsmouth, UK: J Griffin and Co.
Brown, D. K. (2003). Warrior to Dreadnought: Warship Development 1860–1905. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN1-84067-5292.
Brown, Les (2023). Royal Navy Torpedo Vessels. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-3990-2285-9.
Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-133-5.
Corbett, Julian S. (1921). Naval Operations: Volume II. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co.
Dittmar, F. J.; Colledge, J. J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN0-7110-0380-7.
Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-84832-049-9.
Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-245-5.
Jane, Fred T., ed. (1970) [Originally published 1906 by Sampson Low Marston: London]. Jane's Fighting Ships 1906/7. Newton Abbot, UK: David & Charles (Publishers). ISBN0-7153-4715-2.
Jellicoe, John (1919). The Grand Fleet 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development and Work. London: Cassell & Company.
Leyland, John, ed. (1901). The Naval Annual 1901. Portsmouth, UK: J Griffin and Co.
Massie, Robert K. (2007). Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War at Sea. London: Vintage Books. ISBN978-0-099-52378-9.
Monograph No. 23: Home Waters Part I: From the Outbreak of War to 27 August 1914(PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. X. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1924.
Monograph No. 24: Home Waters Part II: September and October 1914(PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XI. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1924.
Monograph No. 28: Home Waters Part III: From November 1914 to the end of January 1915(PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1925.
Monograph No. 30: Home Waters Part V: From July to October 1915(PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIV. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1926.
Monograph No. 35: Home Waters Part IX: 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917(PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIX. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1939.
Moore, John (1990). Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I. London: Studio Editions. ISBN1-85170-378-0.
May 04, 2023
speedwell, 1889, other, ships, with, same, name, speedwell, speedwell, sharpshooter, class, torpedo, gunboat, british, royal, navy, built, devonport, dockyard, from, 1890, converted, minesweeper, 1909, continued, these, duties, during, first, world, speedwell,. For other ships with the same name see HMS Speedwell HMS Speedwell was a Sharpshooter class torpedo gunboat of the British Royal Navy She was built at Devonport Dockyard from 188 1890 She was converted to a minesweeper in 1909 and continued these duties during the First World War Speedwell was sold for scrap in 1920 HistoryUnited KingdomNameHMS SpeedwellBuilderDevonport DockyardLaid down18 April 1888Launched15 March 1889Completed1 July 1890FateSold 1920General characteristicsClass and typeSharpshooter class torpedo gunboatDisplacement735 long tons 747 t Length230 ft 0 in 70 10 m ppBeam27 ft 0 in 8 23 m Draught10 ft 6 in 3 20 m Installed power3 600 ihp 2 700 kW Propulsion2 triple expansion steam engines 2 shaftsSpeed19 kn 22 mph 35 km h Complement91Armament2 4 7 in 120 mm QF guns 4 3 pounder 47 mm guns 5 14 inch torpedo tubes Contents 1 Design and construction 2 Service 2 1 First World War 3 Disposal 4 Pennant numbers 5 Notes 6 References 7 BibliographyDesign and construction EditThe Sharpshooter class was designed under the leadership of William Henry White the Director of Naval Construction to be faster and more seaworthy than the preceding prototype torpedo gunboat Rattlesnake and the three Grasshopper class ships while carrying a heavier armament 1 As torpedo gunboats they were intended to defend the fleet from attack by torpedo boats while being capable of carrying out torpedo attacks themselves 2 The Sharpshooters were larger than the preceding ships with a raised forecastle to improve seakeeping 3 4 They were 242 feet 0 inches 73 76 m long overall and 230 feet 70 m between perpendiculars with a beam of 27 feet 0 inches 8 23 m and a draught of 10 feet 7 inches 3 23 m 5 Displacement was 735 long tons 747 t 3 a Two triple expansion steam engines fed by four locomotive boilers drove two propeller shafts The machinery was intended to produce 4 500 indicated horsepower 3 400 kW giving a speed of 21 22 knots 24 25 mph 39 41 km h 9 The use of locomotive boilers was not a success with the machinery being unreliable and unable to provide the expected power 4 6 The machinery actually delivered 3 600 indicated horsepower 2 700 kW giving a speed of 18 7 knots 21 5 mph 34 6 km h when forced and 2 500 indicated horsepower 1 900 kW giving 16 5 knots 19 0 mph 30 6 km h under natural draft 5 The ship was armed with two 4 7 inch 120 mm QF guns mounted fore and aft on the ships centreline backed up by four 3 pounder 47 mm guns two in single mounts on the ship s beam and two in casemates forward Five 14 inch torpedo tubes were fitted one fixed in the ship s bow and two twin mounts with three reload torpedoes carried 3 4 The ship had a crew of 91 3 Speedwell was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 12 April 1888 and launched on 15 March 1889 She was completed on 1 July 1890 at a cost of 52 000 3 8 Service EditIn August 1894 Speedwell took part in that year s Naval Manoeuvres 10 She again took part in the Naval Manoeuvres in August the next year where she suffered leaks in one of her high pressure pistons 11 Under the command of Commander William Benwell she arrived at Sheerness dockyard from Scotland in September 1902 for a refit 12 She left for Scotland to join the Home Fleet the following month 13 and in