HMS Violet (1897)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Violet.
Career (United Kingdom)
Name: HMS Violet
Ordered: 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates
Builder: William Doxford and Sons Pallion, Sunderland
Laid down: 13 July 1896
Launched: 3 May 1897
Commissioned: June 1898
Out of service: Laid up in reserve 1919
Fate: Sold for breaking, 7 June 1920
General characteristics
Class and type:Doxford three funnel - 30 knot destroyer[1][2]
Displacement:350 t (344 long tons) standard
400 t (394 long tons) full load
Length:214 ft (65 m) o/a
Beam:21 ft (6.4 m)
Draught:9 ft 7 in (2.92 m)
Installed power:6,300 shp (4,700 kW)
Propulsion:
  • 4 × Thornycroft water tube boilers
  • 2 × vertical triple-expansion steam engines
  • 2 × shafts
Speed:30 kn (56 km/h)
Range:95 tons coal
1,615 nmi (2,991 km) at 11 kn (20 km/h)
Complement:63 officers and men
Armament:
  • 1 × QF 12-pounder 12 cwt Mark I L/40 naval gun on a P Mark I low angle mount
  • 5 × QF 6-pdr 8 cwt L/40 naval gun on a Mark I* low angle mount
  • 2 × single tubes for 18-inch (450mm) torpedoes
Service record
Operations: World War I 1914 - 1918

HMS Violet was a Doxford three funnel - 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates. She was the seventh ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1588 for a 200 ton vessel.[3][4]

Construction

She was laid down on 13 July 1896 at the William Doxford and Sons shipyard at Pallion, Sunderland and launched on 3 May 1897. During her builder’s trials she made her contracted speed requirement. She was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in June 1898.[3][4]

Pre-war

After commissioning she was assigned to the Devonport Flotilla and spent her entire career in home waters.

She underwent repairs to re-tube her boilers in 1902.[5]

On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. Since her design speed was 30-knots and she had three funnels she was assigned to the C class. After 30 September 1913, she was known as a C-class destroyer and had the letter ‘C’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.[6]

World War I

August 1914 found her in active commission in the 7th Destroyer Flotilla based at Devonport tendered to HMS Leander. She served there until September 1917 when she was sent to join the local defence flotilla at the Nore.[7]

In April 1918 she was reassigned to the 6th Destroyer Flotilla and the Dover Patrol.[8] She remained in this deployment for the duration of the First World War. Her duties included anti-submarine, counter-mining patrols and patrolling the Dover Barrage.

Disposition

In 1919 she was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. Violet was sold on 7 June 1920 to J Houston of Montrose for breaking.[9]

Pennant numbers

Pennant number[9] FromTo
D096 December 19141 September 1915
D731 September 19151 January 1918
D941 January 19187 June 1920

References

Note: All tabular data under general characteristics only from the listed Jane's Fighting Ships volume unless otherwise specified

  1. Jane, Fred T. (1969) [1905]. Jane’s Fighting Ships 1905. New York: first published by Sampson Low Marston, London 1905, Reprinted ARCO Publishing Company. p. 77.
  2. Jane, Fred T. (reprinted © 1990). Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I. Jane’s Publishing © 1919. p. 77. ISBN 1 85170 378 0. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Jane, Fred T. (1969) [1898]. Jane’s All The Worlds Fighting Ships 1898. New York: first published by Sampson Low Marston, London 1898, Reprinted ARCO Publishing Company. p. 84 to 85.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Jane, Fred T. (reprinted © 1990). Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I. Jane’s Publishing © 1919. p. 76. ISBN 1 85170 378 0. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. "Naval & Military intelligence" The Times (London). Wednesday, 14 May 1902. (36767), p. 12.
  6. Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1906 to 1922. Conway Maritime Press. 1985, Reprinted 1986, 1997, 2002, 2006. p. Page 17 to 19. ISBN 0 85177 245 5. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. Monthly Supplements to the Navy List, September 1914 through September 1917.
  8. Monthly Supplements to the Navy List, September 1917 through December 1918.
  9. 9.0 9.1 ""Arrowsmith" List – Part 1 Destroyer Prototypes through "River" Class". Retrieved 1 Jun 2013.