HMS Erne (1903)

HMS Erne was a Palmer Type River Class Destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1901 – 1902 Naval Estimates. Named after the River Erne in Ireland, she was the third ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1813 for a 20-gun brig sold in 1819.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Erne.

HMS Erne
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Erne
Ordered:	1901 – 1902 Naval Estimates
Builder:	Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow
Laid down:	3 July 1902
Launched:	14 January 1903
Commissioned:	February 1904
Out of service:	6 February 1915 wrecked on the Scottish North Sea Coast at Rattray Head lighthouse north east of Aberdeenshire
Stricken:	abandoned as wreck October 1915
Fate:	Her wreck sold for £405 January 1916 to Forth Shipbreaking, Bo’ness for breaking
General characteristics
Class and type:	Palmer Type River Class destroyer[1][2]
Displacement:	550 t (541 long tons) standard 620 t (610 long tons) full load 223 ft 6 in (68.12 m) o/a 23 ft 6 in (7.16 m) Beam 7 ft 4.5 in (2.248 m) Draught
Propulsion:	4 × Reed water tube boilers 2 × Vertical Triple Expansion (VTE) steam engines driving 2 shafts producing 7,000 shp (5,200 kW) (average)
Speed:	25.5 kn (47.2 km/h)
Range:	140 tons coal 1,620 nmi (3,000 km) at 11 kn (20 km/h)
Complement:	70 officers and men
Armament:	1 × QF 12-pounder 12 cwt Mark I, mounting P Mark I 3 × QF 12-pounder 8 cwt, mounting G Mark I (Added in 1906) 5 × QF 6-pounder 8 cwt (removed in 1906) 2 × single tubes for 18-inch (450mm) torpedoes
Service record
Part of:	East Coast Destroyer Flotilla - 1905 3rd Destroyer Flotilla - Apr 1909 5th Destroyer Flotilla - 1912 Assigned E Class - Aug 1912 - Oct 1913 9th Destroyer Flotilla - 1914
Operations:	World War I 1914 - 1918

Construction

She was laid down on 3 July 1902 at the Palmers shipyard at Jarrow and launched on 14 January 1903. She was completed in February 1904. Her original armament was to be the same as the turtle-back torpedo boat destroyers that preceded her. In 1906 the Admiralty decided to upgrade the armament by landing the five 6-pounder naval guns and shipping three 12-pounder 8 hundredweight (cwt) guns. Two would be mounted abeam at the forecastle break and the third gun would be mounted on the quarterdeck.

Pre-War

After commissioning she was assigned to the East Coast Destroyer Flotilla of the 1st Fleet and based at Harwich.

In April 1909 she was assigned to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla on its formation at Harwich. She remained until displaced by a Basilisk Class destroyer by May 1912. She was assigned to the 5th Destroyer Flotilla of the 2nd Fleet with a nucleus crew.

On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter "A". The ships of the River Class were assigned to the E Class. After 30 September 1913, she was known as an E Class destroyer and had the letter "E" painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.[3]

World War I

In early 1914 when displaced by G Class destroyers she joined the 9th Destroyer Flotilla based at Chatham tendered to HMS St George. The 9th Flotilla was a Patrol Flotilla tasked with anti-submarine and counter mining patrols in the Firth of Forth area. Soon after the commencement of hostilities she was deployed to the Scapa Flow Local Flotilla under the command of the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet tendered to HMS King George V. Her duties here included counter mining patrols and antisubmarine measures in defence of the Fleet anchorage.[4]

Loss

On 6 February 1915 under the command of Lieutenant-Commander John Landon, RN during a severe easterly gale, Erne was driven ashore on the North Sea coast of Scotland northeast of Aberdeenshire, 800 yards (730 meters) south of Rattray Head lighthouse, with no lives lost. After efforts to refloat her failed, she was abandoned as a wreck in October 1915. After a survey in November 1915, it was discovered that her back was broken, and she was sold for £405 to Forth Shipbreaking, Bo’ness, Scotland, in January 1916 for breaking.

Erne was not awarded a battle honour for her service.

Pennant Numbers

Pennant Number[5]	From	To
N58	6 Dec 1914	6 Feb 1915

References

1. Jane, Fred T. (1969) [1905]. Jane’s Fighting Ships 1905/6. New York: first published by Sampson Low Marston, London 1905, Reprinted ARCO Publishing Company. p. 75.
2. Jane, Fred T. (1990) [1919]. Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I. Jane’s Publishing. p. 76. ISBN 1 85170 378 0.
3. Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1906 to 1922. Conway Maritime Press. 2006 [1985]. p. Page 17 to 19. ISBN 0 85177 245 5.
4. "Naval Database".
5. ""Arrowsmith" List – Part 1 Destroyer Prototypes through "River" Class". Retrieved 1 June 2013.

Bibliography

• Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J. J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.
• Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
• Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. London: Putnam & Co. OCLC 6470051.
• March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555.