HMS Hermes (1913)
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| Career |  |
|
|---|---|---|
| Ordered: | 1897 | |
| Laid down: | April 1897 | |
| Launched: | April 7, 1898 | |
| Commissioned: | May 7, 1913 | |
| Fate: | 31 October 1914 Torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-27 in the Straights of Dover. | |
| Struck: | ||
| General Characteristics | ||
| Displacement: | 5600 tons full load | |
| Length: | 350 ft (107 m) | |
| Beam: | 54 ft (16.5 m) | |
| Draught: | 22 ft (6.7 m) | |
| Propulsion: | 2 shaft TE engines, 10,000 ihp (7.5 MW) | |
| Speed: | 20 knots (37 km/h) | |
| Range: | ||
| Complement: | 450 | |
| Armament: | 11 x 6 in (152 mm) QF (11 x 1), 9 x 12 pounder (5 kg) QF (9 x 1), 6 x 3 pounder (1.4 kg) QF (6 x 1), 2 x 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes | |
| Aircraft: | 3 aircraft | |
| Motto: | ||
HMS Hermes was the first of three modified Eclipse class cruisers, commonly known as the Highflyer class. She is historically notable for being refitted in April-May 1913 to act as the first experimental seaplane carrier of the British Navy, with a launching platform and room to stow 3 seaplanes (the French La Foudre preceeded her by about a year).
She was converted back into a cruiser and commissioned in May 1913, but taken out of service at the end of the year and placed in reserve.
She was brought back into service on the outbreak of World War I as a seaplane tender, and sunk by U-27 whilst transporting aircraft in October 1914.
See HMS Hermes for other ships of the same name.
