H.M.S. Decoy (1894)
| H.M.S. Decoy (1894) | |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Thornycroft[1] |
| Ordered: | 1892[2] |
| Laid down: | Jul, 1892[3] |
| Launched: | 2 Feb, 1894[4] |
| Commissioned: | Jun, 1895[5] |
| Collision: | 13 Aug, 1904[6] |
H.M.S. Decoy was one of forty-two "A" class destroyers built for the Royal Navy — a "26 knotter".
She was lost before the war.
Service
On 8 August, 1904, Decoy joined exercises in the Irish Sea to practice defending a force against torpedo attack, she being one of the "Blue" force based in Queenstown. On 13 August, a Blue Force comprised of four battleships screened by two flotillas of destroyers was to "attack" Falmouth. At 9pm, Decoy found herself one of four Blue destroyers lying off the Scilly Isles, hoping to catch any sortieing Red destroyers. When lights were seen to the South, the Blues followed their leader, Arun, as she got underway to investigate, but Decoy found herself being left behind. At 10.15pm, Decoy spotted a destroyer she judged to be at a stop and manoeuvred to clear her, but the other vessel, Arun proved to be rushing back after having investigated the enemy, and struck Decoy amidships despite her emergency backing of her engines. Decoy broke in two after a half hour of flooding and sank at 11pm. One of Decoy's men could not be found in the aftermath. Her Lieutenant & Commander William Douglas Paton was cleared of blame in the incident, and Arun's Commander Reginald Tyrwhitt was faulted to having failed to signal his intentions.[7]
Captains
Dates of appointment are provided when known.
- Lieutenant Spencer V. Y. de Horsey, 24 July, 1895[8] – 24 August, 1895[9] (for tactical exercise)
- Commander Arthur H. Shirley, 6 February, 1896[10] – 2 December, 1897 (in lieu of a Lieutenant)
- Lieutenant & Commander Gerald W. Vivian, 2 December, 1897[11][12] – 9 January, 1899[13]
- Lieutenant & Commander George V. W. Carey, 16 July, 1901[14] – July, 1901 (for Manœuvres)
- Lieutenant & Commander Cyril Asser, 14 February, 1902[15][16] – 1 July, 1902[17]
- Lieutenant & Commander Henry R. Heathcote, 1 July, 1902 – August, 1902
- Lieutenant & Commander Arthur D. Barrow, 21 July, 1903[18][19] – 1903[20] (for Manœuvres)
- Gunner in Command James Creber, 11 September, 1903[21] – 10 November, 1904
- Lieutenant & Commander William D. Paton, 14 July, 1904[22] – 13 August, 1904[23] (vessel lost under his command)
See Also
Footnotes
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 91.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 90.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 90.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 91.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 91.
- ↑ Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 17.
- ↑ Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. pp. 17, 18.
- ↑ de Horsey Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 446.
- ↑ de Horsey Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 446.
- ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1897). p. 217.
- ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence". The Times. Friday, 3 December, 1897. Issue 35377, col D, p. 5.
- ↑ Vivian Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 63.
- ↑ Vivian Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 63.
- ↑ "The Naval Manœuvres". The Times. Thursday, 11 July, 1901. Issue 36504, col B, p. 8.
- ↑ Asser Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/11. f.12.
- ↑ "Naval & Military intelligence" The Times (London). Thursday, 20 February 1902. (36696), p. 10.
- ↑ Asser Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/11. f.12.
- ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence". The Times. Thursday, 16 July, 1903. Issue 37134, col D, p. 8.
- ↑ Barrow Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 433.
- ↑ Barrow Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 433.
- ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1904). p. 300.
- ↑ Paton Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/60. f. 68.
- ↑ Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. pp. 17, 18.
Bibliography
| "A" Class Destroyer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 Knotters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Decoy | Ferret | Lynx | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27 Knotters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ardent | Boxer | Bruizer | Charger | Dasher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hasty | Hardy | Haughty | Janus | Lightning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Porcupine | Salmon | Snapper | Banshee | Contest | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dragon | Conflict | Teazer | Wizard | Fervent | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zephyr | Handy | Hart | Hunter | Opossum | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranger | Sunfish | Rocket | Shark | Surly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skate | Starfish | Sturgeon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spitfire | Swordfish | Zebra | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Destroyers (UK) | "B" Class | –> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
