HMS Vixen (1900)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Vixen.
Career (United Kingdom)
Name: Vixen
Ordered: 1898 – 1898 Naval Estimates
Builder: Vickers, Sons and Maxim, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down: 7 September 1899
Launched: 29 March 1900
Commissioned: March 1902
Decommissioned: 1919
Out of service: Laid up in reserve 1919
Fate: 17 March 1921 sold to Thomas W. Ward for breaking at Grays, Essex, on the Thames Estuary
General characteristics
Class and type:Vickers three funnel - 30 knot destroyer[1][2]
Displacement:355 t (349 long tons) standard
400 t (394 long tons) full load

214 ft 3 in (65.30 m) o/a
20 ft (6.1 m) Beam

8 ft 5 in (2.57 m) Draught
Propulsion:4 × Thornycroft water tube boiler
2 × Vertical Triple Expansion (VTE) steam engines driving 2 shafts producing 6,300 shp (4,700 kW)
Speed:30 kn (56 km/h)
Range:70 tons coal
1,440 nmi (2,670 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 naval gun 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 Vixen was a Vickers three funnel - 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1895 – 1896 Naval Estimates. She was the fourth ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1801 for an 18-gun brig sold 1815.[3][4]

Construction

She was laid down on 7 September 1899 at Vickers, Sons and Maxim Naval Construction and Armaments shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness and launched on 29 March 1900. During her builder’s trials she made her contract speed of 30 knots. She was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in March 1902.[3][4]

Pre-War

Vixen was assigned to the Channel Fleet. She was commissioned at Devonport by Commander William George Elmhirst Ruck-Keene on 11 March 1902,[5] for service with the Devonport instructional flotilla.[6] She spent her operational career mainly in Home Waters operating with the Channel Fleet in the East Coast Flotilla.

In the evening of 16 August 1912 she was in collision with the ferry South Shields while proceeding down river.

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 an C Class destroyer and had the letter ‘C’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.[7]

World War I

For the test mobilization in July 1914 she was assigned to the 7th Destroyer Flotilla based at Devonport tendered to HMS  Leander, destroyer depot ship to the 7th Flotilla. In September 1914 the 7th was redeployed to the Humber River. Her employment within the Humber Patrol included anti-submarine and counter mining patrols.

In November 1916 she was redeployed to the Nore Local Flotilla performing anti-submarine patrols and counter mining operations off the Thames until the Armistice.

Disposition

In 1919 she was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. She was sold on 17 March 1921 to Thomas W. Ward for breaking at Grays, Essex, on the Thames Estuary.[8]

She was not awarded a Battle Honour for her service.

Pennant Numbers

Pennant Number[8] FromTo
D446 Dec 19141 Sep 1915
D741 Sep 19151 Jan 1918
D951 Jan 191817 Mar 1921

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). Thursday, 20 March 1902. (36720), p. 10.
  6. ↑ "Naval & Military intelligence" The Times (London). Wednesday, 12 March 1902. (36713), p. 7.
  7. ↑ 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)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 ""Arrowsmith" List – Part 1 Destroyer Prototypes through "River" Class". Retrieved 1 Jun 2013.