HMS Lapwing (1911)
Encyclopedia
HMS Lapwing was an Acheron-class destroyer
of the Royal Navy
that served during World War I
and was sold for breaking in 1921. She was the seventh Royal Navy
ship to be named after vanellus vanellus, the Northern Lapwing
.
of Birkenhead
. She had three Parsons turbines, and three Yarrows boilers. Capable of 27 knots, she carried two 4-inch guns, other smaller guns and two 21-inch torpedo
tubes and had a complement of 72 men. She was launched on 29 September 1911.
in 1914 on the outbreak of World War I.
, and shared in the prize money for the battle. When HMS Laertes
was seriously damaged and stopped in the water, Lapwing went to her aid under heavy fire. Lieutenant Commander Gye manoeuvred to pass a tow, but in getting underway the towing hawser parted. Laertes was saved only by the arrival of the battle cruiser Lion
.
, led by the light cruiser Aurora
. Her crew shared in the Prize Money for the German
armoured cruiser Blücher
.
on 31 May 1916.
Acheron class destroyer
The Acheron class was a class of twenty-three destroyers of the British Royal Navy, all built under the 1910-11 Programme and completed between 1911 and 1912, which served during World War I. A further six ships were built to the same design for the Royal Australian Navy as River-class destroyers...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
that served during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and was sold for breaking in 1921. She was the seventh Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
ship to be named after vanellus vanellus, the Northern Lapwing
Northern Lapwing
The Northern Lapwing , also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. It is common through temperate Eurasia....
.
Construction
She was built under the 1910-11 shipbuilding programme by Cammell Laird and CompanyCammell Laird
Cammell Laird, one of the most famous names in British shipbuilding during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, came about following the merger of Laird, Son & Co. of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co. of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century.- Founding of the business :The Company...
of Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
. She had three Parsons turbines, and three Yarrows boilers. Capable of 27 knots, she carried two 4-inch guns, other smaller guns and two 21-inch torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
tubes and had a complement of 72 men. She was launched on 29 September 1911.
Pennant Numbers
| Pennant Number | From | |To |
|---|---|---|
| H56 | 6 December 1914 | 1 January 1918 |
| H48 | 1 January 1918 | Early 1919 |
| H09 | Early 1919 | 9 May 1921 |
Pre-War
Lapwing served with the First Destroyer Flotilla from 1911 and, with her flotilla, joined the British Grand FleetBritish Grand Fleet
The Grand Fleet was the main fleet of the British Royal Navy during the First World War.-History:It was formed in 1914 by the British Atlantic Fleet combined with the Home Fleet and it included 35-40 state-of-the-art capital ships. It was initially commanded by Admiral Sir John Jellicoe...
in 1914 on the outbreak of World War I.
The Battle of Heligoland Bight
She was present with First Destroyer Flotilla on 28 August 1914 at the Battle of Heligoland Bight, led by the light cruiser FearlessHMS Fearless (1912)
HMS Fearless was an Active-class scout cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built at Pembroke Dockyard and launched on 12 June 1912.On commissioning she was assigned to the Harwich Force with her sisters, and was the leader of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla...
, and shared in the prize money for the battle. When HMS Laertes
HMS Laertes (1913)
HMS Laertes was a Laforey-class destroyer of the Royal Navy.-Construction:She was launched from the yards of Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend, on 5 June 1913 under the name HMS Sarpedon. She was renamed HMS Laertes on 30 September 1913...
was seriously damaged and stopped in the water, Lapwing went to her aid under heavy fire. Lieutenant Commander Gye manoeuvred to pass a tow, but in getting underway the towing hawser parted. Laertes was saved only by the arrival of the battle cruiser Lion
HMS Lion (1910)
HMS Lion was a battlecruiser of the Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class, which were nicknamed the "Splendid Cats". They were significant improvements over their predecessors of the in terms of speed, armament and armour...
.
The Battle of Dogger Bank
On 24 January 1915, the First Destroyer Flotilla, including Lapwing, were present at the Battle of Dogger BankBattle of Dogger Bank (1915)
The Battle of Dogger Bank was a naval battle fought near the Dogger Bank in the North Sea on 24 January 1915, during the First World War, between squadrons of the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet....
, led by the light cruiser Aurora
HMS Aurora (1913)
HMS Aurora was an Arethusa-class light cruiser launched on 30 September 1913 at Devonport Dockyard.Construction started in 1912 and she was commissioned into the Royal Navy and saw service as part of the Grand Fleet from 1914 to 1915, as leader of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla...
. Her crew shared in the Prize Money for the German
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
armoured cruiser Blücher
SMS Blücher
SMS Blücher was the last armored cruiser to be built by the German Imperial Navy . She was designed to match what German intelligence incorrectly believed to be the specifications of the British s...
.
Transfer to Third Battle Squadron
The First Destroyer Flotilla was transferred to the Third Battle Squadron in the Spring of 1916 to act as an anti-submarine screen for the Battlecruisers.The Battle of Jutland
Lapwing, under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Alexander Gye, was present with her flotilla at the Battle of JutlandBattle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
on 31 May 1916.