Английская Википедия:HMS Liberty (1913)

Содержание

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship careerШаблон:Infobox ship characteristics

HMS Liberty was a Шаблон:Sclass destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Launched on 15 September 1913 as HMS Rosalind, the ship was renamed on 30 September under an Admiralty order to become one of the first alphabetical class destroyers. On commissioning, the vessel joined the Third Destroyer Flotilla and operated as part of the Harwich Force. During Battle of Heligoland Bight, Liberty engaged with the German torpedo boats Шаблон:SMS and Шаблон:SMS, and scored two hits on the cruiser Шаблон:SMS. On 8 February 1917, the destroyer rammed and sank the German submarine Шаблон:SMU. The vessel also played a minor role in the battles of Dogger Bank, Dover Strait and Jutland, as well as acting as a convoy escort and patrolling the Dover Barrage. With the cessation of hostilities, the ship was placed in reserve and sold to be broken up on 5 November 1921.

Design and development

Шаблон:Main Liberty was one of twenty-two L- or Шаблон:Sclass destroyers built for the Royal Navy.Шаблон:Sfn The design followed the preceding Шаблон:Sclass but with improved seakeeping properties and armament, including twice the number of torpedo tubes.Шаблон:Sfn The vessel was one of the last pre-war destroyers built by J Samuel White for the British Admiralty, constructed alongside the similar Шаблон:HMS.Шаблон:Sfn

The destroyer had a length overall of Шаблон:Convert, a beam of Шаблон:Convert and a draught of Шаблон:Convert. Displacement was Шаблон:Convert normal and Шаблон:Convert deep load. Power was provided by three White-Forster boilers feeding two Parsons steam turbines rated at Шаблон:Convert and driving two shafts, to give a design speed of Шаблон:Convert. Two funnels were fitted.Шаблон:Sfn A total of Шаблон:Convert of oil was carried, giving a design range of Шаблон:Convert at Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn Fuel consumption was Шаблон:Convert of oil in 24 hours during test.Шаблон:Sfn The ship's complement was 73 officers and ratings.Шаблон:Sfn

Armament consisted of three [[QF 4 inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII|QF Шаблон:Convert Mk IV]] guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft and one between the funnels.Шаблон:Sfn The guns could fire a shell weighing Шаблон:Convert at a muzzle velocity of Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn One single [[Maxim gun|Шаблон:Convert Maxim]] gun was carried.Шаблон:Sfn A single [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|2-pounder Шаблон:Convert "pom-pom"]] anti-aircraft gun was later added.Шаблон:Sfn Torpedo armament consisted of two twin mounts for [[British 21 inch torpedo|Шаблон:Convert torpedoes]] mounted aft. Capacity to lay four Vickers Elia Mk.4 mines was included, but the facility was never used.Шаблон:Sfn

Construction and career

Liberty was laid down by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 31 August 1912 with the yard number 1391. The ship was launched on 15 September 1913.Шаблон:Sfn Originally named Rosalind in honour of the heroine of the play As You Like It, Liberty was renamed by Admiralty order on 30 September 1913.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Built under the 1912–1913 Programme as part of a class named after characters in Shakespeare's plays and the Waverley novels by Sir Walter Scott, the destroyer joined what was to be the first alphabetical class, with each successive class of destroyers named after a letter of the alphabet.Шаблон:Sfn

Файл:L-class destroyers under fire from the 'Mainz' at the Battle of the Heligoland Bight, 28 August 1914 RMG PW1232.jpg

Liberty and the other destroyers of the Fourth Division under fire from Maintz during the Battle of Heligoland Bight

On commissioning, Liberty joined the Third Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Harwich Force. After the British declaration of war and the start of the First World War on 4 August 1914, the flotilla was tasked with harassing the Imperial German Navy and on 26 August was ordered to attack German torpedo boats on their patrol as part of a large Royal Navy fleet in what was to be the Battle of Heligoland Bight.Шаблон:Sfn The following day, Liberty was part of the Fourth Division, which included fellow L-class destroyers Шаблон:HMS, Laurel and Шаблон:HMS, when the German torpedo boat Шаблон:SMS was sighted.Шаблон:Sfn The destroyers set off at speed in pursuit, engaging with G194 and Шаблон:SMS, and soon encountering the German 5th Flotilla.Шаблон:Sfn Liberty was second in the line when their pursuit brought them to the light cruiser Шаблон:SMS and almost immediately took a hit from the larger vessel that destroyed the bridge and killed the ship's commander, Nigel K. W. Barttelot.Шаблон:Sfn The destroyer, in turn, claimed two hits against the German ship.Шаблон:Sfn Damaged, the destroyer took no further part in the action, but watched as the British forces overwhelmed the German cruiser.Шаблон:Sfn However, at the end, after the wounded were transferred to other ships in the British fleet, Liberty was able to return to Harwich without assistance and was soon repaired.Шаблон:Sfn

After returning to service, the destroyer remained stationed at Harwich defending the Strait of Dover. On 23 January 1915, the destroyer led the Second Division of the Third Flotilla during the Battle of Dogger Bank.Шаблон:Sfn The Flotilla was incapable of keeping sufficient speed to engage in the battle, which was left to newer and faster Шаблон:Sclass destroyers.Шаблон:Sfn The ship did, however, rescue the destroyer that led into the fray, Шаблон:HMS, which had been heavily damaged attacking the German armoured cruiser Шаблон:SMS, towing the vessel back to Britain.Шаблон:Sfn For the remainder of the year, and into the next, the vessel remained at Harwich.

On 31 May 1916, as part of the Ninth Destroyer Flotilla, Liberty was one of a small contingent from the Harwich Force that took part in the Battle of Jutland.Шаблон:Sfn The destroyer, along with sisterships Шаблон:HMS, Laurel and Шаблон:HMS, were to provide cover to the British battlecruisers of the First Battlecruiser Squadron.Шаблон:Sfn In this case, the flotilla was in the centre of the action but again failed to engage the German battle fleet in the confusion of the battle, with Liberty failing even to spot the enemy ships.Шаблон:Sfn Later that year, on 26 October, the destroyer was part of a four ship flotilla sent to defend the Dover Barrage in the Battle of Dover Strait, but saw no action at the time.Шаблон:Sfn

The destroyer had more success on 8 February the following year. While patrolling the Barrage, shortly after 03:00, Liberty spotted the German minelaying submarine Шаблон:SMU surface ahead.Шаблон:Sfn The destroyer swiftly opened fire and sped forward, ramming the German ship ahead of the conning tower at Шаблон:Convert. The German vessel sank with no survivors.Шаблон:Sfn In addition to these actions, Liberty was also deployed as an occasional convoy escort.Шаблон:Sfn The ship was subsequently redeployed to the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla based at Devonport.

After the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the war, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and the amount of personnel needed to be reduced to save money.Шаблон:Sfn Liberty was initially placed in reserve at the Nore alongside over sixty other destroyers. On 5 November 1921, the vessel was sold and broken up for scrap.Шаблон:Sfn

Pennant numbers

Pennant number	Date
H81	December 1914Шаблон:Sfn
H57	January 1918Шаблон:Sfn
G99	January 1919Шаблон:Sfn

References

Bibliography

• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book