HMS Lynx (1913)

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Lynx
History
United Kingdom
NameLynx
BuilderLondon and Glasgow Shipbuilding Company, Govan
Yard number364[1]
Laid down18 January 1912
Launched20 March 1913
CommissionedJanuary 1914
FateSunk by a naval mine, 9 August 1915
General characteristics (as built)
Class and typeAcasta-class destroyer
Displacement1,072
deep load
)
Length267 ft 6 in (81.5 m)
Beam27 ft (8.2 m)
Draught9 ft 6 in (2.9 m)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 1 steam turbine
Speed29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph)
Range1,540 nmi (2,850 km; 1,770 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement73
Armament
  • 3 × single
    4 in (102 mm) guns
  • 2 × single
    21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes

HMS Lynx was one of 20

First World War
.

Design and description

The Acasta class was based on an enlarged

deep load and their crew numbered 73 officers and ratings.[4]

The destroyers were powered by a single

kW) and were designed for a speed of 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). Lynx reached a speed of 31.9 knots (59.1 km/h; 36.7 mph) from 26,041 shp (19,419 kW) during her sea trials.[2] The Acastas had a range of 1,540 nautical miles (2,850 km; 1,770 mi) at a cruising speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[4]

The primary armament of the ships consisted of three

amidships and carried two reload torpedoes.[5]

Construction and career

Lynx was ordered under the 1911–1912 Naval Programme from the

launched on 20 March 1913 and commissioned
in January 1914.

Lynx left

Fourth Destroyer Flotilla on 15 December 1914 as part of the response to the German bombardment of Scarborough. At 05:15 on 16 December 1914 she sighted the German destroyer SMS V155, and summoned her destroyer squadron to investigate. In a brief skirmish which took place with a force of German destroyers and cruisers, Lynx was hit several times by German shells. She sustained minor damage to a propeller and her forward magazine was flooded but only had one man wounded. Her steering gear jammed and the rest of the force made the error of following her, thus ending the pursuit.[6][7]

On 9 August 1915 Lynx struck a mine off the Moray Firth by the German raider Meteor and sank. Sixty-three men were lost, including her captain.[8] Four officers and twenty-two ratings survived.[9]

References

  1. ^ "HMS Lynx". Clydebuilt Database. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ a b March, p. 125
  3. ^ Gardiner & Gray, p. 75
  4. ^ a b Friedman, p. 295
  5. ^ Friedman, pp. 125–126, 295
  6. .
  7. ^ "Hartlepool, Scarborough, Whitby Raid, December 1914, and minesweeping, Killed and died, Medals". www.naval-history.net. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  8. ^ "H.M.S. Lynx (1913)". dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  9. .

Bibliography

Further reading

External links