HMS Faulknor (1914)

In 1912, Chile placed an order for six large destroyers, the Almirante Lynch class, from the Cowes, Isle of Wight shipbuilder J. Samuel White in response to large destroyers ordered by Argentina.[1][2] Almirante Simpson, the third of the class, was launched on 26 February 1914 and purchased, almost complete, by the Royal Navy on the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914.[1] She was renamed Faulknor and commissioned on 25 August 1914.[3][4]

White's design was 331 feet 3 inches (100.97 m) long overall and 320 feet 0 inches (97.54 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 32 feet 6 inches (9.91 m) and a draught of 11 feet 8 ¹⁄₂ inches (3.57 m).[5] Displacement was 1,430 long tons (1,450 t) normal and 1,800–1,850 long tons (1,830–1,880 t) full load.[6] Six White-Forster boilers with mixed oil- and coal-firing fed steam at 220 pounds per square inch (1,500 kPa) to Parsons steam turbines driving three shafts. The machinery was rated at 30,000 shaft horsepower (22,000 kW), giving a speed of 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph). Four funnels were fitted, with one thin funnel forwards and three larger funnels. The forward funnel was raised by 6 feet (1.8 m) following sea trials.[7][8] 403 tons of coal and 83 tons of oil were carried, giving a range of 2,405 nautical miles (4,454 km; 2,768 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[5]

The ship was completed with a main gun armament of six 4-inch (102 mm) Mk. VI guns, with two mounted side-by-side on the ship's forecastle forward of the bridge, one on either side of the bridge, and two side-by-side right aft. These guns were of an Elswick design for export to Chile, and fired a 31-pound (14 kg) shell to a range of 11,630 yards (10,630 m).[8][9][10] A single 1​¹⁄₂-pounder pom-pom was fitted, although this was later replaced by a 2-pounder gun. Four single 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo-tubes were mounted singly on the ship's sides.[11][9]

In 1918, she was rearmed based on experience of Dover Patrol operations, with the side-by-side 4-inch guns mounted fore-and-aft removed and replaced by two single BL 4.7 inch (120 mm) /45 guns. These could fire a 50-pound (23 kg) shell to 15,800 yards (14,400 m).[12][13]

Faulknor took part in a sweep by the cruiser Fearless and 10 destroyers off the mouth of the River Ems on 25 October 1914 which acted as a diversion for a planned raid by aircraft from the seaplane carriers Engadine and Riviera, escorted by the Harwich Force, on the German airship base near Cuxhaven. Poor weather led to the abandonment of the operation, however, with four of the six aircraft unable to take off.[14] On 5–7 November and 9–11 November Faulknor took part in patrols off the Dutch coast with the Harwich Force.[15] In November 1914, Faulknor was recorded as part of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet.[16] Early in February 1915, Faulknor took part in anti-submarine sweeps in the Irish Sea as a response to operations by U-21 which sank three small steamers on 30 January,[17] and then in escorting the ships carrying the 1st Canadian Division from Avonmouth to St Nazaire.[18] By March 1915, Faulknor had transferred to the 4th Destroyer Flotilla.[19] On 12 March 1915, Faulknor and six destroyers were detached from the Grand Fleet for anti-submarine operations in the Irish Sea where the German submarines U-20 and U-27 were active, disrupting the operations of the Northern Patrol,[20][21] but they were recalled on 15 March as a result of increased submarine activity off Rosyth.[22] On 1 July 1915, U-25 attempted to torpedo the cruiser Hampshire off Noss Head near Wick, Caithness. Faulknor led an unsuccessful search by twelve destroyers together with several trawlers for the German submarine.[23]

Faulknor was still part of the 4th Flotilla in March 1916, but by 24 April 1916 was leader of the 12th Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet based at Scapa Flow.[24][25] Faulknor was still leader of the 12th Destroyer Flotilla at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916, operating in support of the Grand Fleet.[26] From about 19:15 hr Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the Germans launched a series of torpedo-boat attacks against the British battle line, and the 12th Flotilla got into a brief exchange of fire with German torpedo boats of the 3rd Torpedo-Boat Flotilla. Faulknor then fired on the German torpedo boat V48, which had been disabled in an earlier action with Shark, and ordered four destroyers of her flotilla (Obedient, Mindful, Marvel and Onslaught) to finish off V48, with the German destroyer being sunk by gunfire from the four British ships.[27][28] At about 01:43 hr GMT on 1 June, Faulknor spotted a group of German battleships and manoeuvred to set up a torpedo attack by her flotilla. Faulknor fired two torpedoes at the German battle line, and while she claimed a single hit, both torpedoes missed although one narrowly missed the German battleship Grosser Kurfürst. One torpedo from Onslaught sunk the predreadnought battleship Pommern.[29]

On 2 November 1916, the German submarine U-30 suffered double engine failure 25 miles (40 km) west of Bergen, Norway, with U-20 responding to U-30' s distress signals and taking the stricken submarine under tow. U-30's radio signals were also picked up by the British who despatched three formations of warships to intercept the two submarines. Faulknor set off from Cromarty with six destroyers of the 12th Flotilla on 3 November, but was recalled later that day when the British intercepted signals indicating that U-30 had got her engines working again. Both submarines ran aground off Denmark on 4 November, and while U-30 managed to free herself, U-20 could not and was scuttled on 5 November.[30]

The Dover Patrol, protecting the Dover Barrage and shipping in the English Channel from German attack, had a shortage of modern destroyers, and as a result it was decided to transfer Faulknor and sister ship Broke as reinforcements.[31] Faulknor transferred to the Dover Patrol on 31 December 1916,[32] joining the 6th Destroyer Flotilla.[33]

• Bacon, Reginald (1919). The Dover Patrol 1915–1917. Volume II. London: Hutchinson & Son.
• Battle of Jutland, 30th May to 1st June 1916: Official Despatches with Appendices. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1920.
• Campbell, John (1998). Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-750-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Corbett, Julian S. (1921). History of the Great War: Naval Operations: Volume II. London: Longmans, Green & Co.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First 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)
• Jellicoe, John (1919). The Grand Fleet 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development and Work. London: Cassell and Company.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Monograph No. 24: Home Waters—Part II: September and October 1914 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). XI. The 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). XII. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1925.
• Monograph No. 29: Home Waters—Part IV: From February to July 1915 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). XIII. The 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). XIV. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1926.
• Monograph No. 32: Lowestoft Raid: 24th–25th April 1916 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). XVI. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1927.
• Monograph No. 33: Home Waters—Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). XVII. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1927.

• Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project - HMS Faulknor Crew List