H.M.S. Contest (1913)
| H.M.S. Contest (1913) | |
|---|---|
| Pendant Number: | H.63(1914) H.28 (1917)[1] |
| Builder: | Hawthorn Leslie[2] |
| Laid down: | 26 Dec, 1911[3] |
| Launched: | 7 Jan, 1913[4] |
| Completed: | 6 Jun, 1913[5] |
| Torpedoed: | 18 Sep, 1917[6] |
| Fate: | by U 106[7] |
H.M.S. Contest was one of twenty destroyers of the Acasta class.
Service
Contest was the seventh of the twenty destroyers of the 1911-12 programme to be completed. She was commissioned into service by Commander Kerrison Kiddle, who paid off his previous command, Comet two days before commissioning Contest.[8]
In mid-1913, she was serving with the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla.[9]
At the Battle of Jutland, she operated with the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Ernald G. H. Master.[10]
When off southwest England, Contest was torpedoed while escorting a twenty-four ship convoy out of Plymouth bound for America. After the steamer City of London was torpedoed at 5.45pm, Contest came alongside to await the arrival of tugs. A half-hour later, the destroyer was herself hit by a torpedo on the port side aft which caused her after magazine and depth charges to explode. The survivors had to take to the boats for the night. Upon their rescue in the morning by ships which included the Forester, one boat with eight men was missing.[11] In all, thirty-five of the crew were lost.[12] The u-boat that fired the torpedo was most likely U 106.[13]
Captains
Dates of appointment are provided when known.
- Commander Kerrison Kiddle, 5 June, 1913[14][15] – December, 1913[16]
- Commander Gerald L. Parnell, December, 1913[17] – 26 February, 1914 (temporary)
- Commander Kerrison Kiddle, 26 February, 1914[18][19] – 23 January, 1916[20]
- Lieutenant & Commander John A. Scott, 23 January, 1916 – 21 April, 1916 (sick)
- Lieutenant-Commander Ernald G. H. Master, 21 April, 1916[21] – June, 1916[22] (in command at Battle of Jutland)
- Lieutenant in Command Humphrey M. Robson, June, 1916[23] – 25 July, 1916[24]
- Lieutenant in Command Harold O. Joyce, 8 August, 1916[25] – June, 1917
- Lieutenant in Command Edward D. W. Lawford, 26 June, 1917 – 18 July, 1917
- Lieutenant-Commander Richard B. England, 15 August, 1917[26] – 18 September, 1917[27] (vessel lost under his command)
See Also
Footnotes
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 63.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 75.
- ↑ "Naval And Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Monday, Jun 02, 1913; pg. 3; Issue 40227.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 75.
- ↑ "Naval And Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Monday, Jun 02, 1913; pg. 3; Issue 40227.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 75.
- ↑ Uboat.net
- ↑ "Naval And Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Monday, Jun 02, 1913; pg. 3; Issue 40227.
- ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 296.
- ↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. pp. 34, 44.
- ↑ Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 103.
- ↑ Kindell. Royal Navy Roll of Honour Part 2. p. 403.
- ↑ Uboat.net
- ↑ Kiddle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/250. f. 250.
- ↑ The Navy List. (November, 1913). p. 298.
- ↑ Kiddle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/250. f. 250.
- ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1914). p. 298.
- ↑ Kiddle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/250. f. 250.
- ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 393c.
- ↑ Kiddle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/250. f. 250.
- ↑ Master Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/316. f. ?.
- ↑ The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 395z.
- ↑ Robson Service Records. The National Archives. ADM 196/52/55. f. 411.
- ↑ Robson Service Records. The National Archives. ADM 196/52/55. f. 411.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 393g.
- ↑ The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 392r.
- ↑ Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 103.
Bibliography
| Acasta Class Destroyer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Acasta | Achates | Ambuscade | Christopher | Cockatrice | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contest | Shark | Sparrowhawk | Spitfire | Lynx | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Midge | Owl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thornycroft Specials | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hardy | Paragon | Porpoise | Unity | Victor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Specials | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ardent | Fortune | Garland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| <– | Acheron Class | Destroyers (UK) | Laforey Class | –> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
