View source for H.M.S. Bedford (1901)

<div name=fredbot:career>{{ShipCareer|fullname=H.M.S. ''Bedford'' (1901)|
|comm=11 Nov, 1903{{Conways1860|p. 70}}
|fatedate=21 Aug, 1910{{DittColl|p. 42}}
|order=1899-1900 Programme{{Conways1860|p. 70}}
|name=Bedford
|launch=31 Aug, 1901{{Conways1860|p. 70}}
|builder=[[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]], Govan{{Conways1860|p. 70}}
|laid=19 Feb, 1900{{Conways1860|p. 70}}
|fate=Wrecked
|pend=
|fg=white|bg=crimson}}</div name=fredbot:career>
'''H.M.S. ''Bedford''''' was one of ten [[Armoured Cruiser|armoured cruisers]] of the [[Monmouth Class Cruiser (1901)|''Monmouth'' Class]] completed between 1903 and 1904.

==Construction & Service==

In 1904, in a competition to investigate how rapidly submerged tubes could be fired four times sequentially, starting with the tube loaded and the bar out, the ship's crew was able to do this in 7 minutes, 40 seconds.  The best time was achieved by {{UK-Cressy}} at 50.75 seconds, though times of 3-5 minutes were more typical.{{ARTS1904|pp. 45-7}}

''Bedford'' participated in the [[Annual Manoeuvres of 1906]].  Her three funnels were painted red for the exercises. "present[ing] a vivid contrast to her grey hull."{{NMI|Monday, Jun 11, 1906; pg. 7; Issue 38043}}

In 1910, ''Bedford'' was the best gunnery ship of the six on the [[China Station]], scoring 67.81 &ndash; well ahead of the average 56.628.<ref>{{TNA|ADM 1/8328.}} p. 4.</ref>

===Loss===
On 20 August, 1910, ''Bedford'' sailed from Weihai with three other ships from the squadron for Nagasaki.  ''Bedford'' took the opportunity on the passage to conduct a full-power test and drew ahead of her small formation.  At about 4.50am on the 21st she ran hard aground on the Samarang Reef and flooded the forward boiler room, killing all but one within.  The ship had been 25 and a half miles off her estimated position at the time of the wreck, owing largely to strong currents.{{HepperLosses|p. 22}}

On 23 August the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire sent a telegram to the Admiralty:

:County of Bedford desires to express its deep regret at the accident to H.M.S. Bedford and also its sympathy with the relatives and friends of those whose lives have been lost.  The Lord Lieutenant is anxious for further information.

Captain [[Edward Stafford Fitzherbert, Thirteenth Baron Stafford|Fitzherbert]] and Lieutenant (D) [[Albert Edward Dixie|Dixie]] were found to have hazarded the ship by default and were severely reprimanded and dismissed the ship.{{HepperLosses|p. 22}}

====List of Men Killed====
*Allen Jones, Artificer Engineer, F.36221.
*Colin Ferguson, Leading Stoker First Class, 277961.
*William Horner Taylor, Stoker Petty Officer, ON.277442.
*John Hart, Chief Stoker, ON.285975.
*John Wilson, Leading Stoker, ON.396497.
*Arthur Richard Austin Eastwood, Stoker First Class, ON.298172.
*Walter Lill, Stoker First Class, K.124.
*George Fovargue, Stoker First Class, K.205.
*John Thomas Fogarty, Stoker First Class, K.260.
*Alfred Percy Andrews, Stoker First Class, K.146.
*James Henry Calam, Stoker First Class, S.S.106528.
*John McKittrick, Stoker First Class, ON.104751.
*Andrew McDowell, Stoker First Class, ON.106672.
*George William Goodall, Stoker First Class, ON.311424.
*William George McElligott, Stoker First Class, ON.304020.
*William Cook, Stoker, ON.296491.
*Thomas White, Able Seaman, ON.238666.
*Henry James Crust, Able Seaman, ON.238394.

==Captains==
Dates of appointment are provided when known.
<div name=fredbot:officeCapt otitle="Captain of H.M.S. ''Bedford''">
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Frederick Charles Doveton Sturdee, First Baronet|nick=Frederick C. D. Sturdee|appt=11 November, 1903<ref>Sturdee Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}}  f. 40.</ref>|end=21 November, 1904<ref>Sturdee Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}}  f. 40.</ref>|precBy=New Command}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Richard Henry Peirse|nick=Richard H. Peirse|appt=14 November, 1904{{NLNov05|p. 283}}<ref>Peirse Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}} f. 1026.</ref>|end=28 December, 1905<ref>Peirse Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}} f. 1026.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Herbert Lyon|nick=Herbert Lyon|appt=28 December, 1905<ref>Lyon Service Record at {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}}  f. 446.</ref>|end=8 March, 1906<ref>Lyon Service Record at {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}}  f. 446.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Charles Hope Robertson|nick=Charles H. Robertson|appt=9 March, 1906<ref>Robertson Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 447.</ref>|end=20 May, 1906<ref>Robertson Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 447.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Henry Holland Torlesse|nick=Henry H. Torlesse|appt=21 May, 1906<ref>Torlesse Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}} f. 1314.</ref>|end=6 November, 1906<ref>Torlesse Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}} f. 1314.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Drury St. Aubyn Wake|nick=Drury St. A. Wake|appt=6 November, 1906<ref>Wake Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}}  f. 638.</ref>|end=11 January, 1907<ref>Wake Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}}  f. 638.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Seymour Elphinstone Erskine|nick=Seymour E. Erskine|appt=12 January, 1907{{NLOct08|p. 282}}|end=21 December, 1908}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Edward Stafford Fitzherbert, Thirteenth Baron Stafford|nick=Edward S. Fitzherbert|appt=21 December, 1908<ref>Stafford Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}}  f. 524.</ref>|end=21 August, 1910<ref>Stafford Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}}  f. 524.</ref>|note=ship lost under his command|succBy=Vessel Lost}}
</div name=fredbot:officeCapt>

==See Also==
{{refbegin}}
{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Bedford_(1901)}}
{{refend}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{DittColl}}
*{{Conways1860}}
{{refend}}

{{Footer Monmouth Class Cruiser (1901)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedford}}

{{CatShipArmouredCruiser|UK}}