HMS Bruce

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For the air station formerly known as HMS Bruce, see RNAS Crail (HMS Jackdaw).

HMS Bruce
History
Royal Navy EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Bruce
NamesakeRobert the Bruce
OrderedApril 1916
BuilderCammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down12 May 1917
Launched26 February 1918
Commissioned29 May 1918
FateSunk as target off the Isle of Wight, 22 November 1939
General characteristics
Class and type
Admiralty type destroyer leader
Displacement1,801 long tons (1,830 t)
Length332 ft 6 in (101.35 m)
Beam31 ft 9 in (9.68 m)
Draught12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
Installed power40,000 ihp (30,000 kW)
Propulsion
Speed36.5 kn (42.0 mph; 67.6 km/h)
Range5,000 nmi (5,800 mi; 9,300 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h)
Complement164-183
Armament
  • 5 ×
    BL 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mk I guns
  • 6 ×
    21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes

HMS Bruce was the second of eight

China Station. She was withdrawn from use because of her poor condition, and was sunk as a target ship
on 22 November 1939.

Design and construction

In December 1916, the

British Admiralty placed orders for two large flotilla leaders, Bruce and HMS Douglas from Cammell Laird as a follow on to the prototype of the class, Scott, which had been ordered in April that year.[1][2] The Admiralty type,[3] or Scott-class,[1] were designed to meet a requirement from Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, commander of the Grand Fleet, for a large, fast and heavily armed leader to match and outclass rumoured large German destroyers.[4]

The ship was 320 feet 0 inches (97.54 m)

steam turbines, rated at 40,000 shaft horsepower (30,000 kW).[6] This gave a speed of 35 kn (40 mph; 65 km/h). Up to 500 tons of oil were carried, giving a radius of 3,390 nmi (3,900 mi; 6,280 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h).[5]

The class had a main gun armament consisted of five

21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes between the 3-inch AA gun and the rear pair of 4.7-inch guns.[8] Crew was 183[3]–188[5]
officers and men.

Bruce, named for

Robert Bruce,[9] was laid down at Cammell Laird's Birkenhead shipyard on 12 May 1917, launched on 26 February 1918 and commissioned on 30 May 1918.[2][10][b]

Service

After commissioning, Bruce underwent continued trials during May 1918, joining the

Coastal Motor Boats (CMBs) to the edge of the mined areas in the inner German Bight. From there, the CMBs would proceed over the minefields and search for German minesweepers, which they were to attack with torpedoes. Air cover was to be provided by flying boats carried on lighters towed behind three of the destroyers, while two more destroyers towed lighters carrying Sopwith Camel fighter aircraft, for use against German Zeppelin airships. When the force reached the minefields, the lack of wind meant that the flying boats could not take off, so the CMBs continued on unescorted, and were subject to sustained attacks by German aircraft, which resulted in three of the CMBs being sunk and the other three being interned in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the Harwich Force, waiting for the CMBs to return, encountered the German airship L53, and a Camel took off from a lighter towed behind the destroyer Redoubt and shot down L53.[12][13]

HMS Bruce

Bruce was still part of the 10th Flotilla at the end of the war,[14] and on 20 and 22 November, helped to escort German submarines that were surrendering under the terms of the Armistice of 11 November 1918 into Harwich.[2] The Grand Fleet was broken up after the end of the war, with new destroyer flotillas formed,[15] and by March 1919, Bruce was listed as leader of the newly established 7th Destroyer Flotilla,[16][17] a reserve formation based at Rosyth.[18] By December 1919, Bruce was serving as leader and Captain (D)'s flagship for the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, part of the Atlantic Fleet,[19] and she remained part of the 4th Flotilla in January 1921.[20] On 5 October 1921, Bruce was involved in a minor collision with the destroyer Vendetta,[16] and by the end of the year was again laid-up in reserve at Rosyth with a reduced complement as part of the 9th Destroyer Flotilla.[21] From October 1922, Bruce was part of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla, but on 3 September 1924, returned to full active commission in the 1st Destroyer Flotilla as a temporary replacement for the leader Wallace, reducing back to a reduced (2/5) complement with the 8th Flotilla on 20 November that year.[16]

