HMS Gloucester (1909)
Encyclopedia
HMS Gloucester was a Town-class
light cruiser
of the Royal Navy
launched on 28 October 1909 from the yards of William Beardmore and Company
. She formed part of the Bristol subgroup.
On being commissioned, Gloucester was assigned to the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean and in August 1914 she was involved in the hunt for the German cruisers
and . For this operation, she was under the command of Captain Howard Kelly
and managed to slightly damage the Breslau with one hit at the waterline in the ensuing exchange of gun fire. She was unable to prevent the German ships escaping however. Later that year, Gloucester was operating off the west coast of Africa, hunting for German raiders. In February 1915, she was reassigned to the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet. In April 1916, she shelled Galway
, Ireland
during the Easter Rising
.
On 31 May-1 June 1916, she took part in the Battle of Jutland
and later that year was reassigned to the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron. A posting in the Mediterranean followed in December 1916 on joining the 8th Light Cruiser Squadron in the Adriatic. She survived the war and was sold for scrapping on 9 May 1921 to Ward, of Portishead and Briton Ferry
.
Town class cruiser (1910)
The Town class was a group of twenty-one light cruisers built for the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . These vessels were long-range cruisers, suitable for patrolling the vast expanse covered by the British Empire...
light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
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...
launched on 28 October 1909 from the yards of William Beardmore and Company
William Beardmore and Company
William Beardmore and Company was a Scottish engineering and shipbuilding conglomerate based in Glasgow and the surrounding Clydeside area. It was active between about 1890 and 1930 and at its peak employed about 40,000 people...
. She formed part of the Bristol subgroup.
On being commissioned, Gloucester was assigned to the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean and in August 1914 she was involved in the hunt for the German cruisers
Pursuit of Goeben and Breslau
The pursuit of Goeben and Breslau was a naval action that occurred in the Mediterranean Sea at the outbreak of the First World War when elements of the British Mediterranean Fleet attempted to intercept the German Mittelmeerdivision comprising the battlecruiser and the light cruiser...
and . For this operation, she was under the command of Captain Howard Kelly
Howard Kelly (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral Sir Howard Kelly GBE KCB CMG MVO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station.-Naval career:Kelly joined the Royal Navy in 1886...
and managed to slightly damage the Breslau with one hit at the waterline in the ensuing exchange of gun fire. She was unable to prevent the German ships escaping however. Later that year, Gloucester was operating off the west coast of Africa, hunting for German raiders. In February 1915, she was reassigned to the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet. In April 1916, she shelled Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
during the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
.
On 31 May-1 June 1916, she took part in the Battle of Jutland
Battle 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...
and later that year was reassigned to the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron. A posting in the Mediterranean followed in December 1916 on joining the 8th Light Cruiser Squadron in the Adriatic. She survived the war and was sold for scrapping on 9 May 1921 to Ward, of Portishead and Briton Ferry
Briton Ferry
Briton Ferry is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. The town encompasses the electoral wards of Briton Ferry East and Briton Ferry West....
.