Cyril Percy Ryan

Captain Cyril Percy Ryan, C.B., Royal Navy, Retired (4 December, 1874 – 20 May, 1940) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Ryan was born in Kilkenny, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel E. Ryan.

Ryan took his entrance exams with the Britannia term of March, 1889, ranking ninth in order of merit in a small field of fourteen successful candidates, but apparently joined on 15 July.

In February 1895, Captain Jenkings of H.M.S. Collingwood noted Ryan's skill with electrical machinery.

Ryan was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in June, 1898.

On 17 July, 1906, Charles Beresford, the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean reported that Ryan had been "of great service in experimenting with W/T in Destroyers & is an excellent all-round officer." Ryan was allowed to take out a patent for an Electric Life Buoy Release apparatus he had invented.

Ryan was promoted to the rank of Commander in June, 1908.

He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 1 July, 1911.

Great War

In Autumn of 1914, Ryan was put to work at Hawkcraig, developing Hydrophones for use in submarine detection. His first models were shore-based installations for controlling minefields.

On 18 February, 1915, he was appointed to work with the Hydrophone Service. The Annual Report of the Torpedo School for that year cited a hydrophone he'd developed for shore-based installations as being the most satisfactory model yet produced. His memorandum on the device noted that it was easier to hear a submerged submarine at a given horsepower than a surfaced one, that iron ships were more easily heard than wooden ones, and that paddlewheelers were easiest to ignore/reject.

Ryan was promoted to the rank of Acting Captain on 1 October, 1916, and re-appointed with the Hydrophone Service.

On 1 April, 1917, he was appointed to Tarlair, additional to lead the Hawkcraig Experimental Station, Aberdour. A considerable number of Lieutenants R.N.V.R. fell under his command in this post.

Ryan was promoted to the rank of Captain on 14 December, 1919.

Though Tarlair it may have moved on from Hawkcraig in mid-1919, Ryan remained in Tarlair until 5 January, 1920 when he was sent to Vernon for the Mining School, where he ran the Hydrophone Service until being superseded on 30 June, 1921.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Philip A. Bateman-Champain	Captain of H.M.S. Earnest after Jul, 1903 – 22 Sep, 1903	Succeeded by Dennis A. H. Larking
Preceded by Lancelot N. Turton	Captain of H.M.S. Panther 22 Sep, 1903 – 31 Oct, 1904	Succeeded by Norman H. Carter
Preceded by Arthur B. S. Dutton	Captain of H.M.S. Locust 31 Oct, 1904 – Jul, 1905	Succeeded by William F. Benwell
Preceded by William F. Benwell	Captain of H.M.S. Quail Jul, 1905 – 9 Jan, 1906	Succeeded by William F. Benwell
Preceded by William F. Benwell	Captain of H.M.S. Banshee 10 Jan, 1906 – 13 Jul, 1906	Succeeded by Basil G. Washington
Preceded by Alan C. Bruce	Captain of H.M.S. Usk 22 Oct, 1906 – 7 Sep, 1909	Succeeded by William D. Irvin
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Afridi 7 Sep, 1909 – 29 Nov, 1910	Succeeded by George H. H. Holden
Preceded by New Command	Command of Hawkcraig Experimental Station 1 Apr, 1917 – 5 Jan, 1920	Succeeded by ?