In January 1927, Bruce returned to active service as the 8th Flotilla was sent to the

Commander-in-Chief of the China Station, to Japan.[27][28][29]

Bruce returned to Britain via

the Nore on 21 April. In September 1937, she was moved to Portsmouth for a refit, but her poor condition resulted in the refit being abandoned, and Bruce being allocated for sale for scrap. The ship was stripped in preparation for sale by March 1939, but instead, she was assigned as a target, and was torpedoed and sunk during a test of magnetic detonators on 21 November 1939.[16]

Pennant numbers

Pennant number[30] From To
F48 June 1918 October 1919
D81 November 1919 1938

Notes

  1. BL
    (Breech Loading) indicated that a separate, bagged, charge was used.
  2. ^ Preston states that Bruce was completed on 29 May 1918.[6]
  3. ^ In addition to the four leaders, the flotilla comprised 24 destroyers.[11]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Preston 1985, p. 83
  2. ^ a b c d English 2019, p. 23
  3. ^ a b Manning 1961, p. 130
  4. ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 166, 281, fn. 37
  5. ^ a b c d Friedman 2009, p. 298
  6. ^ a b Preston 1971, p. 101
  7. ^ Preston 1971, pp. 99, 101
  8. ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 166–167, 298
  9. ^ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 118
  10. ^ Friedman 2009, p. 314
  11. ^ a b "Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: III.–Harwich Force". The Navy List. June 1918. p. 13. Retrieved 14 February 2020 – via National Library of Scotland.
  12. ^ Newbolt 1931, pp. 344–347
  13. ^ Jones 1937, pp. 367–375
  14. ^ "Admiralty "Pink Lists", 11 November 1918". Ships of the Royal Navy – Location/Action Data, 1914-1918. Naval-history.net. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  15. ^ Manning 1961, p. 27
  16. ^ a b c d e f g English 2019, p. 24
  17. ^ "Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: I.–The Grand Fleet: Destroyers". The Navy List. March 1919. p. 11. Retrieved 15 February 2020 – via National Library of Scotland.
  18. ^ "Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: IV.—Vessels in Reserve at Home Ports and Other Bases: Rosyth". The Navy List. May 1919. p. 18. Retrieved 15 February 2020 – via National Library of Scotland.
  19. ^ "I.—Atlantic Fleet: Destroyers". The Navy List. December 1919. pp. 702–3. Retrieved 15 February 2020 – via National Library of Scotland.
  20. ^ "I.—Atlantic Fleet: Destroyers". The Navy List. January 1921. pp. 702–3. Retrieved 15 February 2020 – via National Library of Scotland.
  21. ^ Preston 1971, p. 36
  22. ^ "China Squadron: Ships Returning to Hong Kong from North". The Singapore Free Press. 7 October 1929. p. 12. Retrieved 16 February 2020 – via National Library Board, Singapore.
  23. ^ "The China Station: Disposition of Units of the Fleet". Malaya Tribune. 24 September 1934. p. 18. Retrieved 16 February 2020 – via National Library Board, Singapore.
  24. ^ Watson, Graham (2 September 2015). "Between the Wars: Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1919–1939". Naval-history.net. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  25. ^ "Steamer Strikes Rock: Incident Off Chinese Coast". The Telegraph. Brisbane, Australia. 23 October 1928. p. 6. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  26. ^ "Steamer Seized by Pirates". The Northern Times. Carnarvon, Western Australia. 19 October 1932. p. 3. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  27. ^ Kennedy & Neilson 2002, pp. 136–140
  28. ^ "British Sailors Beaten, Is Claim". The Tribune. Manila. 3 November 1936. pp. 1, 4.
  29. ^ "Commons' Sequel to Torture of British Sailors: Plea for Strong Action". The Singapore Free Press. 6 November 1936. p. 1. Retrieved 16 February 2020 – via National Library Board, Singapore.
  30. ^ English 2019, p. 135

References

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