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HMS Ariel (1911)
Encyclopedia
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...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
built in 1911, which served during the First World War
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 sank in 1918 after striking a mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
. Named after Shakespeare's "airy spirit"
Ariel (The Tempest)
Ariel is a spirit who appears in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest. Ariel is bound to serve the magician Prospero, who rescued him from the tree in which he was imprisoned by Sycorax, the witch who previously inhabited the island. Prospero greets disobedience with a reminder that he saved...
, or the biblical spirit of the same name
Ariel (angel)
Ariel is an archangel found primarily in Jewish and Christian mysticism and Apocrypha. Generally presented as an authority over the Earth and its elements, Ariel has also been called an angel of healing, wrath & creation....
, she was the tenth and last ship of the name to serve in 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...
.
Construction
With her sister, Acheron, she was a "Thorneycroft special", and as such was slightly longer and more powerful than the standard destroyer of her class. Ariel was laid down at the Woolston yard of John I. Thornycroft & CompanyJohn I. Thornycroft & Company
John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, usually known simply as Thornycroft was a British shipbuilding firm started by John Isaac Thornycroft in the 19th century.-History:...
, and launched on 26 September 1911. Capable of 29 kn (35.3 mph; 56.8 km/h), she carried two 4 in (101.6 mm) guns, other smaller guns and 21 in (533.4 mm) torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s and had a complement of 70 men.
Pennant numbers
| Pennant Number | From | |To |
|---|---|---|
| H11 | 6 December 1914 | 1 September 1915 |
| H37 | 1 September 1915 | 1 January 1918 |
| H07 | 1 January 1918 | |Sunk 2 August 1918 |
Career
As part of the First Destroyer FlotillaFlotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
, she was attached to the Grand Fleet in August 1914, and then to the Third Battle Squadron from the spring of 1916. Once converted to a minelayer in 1917, she became part of the 20th Flotilla.
Establishing the Heligoland Bight patrol
On 5 August 1914, Ariel towed submarineSubmarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
to Terschelling
Terschelling
Terschelling is a municipality and an island in the northern Netherlands, one of the West Frisian Islands.Waddenislanders are known for their resourcefulness in using anything and everything that washes ashore. With few trees to use for timber, most of the farms and barns are built with masts...
. They were in company with cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
and submarine , and after releasing the tow, the two submarines conducted the first Heligoland Bight patrol of the war.
Battle of Heligoland Bight
As part of the Harwich ForceHarwich Force
The Harwich Force was a squadron of the Royal Navy, formed during the First World War, that went on to play a significant role in the war.-History:...
, the First Destroyer Flotilla took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August. Ariel — under Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Dashwood Moir — shared in the prize money for the battle.
Battle of Dogger Bank
On 24 January 1915, Ariel took part in 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....
as part of the First Destroyer Flotilla, with as flotilla leader. Aurora was the first British ship to engage the German ships as she encountered Hipper's screening vessels at the Dogger Bank at 07:05.
Sinking of U-12
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
. At 10:10, Attack sighted and opened fire. Ariel, commanded by Lt Cdr J V Creagh, sighted the submarine at 10:12 at about 2 nmi (2.3 mi; 3.7 km) and all three destroyers turned towards it. U-12 dived and raised her periscope, which Ariel sighted at a distance of 200 yd (182.9 m). She turned to ram, sighting the conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
under the water in the final moments before she struck the submarine at a fine angle. Within two minutes, the submarine had returned to the surface so that the crew could escape, but they found the conning tower hatch jammed, and most of the survivors managed their escape via the other hatches. The destroyers opened fire as the submarine lay on the surface, killing and injuring some of the escaping sailors. At 10:30, U-12 sank approximately in position 56°15′N 1°56′W, and the destroyers picked up 10 survivors; 19 lives had been lost. The damage to Ariels bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
was so serious that she had to be towed into port.
Battle of Jutland
Ariel was present 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 under the command of Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Tippet as part of the First Destroyer Flotilla, led by .
Sinking of UC-19
On 6 December 1916, sank the Russian sailing ship Ans. The P&O vessel Kashmir sent out a radio warning, and later the same day Ariels lookouts spotted the conning tower of a submarine. A depth charge was dropped in the position of the submarine, but it failed to explode. Ariels explosive paravaneParavane (weapon)
The paravane is a form of towed underwater "glider". It was developed by Cdr Usborne and Lt Burney financed by Sir George White, founder of the Bristol Aeroplane Company....
was deployed, and after an explosion at about 30 ft (9.1 m), oil and bubbles were observed. Twenty-five German sailors were killed, and UC-19 now lies in about 330 ft (100.6 m) of water in an approximate position of 49°41′N 06°31′W.
Conversion to minelayer
In 1917, the Acheron-class destroyers , Sandfly and Ariel were converted to minelaying destroyers, capable of carrying 40 mines. Ariel served with the 20th Flotilla, and operated out of ImminghamImmingham
Immingham is a town in North East Lincolnshire, located on the south bank of the Humber Estuary...
.
Minelaying operations in the Heligoland Bight
The provision of converted minelaying destroyers and the availability of reliable H2-pattern mines allowed the greatest allied minelaying operation of the First World War — the attempt to close Heligoland BightHeligoland Bight
The Heligoland Bight, also known as Helgoland Bight, is a bay which forms the southern part of the German Bight, itself a bay of the North Sea, located at the mouth of the Elbe river...
to German ships and submarines. Ariel — with her sisters — was employed on this work until the end of the war. On the night of 27–28 March 1918, while laying a barrier minefield 70 nmi (80.6 mi; 129.6 km) north-west of Heligoland
Heligoland
Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea.Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands are located in the Heligoland Bight in the south-eastern corner of the North Sea...
, Ariel — in company with Ferret, , and — came upon three armed German trawlers. All three vessels were sunk and 72 prisoners were captured.
Loss
On 2 August, while conducting minelaying in the western end of the Heligoland Bight, the V-classV and W class destroyer
The V and W class was an amalgam of six similar classes of destroyer built for the Royal Navy under the War Emergency Programme of the First World War and generally treated as one class...
destroyer sank after striking a German mine. In attempting to exit the minefield, Ariel lost her bow and sank in less than an hour. Forty-nine lives were lost, including her commanding officer, Lt. Frank A Rothera.