HMS Maidstone (1912)

HMS Maidstone was a submarine depot ship of the Royal Navy. She was purpose built to support 12 of the new 'D' Class submarines under the 1910/11 Naval Programme.[1]

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

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Maidstone
Namesake: Maidstone, Kent
Ordered: 1910
Builder: Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company - Greenock
Launched: 27 April 1912
Commissioned: 15 October 1912
Decommissioned: 15 December 1927
Fate: Sold 31 August 1929
General characteristics
Type: Submarine depot ship
Displacement: 3,600 long tons (3,700 t) (normal load)
Length: 355 ft (108 m)
Beam: 45 ft (14 m)
Draught: 17 ft 9.5 in (5.423 m) (deep load)
Installed power: 2,800 shp (2,100 kW)
Propulsion: triple-expansion steam engines
Speed: 14.3 knots (26.5 km/h; 16.5 mph)
Range: 3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried:
three 35 ft (11 m) motor boats

two 30 ft (9.1 m) cutters

two 27 ft (8.2 m) whalers

two 16 ft (4.9 m) skiffs

one 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) balsa raft

Complement: 159
Armament: Nil
Notes:
465 long tons (472 t) of coal at deep load

500 long tons (510 t) of oil for submarines

Pennant numbers
Pennant Number[2]FromTo
P396 December 1914  1 January 1918
P4A1 January 1918Early 1919

Service History

Pre-war

Maidstone commissioned at Portsmouth on 15 October 1912, as the principal depot ship of the officer commanding the newly established 8th Submarine Flotilla. This was the offensive submarine force based in UK waters.[3]

First World War

Maidstone led the 8th Submarine Flotilla to its war station at Harwich in the 1914 mobilisation. She remained the principal depot ship for the offensive submarine force at Harwich for the duration of the hostilities. Maidstone's Flotilla was re-established as the 9th Submarine Flotilla in August 1916. However, this was only a change of the flotilla number and there was no change in her duties.[4]

Fate

Maidstone decommissioned from service on 15 December 1927.[5] She was sold on 31 August 1929.[2]

Sources
  • F.J. Dittmar & J.J. Colledge (1972). British Warships 1914-1919. London: Ian Allen. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.
  • The National Archives:ADM 186/15: War Vessels and Aircraft (British and Foreign): Quarterly Return, Oct 1915
  • The National Archives:ADM 53/23406, 47893-47941, 80240-80247: Logs of HMS Maidstone

References
  1. Keyes, Roger (1934). The Naval Memoirs of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes - The Narrow Seas to the Dardanelles 1910-1915. London: Thornton Butterworth Ltd. p. 44.
  2. Dittmar & Colledge, p.295
  3. The Navy List, June 1913. London: HMSO. 1913.
  4. Naval Staff Monographs Volume XVII. Home Waters - Part VII. June 1916 to November 1916. London: HMSO. 1927.
  5. ADM 53/80247
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