H.M.S. Forth (1886)

H.M.S. Forth (1886)
Builder:	Pembroke Royal Dockyard
Laid down:	1 Dec, 1884
Launched:	23 Oct, 1886
Commissioned:	1889
Sold:

H.M.S. Forth completed as one of four second class protected cruisers of the Mersey class in 1889, but served in the Great War as a submarine depot ship.

Service

The ship participated in the Annual Manoeuvres of 1892 as part of the Blue Squadron. She found, in the exercises, that she had to make excellent time to pursue Red ships and bring them to action, and this hurry provoked an accident when unusual currents caused her to go astray.

A Court Martial concluded on 2 September 1892 to resolve a charge that Captain Hulton and Lieutenant Wroughton had by negligence or by default hazarded the ship. Hulton stressed in his defence that he had had no tidal charts in his possession in the event, and Wroughton claimed to have been weakened by internal haemorrhoids to such an extent that he had recently handed his duties to Lt. George Warrender for 48 hours.

She was commissioned on 8 July 1896 in order to participate in the Annual Manoeuvres of 1896 under the command of Captain Edward Henry Bayly.

The ship paid off on 18 August 1896 following the exercises. It may have been in reserve for quite some time from here.

She completed conversion to a sea-going submarine depot ship in August 1904.

In July 1914, she was attached to the Third Submarine Flotilla for the Test Mobilisation. In January, 1915, she transferred to the Tenth Submarine Flotilla. She remained there until August 1916 when she went to help the Eighth Submarine Flotilla, but she remained there only about one month. In September, she was with the Ninth Submarine Flotilla where she would remain through the end of the war.

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

• Captain Swinton C. Holland, 18 July, 1889 – 6 September, 1889  (for Annual Manoeuvres of 1889)
• Captain John H. Bainbridge, 22 July, 1890 – 23 August, 1890^[Inference]  (during the Annual Manoeuvres of 1890)
• Captain John H. Bainbridge, 8 July, 1891 – 20 August, 1891  (during the Annual Manoeuvres of 1891 - may not have ceased last appointment)
• Captain Edward G. Hulton, 21 July, 1892  (for Annual Manoeuvres of 1892)
• Captain Charles P. G. Hicks, 11 July, 1893 – 25 August, 1893  (for Annual Manoeuvres of 1893)
• Captain Edward H. Bayly, 8 July, 1896 – 19 August, 1896  (for the Annual Manoeuvres of 1896)
• Captain Edward P. Ashe, 16 July, 1901 – 9 August, 1901  (for Annual Manoeuvres of 1901)
• Captain Edgar Lees, 28 July, 1904 – 21 October, 1904
• Commander Robert W. Johnson, 5 January, 1905 – May, 1905  (and for duty with submarines)
• Commander Sydney S. Hall, May, 1905 – 12 November, 1906
• Commander Maurice S. FitzMaurice, May, 1906 – 4 October, 1906  (lent)
• Commander Robert W. Johnson, 12 November, 1906 – 5 January, 1909  (and for duty with submarines and in command of the Devonport Submarine Flotilla)
• Commander Albert P. Addison, 5 January, 1909 – 1909  (and for duty with submarines and in command of the Seagoing Flotilla)
• Commander Algernon H. C. Candy, 17 November, 1909 – 2 January, 1911  (and for command of Devonport Seagoing Flotilla)
• Commander Stanley L. Willis, 2 January, 1911 – 12 January, 1912  (and for command of Devonport Seagoing Flotilla)
• Commander Wilfred Tomkinson, 12 January, 1912 – August, 1914
• Lieutenant-Commander Lionel A. D. Sturdee, 3 August, 1914 – 30 October, 1914
• Commander Nicholas E. Archdale, 31 October, 1914 – late 1917^[Inference]  (and for duty with Submarines)
• Commander Gilbert H. Kellett, 15 November, 1917 – 25 February, 1919  (and for submarines)
• Commander (S) Brownlow V. Layard, February, 1919 – November, 1919  (and for command of Portsmouth Submarine Flotilla)

See Also

• Wikipedia