H.M.S. Bullfinch (1898)

H.M.S. Bullfinch (1898)
Pendant Number:	D.17 (1914) D.48 (Sep 1915) D.15 (Jan 1918) H.04 (Apr 1918)
Builder:	Earle's Shipbuilding
Ordered:	1896-97 Programme
Laid down:	17 Sep, 1896
Launched:	10 Feb, 1898
Commissioned:	Jun, 1901
Broken up:	1919

H.M.S. Bullfinch was one of forty "C" class destroyers built for the Royal Navy — a "30 knotter".

Service

The ship ran trials out of Portsmouth on 28 April, 1899. Thirty knots were planned, but after 90 minutes at just over 29 knots, the trial was abandoned, and she returned to harbour.

Bullfinch spent the next two months in the contractor's hands before returning to try to complete the three hour trial. She suffered a serious explosion on 21 July, 1899 with just 15 minutes remaining after a connecting rod came loose and steam flooded the engine room from the starboard high pressure cylinder and flying parts gashed a 21 by 5 inch hole in the hull. A man name J.R. West in his private steam yacht Goshawk came to assist, taking the wounded men to the cruiser Australia. The death toll would eventually amount to eleven by the time an inquest completed on 17 August. No verdict was offered for why the connecting rod broke, but it was supposed that it may have been bored excessively, or simply not have been sufficient to the strain imposed by the high speed.

It would not be until 21 July 1900 that the ship would be ready for another trial, in which she managed 29.46 knots over the three hours.

In late 1905, Bullfinch was in commission in reserve as part of the Portsmouth Reserve Division.

In early 1910, she was part of the Nore reserve flotilla of the Third Division, Home Fleet.

In December 1912, Bullfinch collided with the ketch Fingal. Her Lt. in Command, Arthur Malcolm Peters was blamed for the accident.

In mid-1913, she was serving in a patrol flotilla, the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla.

Bullfinch was involved in a collision "in British Waters" on 15 August, 1914. Four men were killed.

In December, 1914, Bullfinch was one of thirty destroyers attached to the six battle squadrons serving in Home and Atlantic Waters.

In April, 1918, she transferred back into the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla from the Methil Convoy Flotilla.

In February, 1919, she was sent to the Humber for disposal, being one of twenty destroyers so designated.

By May 1919, she was among 33 obsolete ships awaiting sale.

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

• Lieutenant in Command Francis G. Dineley, before 21 July, 1899  (during trials, in command during explosion)
• Lieutenant in Command John A. Duncan, 16 July, 1901  (for Annual Manoeuvres of 1901)
• Commander Brian H. F. Barttelot, 24 February, 1902 – 1 August, 1902
• Lieutenant & Commander Alexander R. Palmer, 21 July, 1903 – 20 August, 1903  (lent for Annual Manoeuvres of 1903)
• Lieutenant in Command Ambrose M. Peck, 14 July, 1904 – 20 March, 1905  (for Annual Manoeuvres of 1904)
• Commander William F. Blunt, 3 January, 1905 – 2 January, 1906
• Lieutenant & Commander Hubert S. Cardale, 2 January, 1906 – 17 April, 1906
• Lieutenant & Commander Reginald C. L. Owen, 17 April, 1906 – 28 May, 1906
• Lieutenant & Commander Philip S. R. Conron, 28 May, 1906 – 9 August, 1907
• Lieutenant & Commander Morris E. Cochrane, 9 August, 1907 – 26 June, 1908
• Lieutenant & Commander Gerald C. Wynter, 11 June, 1908 – August, 1910
• Lieutenant & Commander Henry V. Hudson, August, 1910 – 7 December, 1910
• Commander Frank Powell, 11 April, 1911 – 1912
• Lieutenant in Command Arthur M. Peters, November, 1912 – 9 January, 1913  (involved in collision)
• Lieutenant in Command Joseph M. Kenworthy, 9 January, 1913 – 20 October, 1915
• Lieutenant in Command Herbert M. Hughes, 20 October, 1915 – 9 August, 1916
• Lieutenant R.N.R. in Command Lionel M. Kelly, 9 August, 1916 – 4 April, 1917
• Lieutenant R.N.R. in Command Ronald J. Mortimer, 3 June, 1917 – 5 March, 1918
• Lieutenant R.N.R. in Command Francis Tweedie, 30 April, 1918 – 31 January, 1919

See Also

• Wikipedia