HMAS Psyche
Psyche
| |
History | |
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United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Psyche |
Builder | HM Devonport Dockyard |
Laid down | 15 November 1897 |
Launched | 19 July 1898 |
Commissioned | 2 May 1899 |
Decommissioned | 22 January 1915 |
Honours and awards | One inherited battle honour |
Fate | Transferred to the Royal Australian Navy 1 July 1915 |
History | |
Australia | |
Name | HMAS Psyche |
Acquired | 1 July 1915 |
Commissioned | 1 July 1915 |
Decommissioned | 26 March 1918 |
Fate |
|
Notes | Served as lighter 1922–1940 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Pelorus-class cruiser |
Displacement | 2,135 long tons (2,169 t) |
Length |
|
Beam | 36.5 ft (11.1 m) |
Draught | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
Propulsion | 2 × triple expansion steam engines, 7,000 ihp (5,200 kW), two screws |
Speed | 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
Complement | Initially 220, reduced to 188 |
Armament |
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Armour |
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HMAS Psyche (formerly HMS Psyche) was a Pelorus-class protected cruiser built for the Royal Navy at the end of the 19th century. Initially operating on the North America and West Indies Station, the cruiser was transferred to the Australian Squadron in 1903, and remained there until the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) took over responsibility in 1913. After a stint in New Zealand waters and involvement in the Occupation of German Samoa, Psyche was paid off in 1915.
At the recommendation of the Australian government, the ship was commissioned into the RAN in 1915, and assigned to patrol the coast of Burma, in response to the threat of a German-instigated uprising. Psyche operated in the Bay of Bengal and around Sumatra until 1916, when she was docked at Hong Kong for refit. During this, personnel from the ship were used to commission and man the river gunboat
Design and construction
Psyche was a third-class
The cruiser was armed with eight single QF 4 in (100 mm) guns, eight single QF 3-pounder guns, two 4.7-inch guns, two field guns, three Maxim machine guns, and two 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes sited above the waterline.[2] Armour protection was limited to 50 mm (2.0 in) thick section of deck plating over vital areas.[3] The ship's company initially stood at 220, but this was later reduced to 188; 12 officers, and 176 sailors.[2]
Psyche was laid down for the Royal Navy at HM Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth on 15 November 1897.[2] She was launched on 19 July 1898 by Miss E. Carr, sister of the dockyard's admiral superintendent.[2] The cruiser was completed on 28 April 1899, and was placed in reserve until her commissioning on 2 May 1899.[2]
Operational history
Psyche was commissioned on 2 May 1899 by Captain Francis Raymond Pelly, for service on the
In December 1903, she was transferred to the Royal Navy's Australian Squadron, where she served until October 1913, when the Australia Station was handed to the control of the fledgling RAN.[2] Psyche was then assigned to New Zealand waters.[12] In 1914, Psyche formed part of the escort for the New Zealand Force which occupied German Samoa (now Samoa).[13] Psyche also escorted troop ships heading from New Zealand to the Middle East.[12] She returned to Sydney in late 1914, and was decommissioned on 22 January 1915.[12][13]
In May 1915, the Australian government suggested to the
On 17 January 1916, the demobilisation of the Burma Coast Patrol was ordered, as the threat of insurrection in India and Burma had ceased, and German machinations had focused on the Malay Peninsula.[14] Psyche arrived at Penang on 28 January, then sailed three days later for Port Blair.[14] From here, the ship performed patrols of Sumatra.[14] On 12 February, seven stokers refused duty in protest over the poor quality of food being provided to the sailors aboard.[15] All seven were found guilty of disobeying orders, and were punished with prison sentences between 12 and 14 months, plus dismissal from the RAN.[15] The remaining stokers were supplemented by native personnel until 25 April, when replacement RAN personnel arrived.[15] During March, the ship patrolled the Gulf of Siam, and escorted a Russian troop convoy sailing to Europe.[16] During April, further patrols of the Bay of Bengal were made, before Psyche sailed to Hong Kong for inspection and refit.[16] During the period from late 1915 to early 1916, Psyche served as escort to two ships carrying Turkish prisoners of war, was responsible for the transportation of two Chinese spies (one of whom escaped), and helped capture the ringleaders of an Indian soldiers' mutiny in Singapore.[2]
During the refit period, personnel from Psyche were used to commission the river gunboat
Released from dockyard hands on 14 August, Psyche began patrols along the Chinese coast, with a marked improvement of the health of all aboard.[16] These continued until 14 October, when the cruiser was assigned to Singapore for further patrols of the Bay of Bengal and Sumatra.[16] In March and April 1917, she was assigned to escort duties between Burma and India.[16] On 11 August, Psyche was relieved by HMS Suffolk, and sailed to Sydney, where she arrived on 28 September.[16]
The ship was paid off on 16 October 1917.[17] Psyche was reactivated on 20 November 1917 for service along Australia's north-east coast, but after uneventful patrols, she was decommissioned for the final time on 26 March 1918.[17]
Fate
The ship was sold to the Moreland Metal Company on 21 July 1922, who used her as a timber lighter.
A memorial to the ship was unveiled at Roy Wood Reserve on 27 June 2015.[19]
Citations
- ^ a b c Cassells, The Capital Ships, p. 116
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Cassells, The Capital Ships, p. 117
- ^ Bastock, Australia's Ships of War, p. 50
- ISBN 9780921560036.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36710. London. 8 March 1902. p. 9.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36765. London. 12 May 1902. p. 9.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36772. London. 20 May 1902. p. 8.
- ^ "Latest intelligence - The Situation in Nicaragua". The Times. No. 36832. London. 29 July 1902. p. 5.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36845. London. 13 August 1902. p. 8.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36852. London. 21 August 1902. p. 8.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36857. London. 27 August 1902. p. 4.
- ^ a b c d e f g Djokovic, HMAS Psyche – The Forgotten Cruiser, p. 175
- ^ a b Bastock, Ships on the Australia Station, p. 121
- ^ a b c d e Djokovic, HMAS Psyche – The Forgotten Cruiser, p. 176
- ^ a b c Djokovic, HMAS Psyche – The Forgotten Cruiser, p. 177
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Djokovic, HMAS Psyche – The Forgotten Cruiser, p. 178
- ^ a b c d e Cassells, The Capital Ships, p. 118
- ^ "Psyche (+1940)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- ^ a b c Elias, Charles (7 July 2015). "HMAS Psyche's Salamander Bay memorial officially unveiled, blessed". Port Stephens Examiner. Fairfax Regional Media. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Pelvin The Second Team, p. 16.
References
- Bastock, John (1975). Australia's Ships of War. Cremorne, NSW: Angus and Robertson. OCLC 2525523.
- Bastock, John (1988). Ships on the Australia Station. Frenchs Forest, Australia: Child & Associates Publishing. ISBN 0-86777-348-0.
- Cassells, Vic (2000). The Capital Ships: Their Battles and Their Badges. East Roseville, NSW: Simon & Schuster. OCLC 48761594.
- Djokovic, Petar (2011). "HMAS Psyche – The Forgotten Cruiser". In Mitchell, Rhett (ed.). Australian Maritime Issues 2010 (PDF). Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs. Vol. 35. Sea Power Centre – Australia. pp. 175–9. ISSN 1327-5658. Archived from the original(PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- Pelvin, Richard (September 2017). "The Second Team: The P Class Cruisers of the RAN and the Exercise of Sea Power, 1914–1918". Sabretache. LVIII (3). Garran, Australian Capital Territory: Military Historical Society of Australia: 4–17. ISSN 0048-8933.