H.M.S. Ardent (1894)

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H.M.S. Ardent (1894)
Builder: John I. Thornycroft & Company[1]
Ordered: 1893-94[2]
Laid down: Dec, 1893[3]
Launched: 16 Oct, 1894[4]
Commissioned: 30 Apr, 1895[5][6]
Broken up: 1911[7]

H.M.S. Ardent was one of thirty-six 27 Knotters, early Torpedo Boat Destroyers built for the Royal Navy in the 1890s.

Like most of her highly variated brethren, her useful life ran its course before the Great War.

Construction

Ardent was launched on 16 October, 1894 by Mrs. C. T. Cornish, the daughter of John I. Thornycroft, founder of the shipyard.[8]

She ran her preliminary trial at Maplin Sound on 9 November, 1894. She achieved a mean speed of 29.182 knots on a full power run. Boiler pressure was 210 lbs., mean revolutions 407 per minute.[9]

Service

Ardent commissioned at Portsmouth on 30 April, 1895.[10]

Even prior to her commissioning, the Admiralty had decided to sent Ardent to the Mediterranean to familiarize that station with the new destroyers.[11][12] Ardent left Portsmouth for Malta on 14 May, 1895, stopping at Plymouth to join with second class protected cruiser Pique for the voyage the next day, on 15 May.[13]

In commission with the Mediterranean Fleet in December 1905.[14]

Ardent was under the command of Lt. Morris Edward Cochrane when she participating in night exercises off Malta on 17 April, 1906 when when she accidentally rammed the "hostile" T.B. 84, nearly cutting the T.B. in two. Cochrane was cleared of blame in the incident, despite the loss of the torpedo boat.[15]

In commission with the Mediterranean Fleet in January 1907.[16]

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

See Also

Footnotes

  1. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 91.
  2. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 91.
  3. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 91.
  4. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 91.
  5. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 91.
  6. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 1 May, 1895. Issue 34565, col D, p. 10.
  7. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 91.
  8. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 17 October, 1894. Issue 34397, col B, p. 10.
  9. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 10 November, 1894. Issue 34418, col E, p. 10.
  10. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 1 May, 1895. Issue 34565, col D, p. 10.
  11. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 13 April, 1895. Issue 34550, col D, p. 4.
  12. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 1 May, 1895. Issue 34565, col D, p. 10.
  13. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 16 May, 1895. Issue 34578, col F, p. 5.
  14. The Monthly Navy List. (December, 1905). p. 279.
  15. Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 19.
  16. The Navy List. (January, 1907). p. 279.
  17. Mundy Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 928.
  18. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 18 April, 1895. Issue 34554, col C, p. 4.
  19. Mundy Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 928.
  20. The Navy List. (October, 1898). p. 225.
  21. Hyde Parker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/88. f. 126.
  22. Hyde Parker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/88. f. 126.
  23. Walters Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/186. f. 187.
  24. Walters Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/186. f. 187.
  25. The Navy List. (March, 1901). p. 225.
  26. Paton Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/60. f. 68.
  27. The Navy List. (May, 1902). p. 225.
  28. Paton Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/60. f. 68.
  29. The Monthly Navy List. (December, 1905). p. 279.
  30. Stancomb Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/82. f. 82.
  31. The Navy List. (March, 1907). p. 278.
  32. Stancomb Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/82. f. 82.
  33. Denny Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/250. f. 284.
  34. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 278.
  35. Denny Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/250. f. 284.
  36. The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 279.
  37. Curtis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/262. f. 262.
  38. Curtis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/262. f. 262.

Bibliography


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