H.M.S. Valiant (1914)

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H.M.S. Valiant (1914)
Pendant Number: 34 (Aug 1914)
A6 (Jan 1918)
43 (Apr 1918)[1]
Builder: Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company[2]
Ordered: 1912 Programme[3]
Laid down: 31 Jan, 1913[4]
Launched: 4 Nov, 1914[5]
Commissioned: 13 Jan, 1916
Sold: 19 Mar, 1948[6]
Fate: Scrapped

Service

Valiant was commissioned at Govan on 13 January, 1916, by Captain Woollcombe.[7]

The ship had a pool table, a photo of which is in the Crawford Scrapbook, Liddle Collection, University of Leeds.

In July 1914, the ship was appropriated 42-foot motor launch No. 250, though the boat was not yet delivered from the contractor.[8]

Lieutenant-Commander Brian Egerton served as torpedo officer and first Lieutenant-Commander of Valiant between March 1915 until June 1917.[9]

Jutland

Main article: H.M.S. Valiant at the Battle of Jutland

She fought at Jutland as part of the Fifth Battle Squadron under Captain Woollcombe in support of the Battle Cruiser Force with her sisters, less Queen Elizabeth.

Sister ship H.M.S. Warspite collided with Valiant and nearly also with Erin on 24 August, 1916 while the squadron was engaged in a night firing exercise without lights. Valiant was in dockyard hands for six weeks and Warspite for three months to make the needed repairs. Captain Phillpotts of Warspite was tried by Court Martial on 5/6 October 1916 on a charge of having hazarded his vessel, and was sentenced to be reprimanded for not having made definite arrangements for the programme. The sentence was cancelled when it was argued that the squadron's Rear-Admiral Hugh Evan-Thomas was responsible for making such arrangements.[10]

Post-War

Valiant re-commissioned at Devonport on 2 February, 1923. By March 1925 she was serving with the First Battle Squadron in the Mediterranean.[11]

She was re-commissioned at Devonport on 26 May, 1927.[12]

The ship re-commissioned at Portsmouth on 2 December, 1930.[13]

Re-commissioned at Chatham on 12 January, 1932 for service with the Second Battle Squadron.[14]

In June of 1933, her bell was one of about 100 surplus bells announced as being for sale at prices ranging from £1 to £10. Preference would be given to those offers from men with a special consideration in the bell in question.[15]

Valiant was re-commissioned at The Nore on 15 August, 1934 for service with the First Battle Squadron in the Mediterranean.[16]

She was transferred to Dockyard Control at Devonport on 1 March, 1937.[17]

Alterations

Valiant was completed with director firing installed, as all capital ships were supposed to do after 2 January, 1915.[18]

In December, 1914, Open Director Sights were ordered for all[Inference] her turrets. They were likely in place by her completion.[19]

Between late 1915 and mid 1917, she was fitted with a Torpedo Control Plotting Instrument Mark II in the TCT.[20][21]

Her secondary battery directors were installed in April, 1917.[22]

When in 1918 it was desired to give each capital ship possible an additional effective 9-foot rangefinder to support torpedo control, Valiant proposed a pair of transversing mountings atop the beef screen, one each side. Vernon did not want the transversing mountings, owing to the loss in efficiency they incurred on the rangefinder.[23]

At some point, she and her sisters were also outfitted with Turret Control Tables, although there is no indication whether this was 1 table per ship, or 2 in the controlling turrets, or one in all four turrets.[24]

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

See Also

Footnotes

  1. Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 34.
  2. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 33.
  3. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 33.
  4. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 33.
  5. Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 34.
  6. Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 34.
  7. Campbell. p. 44.
  8. Admiralty Weekly Order No. 122 of 10 July, 1914.
  9. The Times (London, England), Friday, Dec 28, 1928; pg. 14; Issue 45086.
  10. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  11. The Navy List. (April, 1925). p. 278.
  12. The Navy List. (February, 1929). p. 276.
  13. The Navy List. (July, 1931). p. 276.
  14. The Navy List. (July, 1934). p. 282.
  15. "Warships' Bells." The Times (London, England), 12 June 1933, p. 11.
  16. The Navy List. (October, 1935). p. 281.
  17. The Navy List. (July, 1937). p. 281.
  18. The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, pp. 10.
  19. The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, p. 18.
  20. Handbook of Torpedo Control, 1916. p. 38.
  21. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1915. p. 60.
  22. The Technical History and Index, Vol. 3, Part 23. p. 16.
  23. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1918. p. 177.
  24. Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. p. 3.
  25. Woollcombe Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 504.
  26. Woollcombe Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 504.
  27. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 923.
  28. Buller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 403.
  29. Buller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 403.
  30. Longden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/246. f. 246.
  31. The Navy List. (August, 1919). p. 923.
  32. Longden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/246. f. 246.
  33. The Navy List. (January, 1923). p. 835.
  34. The Navy List. (April, 1925). p. 278.
  35. The Navy List. (February, 1926). p. 278.
  36. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  37. Walwyn Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/24. f. 24.
  38. The Navy List. (July, 1927). p. 277.
  39. Carrington Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 489.
  40. Carrington Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 489.
  41. Sommerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/10. f. 413.
  42. Sommerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/10. f. 413.
  43. Scott Service Records. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/203. f. 207.
  44. Day of month inferred from Sommerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/10. f. 413.
  45. Scott Service Records. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/203. f. 207.
  46. The Navy List. (January, 1933). p. 279.
  47. Maxwell Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48. f. 451.
  48. Maxwell Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48. f. 451.
  49. Watson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/339. f. 341.
  50. Watson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/339. f. 341.
  51. Taylor Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/173. f. 173.
  52. Taylor Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/173. f. 173.
  53. The Navy List. (October, 1935). p. 281.
  54. Arbuthnot Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91/198. f. 200.
  55. Arbuthnot Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91/198. f. 200.
  56. Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/137. f. 137.
  57. Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/137. f. 137.
  58. Uboat.net page on the ship.
  59. Superseded on that date. Barry Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/53. f. 150.
  60. Barry Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/53. f. 150.
  61. Uboat.net page on the ship.
  62. Ashmore Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55. f. 99.
  63. Uboat.net page on the ship.
  64. O'Donnell Service Record The National Archives. ADM 196/56. f. 14.
  65. O'Donnell Service Record The National Archives. ADM 196/56. f. 14.
  66. Uboat.net page on the ship.

Bibliography

  • Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1917). The Director Firing Handbook. O.U. 6125 (late C.B. 1259). Copy No. 322 at The National Archives. ADM 186/227.
  • Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1918). Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. C.B. 1456. Copy No. 10 at Admiralty Library, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
  • Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
  • Admiralty, Technical History Section (1919). The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in H.M. Ships. Vol. 3, Part 23. C.B. 1515 (23) now O.U. 6171/14. At The National Archives. ADM 275/19.
  • Parkes, O.B.E., Ass.I.N.A., Dr. Oscar (1990). British Battleships 1860–1950. London: Pen & Sword Ltd. ISBN 0850526043. (on Bookfinder.com).


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