HMS Albacore (1909)

HMS Albacore was a "thirty-knotter" destroyer of the British Royal Navy, which was later classified as part of the B class. She was built by Palmer's of Yarrow as a private venture, launching in 1906, and being purchased in 1909. She served through the First World War before being sold for scrap in 1919.

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

Albacore after hitting a mine in 1917
History
Name: Albacore
Ordered: 8 May 1908
Builder: Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow
Laid down: 1 September 1905
Launched: 9 October 1906
Commissioned: 27 March 1909
Fate: Sold for scrap 1 August 1919
General characteristics
Displacement:
  • 408 long tons (415 t) normal
  • 44 long tons (45 t) deep load
Length:
  • 220 ft 10 in (67.31 m) oa
  • 215 ft 3 in (65.61 m) pp
Beam: 21 ft 0 1⁄4 in (6.41 m)
Draught: 6 ft 5 1⁄2 in (1.97 m)
Installed power: 6,000 shp (4,500 kW)
Propulsion:
Speed: 26.75 kn (49.54 km/h; 30.78 mph)
Complement: 56 officers and men
Armament:

Construction and design

The shipbuilder Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company laid down two destroyers on speculation (i.e. without a specific order) on 1 September 1905, as Yard Number 786 and 787.[1][lower-alpha 1] The two destroyers were of generally similar size and design to the Royal Navy's earlier "thirty knotter" destroyers (later redesignated as the B, C or D class depending on the number of funnels), with a turtleback forecastle,[3] with the Royal Navy having abandoned the "thirty-knotter" type for the River-class destroyers, with a higher raised forecastle instead of a turtleback, and sacrificing high speed in sea trials in favour of greater seaworthiness.[4] The first of the two ships, which would later become HMS Albacore, was launched on 9 October 1906.[1] Palmer's was unable to find a customer for these ships, however,[5] and offered to sell them to the Royal Navy on 5 December 1907 for £70,000–80,000 each. The Admiralty rejected the offer in February 1908, but in April two destroyers, Tiger and Gala, were lost in accidents and it was decided to order the two stock ships from Palmer's as replacements. A provisional order for the two ships was placed on 8 May 1908, at a price of £60,000 each, depending on successful trials, with a speed of 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph) being required.[6]

Albacore's sister ship HMS Bonetta

Unlike most "thirty-knotter"s, the new ships were powered by steam turbines rather than triple expansion engines, with four Reed boilers feeding steam at 250 pounds per square inch (1,700 kPa) to Parsons direct drive turbines which drove two shafts, generating 6,000 shaft horsepower (4,500 kW).[2][7][lower-alpha 2] The ships had four funnels, with the middle two funnels closely spaced.[2]

Albacore's hull was 220 feet 10 inches (67.31 m) long overall and 215 feet 3 inches (65.61 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 21 feet 0 1⁄4 inch (6.41 m) and a draught of 6 feet 5 1⁄2 inches (1.97 m). She displaced 408 long tons (415 t) normal load and 440 long tons (450 t) deep load.[9] The ship's stem was higher than earlier turtleback destroyers, while rather than the narrow conning tower of the earlier destroyers, Albacore had a full width bridge situated further aft, which was claimed by Palmer's to make the ship much dryer in heavy seas.[1][2] Gun armament consisted of three QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval guns, with two situated side by side on top of the bridge and one aft.[2] Two 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes were carried,[3] while the ship had a complement of 56 officers and men.[9]

Service

Although it was hoped that the ship could be accepted quickly, with delivery expected within two to three months of the order being placed, official sea trials proved problematical. Albacore only reached a maximum of 26.75 knots (49.54 km/h; 30.78 mph) instead of the required 31 knots,[10] which may have been due to more realistic trial conditions.[2] The Admiralty finally agreed to accept Albacore and her sister ship Bonetta on 3 March 1909, paying £45,000 for each.[11] HMS Albacore was commissioned on 27 March that year.[12]

Albacore was part of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla in 1910, and of the Sixth Flotilla in 1913.[13] On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyers were to be grouped into classes designated by letters based on appearance.[14][15] As a four-funneled ship, Albacore was listed as a B-class destroyer on 1 October 1913.[3] On 6 April 1914 a boiler tube burst in Chatham harbour, killing three men.[16]

On the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Albacore was sent to Scapa Flow to join the local patrol flotilla protecting the anchorage of the Grand Fleet.[3][17] Albacore was heavily damaged on 9 March 1917 when she struck a mine laid by the German submarine UC-44 off Kirkwall, her bow being blown off and 17 of her crew being killed,[18][19] but was later repaired,[3] being back in service by July 1917.[20] Albacore was sold for scrap on 1 August 1919.[17]

Pennant numbers
Pennant number[17]Date
P141914
D76August 1915
D01January 1918

Notes
  1. It is unknown whether Palmer's had any specific customer in mind for these two ships.[2]
  2. Sources differ as to the fuel used to power the ships, with some stating that they were oil-fuelled,[7][3] while others say that they used coal.[1][8]

Citations
  1. Lyon 2001, p. 37.
  2. Friedman 2009, p. 63.
  3. Gardiner and Gray 1985, p. 73.
  4. Manning 1961, p. 47.
  5. Lyon 2001, p. 25.
  6. Lyon 2001, pp. 37–38.
  7. Manning 1961, p. 46.
  8. Friedman 2009, pp. 63, 292.
  9. Friedman 2009, p. 292.
  10. Lyon 2001, pp. 38–39.
  11. Lyon 2001, p. 39.
  12. Friedman 2009, p. 304.
  13. "NMM, vessel ID 379604" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol v. National Maritime Museum. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  14. Gardiner and Gray 1985, p. 18.
  15. Manning 1961, pp. 17–18.
  16. "Boiler Tube Burst: Three Stokers Killed". The Poverty Bay Herald. 7 April 1914. p. 3.
  17. Dittmar and Colledge 1972, p. 58.
  18. Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Albacore". Ships hit during WWI. uboat.net. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  19. Kindell, Don. "1st - 31st MARCH 1917: in date, ship/unit & name order". World War 1 - Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies. naval-history.net. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  20. "Supplement to the Monthly Naval List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c". July 1917: 12. Retrieved 13 September 2014. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Bibliography
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Lyon, David (2001) [1996]. The First Destroyers. London: Caxton Editions. ISBN 1-84067-3648.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. London: Putnam & Co. OCLC 6470051.CS1 maint: ref=harv (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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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