November 1902 was at Queensferry during the visit of the German Imperial yacht SMY Hohenzollern 14 Speedwell was refitted with Reed water tube boilers in 1903 15 Speedwell was in reserve at Chatham in 1906 and joined the Home Fleet in 1907 16 On 14 December 1907 one of Speedwell s cutters capsized just off Sheerness Pier Eight of the fourteen men aboard the cutter were drowned 17 In 1908 she underwent an extensive refit at Sheerness dockyard with her boilers being re tubed 18 and was converted to a minesweeper in 1908 1909 16 First World War Edit On the outbreak of the First World War Speedwell joined the newly established Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow in Orkney 19 In August 1914 the minesweepers attached to the Grand Fleet including Speedwell were employed on carrying out daily sweeps of the Pentland Firth 20 On 27 October the battleship Audacious struck a mine off Tory Island north west of Lough Swilly and despite efforts to tow her to safety sank later that day 21 22 As a result Speedwell together with sister ships Skipjack and Seagull were ordered from Scapa Flow to join Leda and Circe in clearing this minefield 23 On 16 July 1915 Speedwell and the gunboats Circe and Gossamer were on the way from Scapa Flow to carry out an anti submarine patrol off Muckle Flugga when Speedwell spotted the German submarine U 41 250 yards 230 m off her port bow Speedwell rammed the submarine which turned over onto her side before disappearing U 41 had both periscopes damaged and was forced to abort her patrol and return to home 24 Speedwell was a member of the Second Fleet Sweeping Flotilla based at Scapa Flow as part of the Grand Fleet in July 1917 25 Disposal EditSpeedwell was sold for scrap on 20 March 1920 to the Cornish Salvage Company of Ilfracombe 26 Pennant numbers EditPennant number 26 DatesP68 1914 January 1918PA4 January 1918 Notes Edit While most sources list displacement as 735 long tons 747 t 3 6 7 8 Friedman gives a displacement of 828 long tons 841 t normal and 1 070 long tons 1 090 t full load 5 References Edit Friedman 2009 pp 30 32 Chesneau amp Kolesnik 1979 p 87 a b c d e f Chesneau amp Kolesnik 1979 p 89 a b c Friedman 2009 p 32 a b c Friedman 2009 p 288 a b Brown 2003 p 115 Jane 1906 p 81 a b Brassey 1895 p 215 Friedman 2009 p 31 Brassey 1895 pp 62 63 67 Naval Matters Past and Prospective The Marine Engineer Vol XVII September 1895 p 232 Naval amp Military intelligence The Times No 36879 London 22 September 1902 p 8 Naval amp Military intelligence The Times No 36905 London 22 October 1902 p 9 The German Emperor The Times No 36931 London 21 November 1902 p 5 Moore 1990 p 65 a b Gardiner amp Gray 1985 p 19 Naval Matters Past and Prospective Sheerness Dockyard The Marine Engineer and Naval Architect Vol XXX January 1908 p 211 Naval Matters Past and Prospective Sheerness Dockyard The Marine Engineer and Naval Architect Vol XXX May 1908 p 402 Jellicoe 1919 pp 7 9 Naval Staff Monograph No 23 1924 p 53 Naval Staff Monograph No 24 1924 pp 131 133 Massie 2007 pp 141 142 Naval Staff Monograph No 24 1924 p 134 Naval Staff Monograph No 30 1926 pp 27 28 Naval Staff Monograph No 35 1939 pp 292 294 a b Dittmar amp Colledge 1972 p 107Bibliography EditBrassey T A ed 1895 The Naval Annual 1895 Portsmouth UK J Griffin and Co Brown D K 2003 Warrior to Dreadnought Warship Development 1860 1905 London Chatham Publishing ISBN 1 84067 5292 Brown Les 2023 Royal Navy Torpedo Vessels Barnsley UK Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 3990 2285 9 Chesneau Roger Kolesnik Eugene M eds 1979 Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1860 1905 London Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 133 5 Corbett Julian S 1921 Naval Operations Volume II History of the Great War London Longmans Green and Co Dittmar F J Colledge J J 1972 British Warships 1914 1919 Shepperton UK Ian Allan ISBN 0 7110 0380 7 Friedman Norman 2009 British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War Barnsley UK Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 84832 049 9 Gardiner Robert Gray Randal eds 1985 Conway s All The World s Fighting Ships 1906 1921 London Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 245 5 Jane Fred T ed 1970 Originally published 1906 by Sampson Low Marston London Jane s Fighting Ships 1906 7 Newton Abbot UK David amp Charles Publishers ISBN 0 7153 4715 2 Jellicoe John 1919 The Grand Fleet 1914 1916 Its Creation Development and Work London Cassell amp Company Leyland John ed 1901 The Naval Annual 1901 Portsmouth UK J Griffin and Co Massie Robert K 2007 Castles of Steel Britain Germany and the Winning of the Great War at Sea London Vintage Books ISBN 978 0 099 52378 9 Monograph No 23 Home Waters Part I From the Outbreak of War to 27 August 1914 PDF Naval Staff Monographs Historical Vol X Naval Staff Training and Staff Duties Division 1924 Monograph No 24 Home Waters Part II September and October 1914 PDF Naval Staff Monographs Historical Vol XI Naval Staff Training and Staff Duties Division 1924 Monograph No 28 Home Waters Part III From November 1914 to the end of January 1915 PDF Naval Staff Monographs Historical Vol XII Naval Staff Training and Staff Duties Division 1925 Monograph No 30 Home Waters Part V From July to October 1915 PDF Naval Staff Monographs Historical Vol XIV Naval Staff Training and Staff Duties Division 1926 Monograph No 35 Home Waters Part IX 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917 PDF Naval Staff Monographs Historical Vol XIX Naval Staff Training and Staff Duties Division 1939 Moore John 1990 Jane s Fighting Ships of World War I London Studio Editions ISBN 1 85170 378 0 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Speedwell 1889 amp oldid 1138689031, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
