HMS Cygnet (1898)

HMS Cygnet was a two funnel, 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates. She was the thirteenth ship to carry this name. She was launched in 1898, served in the Chatham division before World War I and was tendered to the gunnery school at Sheerness during the war. She was sold for breaking in 1920.

Cygnet's sister-ship, Cynthia
History
Name: Cygnet
Ordered: 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates
Builder: John I Thornycroft, Chiswick
Yard number: 320
Laid down: 25 September 1897
Launched: 3 September 1898
Commissioned: March 1900
Fate: Sold for breaking, 29 April 1920
General characteristics [1][2]
Class and type: Two funnel, 30 knot destroyer
Displacement:
  • 270 t (266 long tons) standard
  • 352 t (346 long tons) full load
Length: 210 ft (64 m) o/a
Beam: 19 ft 9 in (6.02 m)
Draught: 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m)
Installed power: 5,700 shp (4,300 kW)
Propulsion:
Speed: 30 kn (56 km/h)
Range:
  • 80 tons coal
  • 1,310 nmi (2,430 km) at 11 kn (20 km/h)
Complement: 65 officers and men
Armament:
Service record
Operations: World War I 1914 – 1918

Construction

She was laid down as yard number 320 on 25 September 1896, at the John I Thornycroft and Company shipyard at Chiswick on the River Thames. She was launched on 3 September 1898. During her builder's trials her maximum average speed was 30.3 knots. She proceeded to Portsmouth to have her armament fitted and was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in late February 1900. During her acceptance trials and work ups her average sea speed was 25 knots.[1][2]

Pre-War

Cygnet commissioned at Chatham in March 1900[3] and was assigned to the Harwich Flotilla, Commander Cecil Hickley in command.[4] In 1899–1900 she was part of the Medway instructional Flotilla.[5] In 1900 she cruised to the East Indies with the cruiser Highflyer and the destroyers Conflict, Coquette and Hornet.[6]

Lieutenant Robert G. D. Dewar was appointed in command in early 1902,[7] but was replaced by Lieutenant George J. Todd later that year.[8]

On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. Since her design speed was 30-knots and she had two funnels she was assigned to the D class. After 30 September 1913, she was known as a D-class destroyer and had the letter ‘D’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.[9]

World War I

August 1914, found her in active commission at The Nore Local Flotilla based at Sheerness tendered to HMS Actaeon, the gunnery school. She remained in this assignment for the duration of the First World War.[6]

Decommissioning and disposal

In 1919 she was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. Cygnet was sold on 29 April 1920 to Thos W Ward of Sheffield for breaking at Rainham, Kent, on the Thames Estuary.[10]

Pennant numbers
Pennant number[10]FromTo
N496 Dec 19141 Sep 1915
D381 Sep 19151 Jan 1918
D221 Jan 191829 Apr 1920

References
  1. Jane’s All the World's Fighting Ships (1898), pp.84–85
  2. Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I (1919), p.76
  3. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36080). London. 3 March 1900. p. 9.
  4. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36058). London. 6 February 1900. p. 10.
  5. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36052). London. 30 January 1900. p. 11.
  6. "HMS Cygnet at the Naval Database website".
  7. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36684). London. 6 February 1902. p. 10.
  8. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36715). London. 14 March 1902. p. 9.
  9. Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1906 to 1922. Conway Maritime Press. 2006 [1985]. p. Page 17 to 19. ISBN 0 85177 245 5.
  10. ""Arrowsmith" List – Part 1 Destroyer Prototypes through "River" Class". Retrieved 1 June 2013.

Publications
  • 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.
  • 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. (1969) [1898]. Jane’s All the World's Fighting Ships 1898. New York: first published by Sampson Low Marston, London 1898, Reprinted ARCO Publishing Company.
  • Jane, Fred T. (1990) [1919]. Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I. Jane’s Publishing. ISBN 1 85170 378 0.
  • Lyon, David (2001) [1996]. The First Destroyers. London: Caxton Editions. ISBN 1-84067-364-8.
  • Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. London: Putnam & Co. OCLC 6470051.
  • 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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