H.M.S. Sybille (1890)
| H.M.S. Sybille (1890) | |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Robert Stephenson & Company, Newcastle[1] |
| Laid down: | 1889[2] |
| Launched: | 27 Dec, 1890[3] |
| Wrecked: | 16 Jan, 1901[4] |
H.M.S. Sybille was one of 21 Apollo class second-class cruisers completed in the early to mid 1890s.
Service
Sybille was ordered to Lambert's Bay to support the Army in protecting the Cape Colony from Boer commando attacks. On 9 January, 1901, Captain Williams landed with fifty men and two field guns, leaving Lieutenant Hubert Henry Holland in command of the cruiser. On the night of 15 January, Holland elected to take the ship to sea when she began dragging her anchor. The weather abated before too long, and so he brought her back to the anchorage from the south, but he struck rocks and became stuck at 2:30am. Holland fired signal shots from the 4.7-in guns and released oil to calm the water enough to launch boats. At 8:30, a tug and a trawler arrived, joined later by the City of Cambridge and the torpedo cruiser Tartar. Collectively the men were removed by lifeline, though one man was fatally injured in the effort. The ship was to become a total loss under the action of the sea, though much of her stores and equipment was salvaged.
A Court of Enquiry concluded that Lieutenant Holland had not allowed for the strong current. Following a Court Martial, he was dismissed the ship and was penalised two years' seniority, as was navigating lieutenant Herbert Cayley. Sub-lieutenant Alfred G. A. Street and Gunner (T) James J. Tapper also received severe reprimands in the accident.[5]
Captains
Dates of appointment are provided when known.
- Captain John Ferris, 18 July, 1894[6] (for Annual Manoeuvres of 1894)
- Captain Gerald W. Russell, 8 January, 1895[7]
- Captain Hugh P. Williams, 9 October, 1900[8] – 27 February, 1901[9] (vessel wrecked on 16 January)
See Also
Footnotes
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 76.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 76.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 76.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 76.
- ↑ Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 16.
- ↑ Ferris Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/38. f. 448.
- ↑ The Navy List. (March, 1896). p. 267a.
- ↑ Williams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1409.
- ↑ Williams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1409.
Bibliography
