H.M.S. Blenheim (1890)

H.M.S. Blenheim (1890)
Builder:	Thames Ironworks, Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
Laid down:	Oct, 1888
Launched:	5 Jul, 1890
Commissioned:	1 Jan, 1891
Sold:	13 Jul, 1926

Britain's protected cruiser H.M.S. Blenheim was converted to a destroyer depot ship after fifteen years of service, and served in this capacity throughout the Great War.

Service

An inspection of the ship in 1902 by Rear-Admiral Grenfell while she was under the command of Frederick George Stopford was unsatisfactory. He noted that, "uniform not adhered to; bedding fair, signal staff only fairly efficient; Engr. Murray exceeded wine bill; exercise only fair; submerged tube not properly examined; [illeg order] or 12 Oct 07 neglected; Marine detach^t not up to standard." Their Lordships conveyed their dissatisfaction, and the message was apparently taken to heard, as a follow-up inspection on 8 December was satisfactory.

Blenheim completed conversion to a depot ship in May of 1906.

She served as a depot ship for the Beagles of the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean through much of the war, even printing a newspaper for their information and amusement, the "Tenedos Times".

She recommissioned at Malta on 28 June, 1919.

Blenheim re-commissioned on 14 October, 1921.

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

• Captain William H. Hall, 11 July, 1893 – 22 August, 1893  (lent for manoeuvres)
• Captain Edmund S. Pöe, 1 September, 1894
• Captain Francis C. B. Bridgeman, 17 December, 1896 – August, 1897
• Captain Frederic W. Fisher, 15 June, 1898 – 30 September, 1898
• Captain Reginald N. Custance, 1 October, 1898 – 25 November, 1898
• Captain Frank H. Henderson, 22 December, 1900 – 11 July, 1902
• Captain Frederick G. Stopford, 11 July, 1902 – 5 July, 1904
• Captain Edmund R. Pears, 1 April, 1905 – 8 June, 1906  (nucleus crew)
• Captain Henry Harvey Bruce, 8 June, 1906 – 8 June, 1908
• Captain The Hon. Hubert G. Brand, 8 June, 1908 – 12 January, 1909
• Captain Brian H. F. Barttelot, 12 January, 1909 – 31 March, 1910
• Captain Douglas L. Dent, 31 March, 1910 – 2 April, 1912  (and as Captain (D), First Destroyer Flotilla)
• Captain Ernest S. Carey, 2 April, 1912 – 31 July, 1913  (and as Captain (D), First Destroyer Flotilla)
• Captain Vernon H. S. Haggard, 31 July, 1912 – 1 July, 1913
• Captain Charles P. R. Coode, 1 February, 1914 – 11 April, 1915  (and as Captain (D), Fifth Destroyer Flotilla)
• Acting Captain Percy Pitts, 11 April, 1915 – 1 April, 1919
• Captain Gilbert C. W. Crispin, 1 April, 1919 – 1 April, 1921
• Captain Harry W. C. Hughes, 15 March, 1921 – September, 1921
• Captain Frank Powell, c. late August, 1921 – c. mid October, 1921  (for passage from Malta to home)
• Captain Lawrence L. Dundas, c. late 1921^[Inference] – 1 November, 1922
• Captain Thomas J. S. Lyne, 1 November, 1922 – 22 August, 1924
• Captain Benjamin W. Barrow, 22 August, 1924 – 17 November, 1925  (and in command of "C.R.M.S.")
• Commander Christopher J. F. Wood, 17 November, 1925 – 9 February, 1926

Torpedoes

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 4 minutes, 45 seconds.  The best time was achieved by Cressy at 50.75 seconds, though times of 3-5 minutes were more typical.

See Also

• Transcribed Ship Logs at naval-history.net
• Wikipedia

Bibliography

• Chesneau, Robert; Kolesnik, Eugene (editors) (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).