HMS Decoy (1894)

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

Decoy
History
United Kingdom
NameDecoy
BuilderJohn I. Thornycroft & Company, Chiswick
Costc.£36,000
Yard number288
Laid downJuly 1892
Launched7 February 1894
CompletedJune 1895
FateSunk in collision, 13 August 1904
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeDaring-class torpedo boat destroyer
Displacement
  • 260 long tons (264 t) light
  • 287.8 long tons (292 t) full load
Length185 ft (56 m) oa
Beam19 ft (5.8 m)
Draught7 ft (2.1 m)
Installed power4,200 hp (3,100 kW)
Propulsion
Speed27 kn (31 mph; 50 km/h)
Crew46-53
Armament

HMS Decoy was a Daring-class torpedo boat destroyer which served with the Royal Navy in home waters. She was launched in 1895 and sunk in a collision with the destroyer HMS Arun in 1904.

Construction[edit]

She was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company at Chiswick and was launched on 7 February 1894.[2]

Although fitted with multiple torpedo tubes, her bow tube proved useless in practice as — while running at high attack speeds — the ship was prone to overtake its own torpedo. The clumsy tube also reduced living quarters and made the bridge very prone to flooding.

Service[edit]

Decoy took part in the 1896 British Naval Manoeuvres, attached to the Channel Fleet operation from Berehaven in southern Ireland.[3] She served as instructional tender to Cambridge, a gunnery school ship, until August 1901.[4] Lieutenant Cyril Asser was appointed in command in February 1902, when she was based at Plymouth as part of the Devonport instructional flotilla,[5] and was succeeded by Lieutenant Henry Ralph Heathcote on 1 July the same year.[6] Heathcote transferred to Contest the following month, and was succeeded in command by Lieutenant L. J. I. Hammond on 8 August 1902.[7] She took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII.[8] She acted temporary as tender to Cambridge again from late August, when her crew transferred to HMS Ostrich, which took her place in the flotilla.[9] The following month she was reported to be back in the instructional flotilla.[10]

Decoy was lost in a collision with the destroyer Arun off the Scilly Islands on 13 August 1904.[11] while taking part in night exercises.[12] One man was killed while the remaining 40 members of the crew were rescued by Arun and Sturgeon.[12] Courts martial regarding the sinking were subsequently assembled aboard the battleship Conqueror. The first, on 22 August,[13] attributed blame to the commander of Arun, Reginald Tyrwhitt. The second, an appeal, was held on 30 August,[14] and dismissed the charge of neglect but confirmed the charge of hazarding both vessels.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ British "18-inch torpedoes" were 450mm (17.72 inches) in diameter.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Lyon (1996), pp.40-41.
  2. ^ The Times (London), Thursday, 8 February 1894, p.4
  3. ^ Brassey (1897), pp. 141–143, 149.
  4. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36535. London. 16 August 1901. p. 6.
  5. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36696. London. 20 February 1902. p. 10.
  6. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36790. London. 10 June 1902. p. 12.
  7. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36839. London. 6 August 1902. p. 8.
  8. ^ "Naval Review at Spithead". The Times. No. 36847. London. 15 August 1902. p. 5.
  9. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36845. London. 13 August 1902. p. 8.
  10. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36883. London. 26 September 1902. p. 8.
  11. ^ The Times (London), Wednesday, 15 August 1904, p.5
  12. ^ a b Kemp (1999), p. 1.
  13. ^ The Times (London), Thursday, 23 August 1904, p.9
  14. ^ The Times (London), Friday, 31 August 1904, p.4

Bibliography[edit]

  • Brassey, T.A. (1897). The Naval Annual 1897. Portsmouth, UK: J. Griffin and Co.
  • 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.
  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • 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.
  • Kemp, Paul (1999). The Admiralty Regrets: British Warship Losses of the 20th Century. Sutton Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7509-1567-6.
  • Lyon, David (2001) [1996]. The First Destroyers. London: Caxton Editions. ISBN 1-84067-364-8.
  • Manning, Thomas Davys, Captain (1961). The British Destroyer. Putnam & Co. OCLC 6470051.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555.
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