H.M.S. Royalist (1915)
| H.M.S. Royalist (1915) | |
|---|---|
| Pendant Number: | 4A (1914) 6A (Jan 1918) 75 (Apr 1918)[1] |
| Builder: | Beardmore[2] |
| Ordered: | Sep, 1912[3] |
| Laid down: | 3 Jun, 1913[4] |
| Launched: | 14 Jan, 1915[5] |
| Commissioned: | Mar, 1915[6] |
| Sold: | 24 Aug, 1922[7] |
| Fate: | to Cashmore |
Light cruiser H.M.S. Royalist was one of eight in the Arethusa class, and fought at the Battle of Jutland as part of the Fourth Light Cruiser Squadron.
Torpedoes
In mid-1920, it was ordered that Galatea, Phaeton and Royalist should replace their 21-in Mark IV S.L. torpedoes with the Mark II***** version.[8]
Service
In January, 1916, Royalist joined as the flotilla cruiser for the new Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla, which was operating with the Grand Fleet.[9]
She transferred to the Fourth Light Cruiser Squadron just before the Battle of Jutland, where she was one of five light cruisers of that formation, tasked with screening the Battle Fleet.[10]
In February, 1917, Royalist was refitted as a minelayer with 74 mines. She conducted 16 operations, laying 1183 mines in all.[11] In August, she transferred to the First Light Cruiser Squadron and fought with that formation in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. She was present at the surrender of the High Sea Fleet. In May, 1919, she joined the new incarnation of the Second Light Cruiser Squadron, staying there until at least July.[12]
Royalist was reduced to reserve complement at Portsmouth on 15 August, 1920.[13]
Alterations
In 1915-1916, she was given a Wise Pressure Telegraphy System Type B to trial for torpedo control. Based on this trial, in 1917, she likely received Chadburn's Torpedo Order Telegraphs and had her Wise gauges redone to indicate Torpedo Deflection only, as well as having Barr and Stroud instruments provided to acknowledge torpedo orders given via Wise and Chadburn.[14]
Royalist was one of just six light cruisers listed as having a Turret Control Table in her T.S. in June 1918. If and when this was provided is uncertain.[15]
She was fitted with a director in October, 1917. This alteration required her pole mast to be replaced with a tripod mast for greater rigidity.[16]
Captains
Dates of appointment are provided when known.
- Captain The Hon. Herbert Meade, 23 January, 1915[17][18] – c. June, 1917[19] (and as Captain (D) of Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla from 8 December, 1915 to 19 April, 1916)
- Captain The Hon. Matthew R. Best, 30 May, 1917[20][21] – 7 April, 1918[22]
- Captain Arthur K. Betty, 8 April, 1919[23][24] – 3 November, 1919[25]
- Lieutenant-Commander (G) Frank Lumb, January, 1920[26]
See Also
Footnotes
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 47.
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 47.
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 47.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 55.
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 47.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 55.
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 47.
- ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1920. pp. 6-7. (G. 10141/20-6.8.1920).
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1916). }p. 12.
- ↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. p. 34.
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 117.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (May, 1919). and Supplements through July.
- ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 857.
- ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916. p. 30.
- ↑ Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. p. 3.
- ↑ The Technical History and Index, Vol. 3, Part 23. pp. 11-12.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 397s.
- ↑ Meade Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 177.
- ↑ Meade Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 177.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 898.
- ↑ Best Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 430.
- ↑ Best Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 430.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1919). p. 857.
- ↑ Betty Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 397.
- ↑ Betty Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 397.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1920). p. 857.
Bibliography
- Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
- Gray, Randal (editor) (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).
- Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1918). Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. C.B. 1456. Copy No. 10 at Admiralty Library, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
- Admiralty, Technical History Section (1919). The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in H.M. Ships. Vol. 3, Part 23. C.B. 1515 (23) now O.U. 6171/14. At The National Archives. ADM 275/19.
| Arethusa Class Light Cruiser | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arethusa | Aurora | Galatea | Inconstant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penelope | Phaeton | Royalist | Undaunted | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| <– | Birmingham Class | Minor Cruisers (UK) | Caroline Class | –> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
