H.M.S. London (1899)

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H.M.S. London (1899)
Pendant Number: 70 (1914)
81 (Jan 1918)
N.41 (Apr 1918)[1]
Builder: Portsmouth Royal Dockyard[2]
Ordered: 1898-99 Programme[3]
Laid down: 8 Dec, 1898[4]
Launched: 21 Sep, 1899[5]
Commissioned: 7 Jun, 1902[6]
Sold: 4 Jun, 1920[7]
Fate: Scrapped

H.M.S. London was completed in mid-1902, one of five battleships in her class.

There was also a heavy cruiser named London completed in the late 1920s.

Construction

Her machinery was provided by Earle's Shipbuilding Co.[8]

Service

On 6 June, 1902, the London was inspected by Rear-Admiral Pelham Aldrich (Admiral Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard) and passed into the Fleet Reserve. The following day she was commissioned at Portsmouth on 7 June, 1902, by Captain James E. C. Goodrich. It was announced that she would fly the flag of the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, Sir Charles Hotham, at the planned Naval Review to mark the coronation of King Edward VII, and then proceed to the Mediterranean Station.[9] In the end, the Naval Review wasn't held, and London was ordered to the Mediterranean on 3 July.[10]

London collided with a ship named Don Benito on 11 May, 1912 in dense fog. A Court of Inquiry called into question the controversial reliance on sound signalling in this incident.[11] She was reduced at Sheerness on 13 May, 1912.[12]

She recommissioned at Devonport on 18 February 1914.[13]

In April and May 1915, she was helping bombard shore positions at Gallipoli. On 10 October, she reported on her methods of indicating the point of aim.[14]

London paid off on 27 October, 1916.[15] She recommissioned at Devonport on 1 January, 1918.[16]

She went to Rosyth to be converted to a minelayer. In doing so, she landed her 12-in armament as well as the aft 12-in turret as well as torpedo nets. She was left with an armament of three 6-in and one 4-in gun, presumably on an H.A. mounting. She could carry 240 mines on rails installed behind a canvas screen on her quarter deck. London recommissioned on 18 May to work with the First Minelaying Squadron, helping to sow the massive Northern Mine Barrage in eleven sorties: 2640 mines in all.

A post-war report summarised that London "[c]arries far too few mines for her size and carries them on the upper deck, exposed for half the length of the rails." She was, however, praised for having efficient mine handling rails and drops, as well as the means to quickly embark mines.[17]

Alterations

In 1913 it was approved that London receive a Mark III Dumaresq, Pattern 760. Having been supplied with the Mark III variant, she was to surrender a Mark I instrument.[18]

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 30.
  2. ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 30.
  3. ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 37.
  4. ↑ Navy (Dockyard Expense Accounts). 1902–1903. p. 26.
  5. ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 30.
  6. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 7 June, 1902. Issue 36788, col C, p. 9.
  7. ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 30.
  8. ↑ Navy (Dockyard Expense Accounts). 1902–1903. p. 26.
  9. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 7 June, 1902. Issue 36788, col C, p. 9.
  10. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 2 July, 1902. Issue 36809, col F, p. 7.
  11. ↑ Admiralty Weekly Order No. 302 of 20 June 1913.
  12. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 341.
  13. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 341.
  14. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 1/8440/335, Enclosure 2.
  15. ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 395ww.
  16. ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 834.
  17. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, Mining Appendix, 1917-18. p. 13.
  18. ↑ Admiralty Weekly Orders. "283.—Instruments, Rate of Change, Dumaresq, Mark III, Pattern 760—Supply of, to certain Ships." N.S. 2066/13.—6.6.1913. The National Archives. ADM 182/4.
  19. ↑ Goodrich Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/38. f. 535.
  20. ↑ Goodrich Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/18. f. 537.
  21. ↑ Tillard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/18. f. 557.
  22. ↑ Tillard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/18. f. 557.
  23. ↑ Wilkinson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 668.
  24. ↑ Wilkinson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 668.
  25. ↑ Story Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39/498. f. 1236.
  26. ↑ Story Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39/498. f. 1236.
  27. ↑ Tower Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 32.
  28. ↑ Tower Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 32.
  29. ↑ Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  30. ↑ Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  31. ↑ Ley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 74.
  32. ↑ Chatfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 346.
  33. ↑ Chatfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 346.
  34. ↑ Sinclair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 368.
  35. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 341.
  36. ↑ Sinclair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 368.
  37. ↑ Grafton Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 327/660.
  38. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 341.
  39. ↑ Grafton Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 327/660.
  40. ↑ Kemp Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 52.
  41. ↑ Kemp Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 52.
  42. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 395n.
  43. ↑ Armstrong Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 160.
  44. ↑ Armstrong Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 160.
  45. ↑ Radcliffe Service Record The National Archives. ADM 196/42/67. f. 73.
  46. ↑ Radcliffe Service Record The National Archives. ADM 196/42/67. f. 73.
  47. ↑ Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
  48. ↑ Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
  49. ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 834.
  50. ↑ The Navy List. (May, 1919). p. 834.
  51. ↑ England Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 327.
  52. ↑ England Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 327.

Bibliography

  • Navy (Dockyard Expense Accounts). 1902–1903. London: Printed for His Majesty's Stationary Office. 1904.
  • Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
  • Parkes, O.B.E., Ass.I.N.A., Dr. Oscar (1990). British Battleships 1860–1950. London: Pen & Sword Ltd. ISBN 0850526043. (on Bookfinder.com).
  • Preston, Antony (1972). Battleships of World War I. New York, NY: Galahad Books. ISBN 0883653001.


London Class Pre-dreadnought
Bulwark London Venerable Prince of Wales Queen
<– Formidable Class Battleships (UK) Duncan Class –>


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