HMS Newbury (1916)

HMS Newbury was a Racecourse-class (or Ascot-class) minesweeper of the British Royal Navy, built in 1916 by A. & J. Inglis. [1] [2] The Racecourse-class were paddle-steamers, intended for operations in shallow coastal waters.

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Newbury
Namesake: Newbury Racecourse
Builder: Inglis, Glasgow
Launched: 3 July 1916
Completed: 9 September 1916
Fate: Sold March 1922
General characteristics
Class and type: Racecourse-class minesweeper
Displacement: 810 long tons (820 t) normal
Length: 245 ft 9 in (74.90 m) oa
Beam: 29 ft 0 in (8.84 m)
Draught: 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Installed power: 1,500 ihp (1,100 kW)
Propulsion:
Speed: 14.5 kn (16.7 mph; 26.9 km/h)
Complement: 50
Armament:
  • 2 × 6-pounder (57 mm) guns
  • 2 × 2-pounder (40 mm) guns

Newbury survived the First World War, and was sold for scrap in 1922.

Design

Following the outbreak of the First World War, the Royal Navy supplemented its very small force of minesweepers with civilian ships purchased or chartered, particularly trawlers or paddle steamers. The paddle steamers proved successful, with their shallow draft reducing the hazards from mines, and it was decided to build a class of dedicated paddle minesweepers, the Racecourse- or Ascot-class, with 24 ships ordered between September 1915 and January 1916.[3][4]

The ships were 245 feet 9 inches (74.90 m) long overall, and 235 feet 0 inches (71.63 m) between perpendiculars with a beam of 29 feet 0 inches (8.84 m) (and 58 feet 0 inches (17.68 m) over the paddles) and a draught of 7 feet 0 inches (2.13 m). Displacement was 810 long tons (820 t) normal.[3][5] An inclined two-cylinder compound steam engine fed by cylindrical boilers drove the paddles. The machinery was rated at 1,500 indicated horsepower (1,100 kW) giving a speed of 14.5 knots (16.7 mph; 26.9 km/h).[3][6] Armament consisted of two six-pounder (57mm) guns and two 2-pounder (40mm) anti-aircraft autocannons. The ships had a crew of 50 officers and men.[3]

Service

Newbury was laid down at A. & J. Inglis's Pointhouse, Glasgow shipyard as Yard number 313.[6] She was launched on 3 July 1916,[4] and was completed on 9 September that year.[6]

Newbury served with the Auxiliary Patrol during the war.[3] On the night of 14/15 February 1918, Newbury was in the Dover Strait when German destroyers launched an attack on the Dover Barrage. Newbury was the first British ship attacked by the Germans, who set Newbury ablaze with their gunfire before moving on, sinking seven drifters and one trawler in total. Newbury was towed back to port by sister ship Lingfield.[7][8][9] Twelve of Newbury's crew were killed.[10]

Post-war, Newbury was employed on mine clearance duties.[3] She was sold for scrap to the shipbreaker Ward, at their Inverkeithing works, in March 1922.[4]

References
  1. "HMS Newbury - World Naval Ships Directory". www.worldnavalships.com. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  2. "HMS Newbury - Ships named from Berkshire town". www.newburyhistory.co.uk. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  3. Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 97
  4. Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 111
  5. Moore 1990, p. 89
  6. "Paddle Steamer Newbury built by A. & J. Inglis in 1916". clydeships.co.uk. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  7. Karau 2014, pp. 176–178
  8. "Vessel ID: 372065: Paddle Minesweeper: Newbury" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol ii. National Maritime Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  9. "Vessel ID: 370159: Paddle Minesweeper: Lingfield" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol ii. National Maritime Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  10. Kindell, Don (22 February 2011). "1st - 28th February 1918: in date, ship/unit & name order". World War 1 - Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies. Naval-history.net. Retrieved 9 July 2018.

Bibliography
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • Karau, Mark D. (2014). The Naval Flank of the Western Front: The German MarineKorps Flandern 1914–1918. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-231-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Moore, John (1990). Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I. London: Studio Editions. ISBN 1-85170-378-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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