Faulknor-class flotilla leader

The Faulknor class were a class of flotilla leaders that were under construction in the United Kingdom for the Chilean Navy at the outbreak of World War I. Six ships were ordered by Chile, of which the first two (Almirante Lynch and Almirante Condell) were delivered to Chile before the outbreak of the war. The remaining four ships were purchased by the British, taken over and completed for the Royal Navy for wartime service. In common with Royal Navy convention, they were named after famous Royal Navy captains of the past, in this case the members of the Faulknor family.

For other uses, see Faulknor (disambiguation).

Class overview
Operators:
Preceded by: Medea class
Succeeded by: Marksman class
Completed: 4
Lost: 1
General characteristics
Type: Faulknor-class destroyer leader
Displacement: 1,700 tons
Tons burthen: 1,850 tons
Length: 331 ft (101 m) o/a
Beam: 32 ft 6 in (9.91 m)
Draught: 11 ft (3.4 m)
Propulsion: 6× White-Forster boilers, steam turbines, 3 shafts, 30,000 shp
Speed: 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range: 403 tons coal, 83 tons oil
Complement: 197 - 205
Armament:

Design

The six Almirante Lynch-class destroyers were a private design by J. Samuel White that were significantly larger and heavier armed than their contemporaries. They had four funnels, a tall, narrow fore funnel and three broad, short funnels behind. They were initially armed with six single QF 4-inch guns, unusually arranged with four on the forecastle - two sited in front of the wheelhouse and two sited abreast it - the remaining pair being sited on the quarterdeck. These guns were of a novel Elswick design for the Chileans and when the ships were rearmed they were replaced with standard Royal Navy models. As rearmed in 1918 they carried a BL 4.7-inch gun on the forecastle and another on a bandstand between the after pair of funnels, retained the pair of 4-inch (100 mm) guns abreast the wheelhouse and had two QF 2-pounder pom-poms.

Compared to other Royal Navy ships, the class was noted for the lavish officer's accommodations ordered by the Chileans. This included silver-plated chandeliers in the captain's quarters.[1]

One of the four ships taken over by the Royal Navy was sunk in 1916, but the other three were returned to the friendly nation of Chile in 1920, at which point the Thornycroft type leader Rooke was renamed Broke to maintain this famous name (that of Admiral Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke of the Shannon) in the Navy List.

Service

All of the class were present at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May to 1 June 1916 where Broke collided with and sank the Acasta-class destroyer Sparrowhawk. Also in this action, Tipperary, serving with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, was hit by 5.9-inch (150 mm) fire from the secondary battery of the German dreadnought Westfalen and sank with the loss of 185 hands from her crew of 197.

In April 1917, Broke took part in an action known as the Battle of Dover Strait with equally large singleton Swift during which she was damaged.

Botha was damaged in the English Channel on 21 March 1918 off the coast of Flanders when she rammed and sank the German torpedo boat A-19 and was then torpedoed in error by the French destroyer Capitaine Mehl.

Ships
NameShip BuilderLaunchedCompletedFate
Faulknor (ex-Almirante Simpson)J S White, Cowes26 February 1914Completed 1914Returned to Chile 1920
Broke (ex-Almirante Goñi)J S White, Cowes25 May 19141914Returned to Chile 1920
Botha (ex-Almirante Williams Rebolledo)J S White, Cowes2 December 19141915Returned to Chile 1920
Tipperary (ex-Almirante Riveros)J S White, Cowes5 March 19151915Sunk by gunfire at Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916

See also

Almirante Lynch-class destroyers for details after return to Chile.

Citations
  1. Dunn 2017 chapter 14, section "The second battle of the Dover Strait"

Bibliography
  • 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.
  • Dunn, Steve R (2017). Securing the Narrow Sea; The Dover Patrol 1914-1918. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781848322516.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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