HMS Contest (1913)

Contest was one of three {{sclass|Acasta|destroyer}}s ordered by the British Admiralty from the Hawthorn Leslie shipyard under the 1911–1912 shipbuilding programme, with a total of 20 Acastas (12, including Contest to the standard Admiralty design and eight more as builder's specials).{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=75}}

The Acastas were larger and more powerful than the {{sclass|Acorn|destroyer|2}}s ordered under the previous year's programme.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=75}} Greater speed was wanted to match large fast destroyers building for foreign navies, while a larger radius of action was desired.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|pp=124–125, 276–277}} The destroyers built to the Admiralty standard design were {{convert|267|ft|6|in|m|1}} long overall and {{convert|260|ft|0|in|m|1}} between perpendiculars, with a beam of {{convert|27|ft|0|in|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|10|ft|5|in|m|1}}. Displacement of the Admiralty design Acastas was {{convert|892|LT|t}} Normal and {{convert|1072|LT|t}} Deep load.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|p=293}}{{#tag:ref|The April 1913 Navy List states Contest{{'}}s displacement as {{convert|935|LT|t}}{{cite magazine |title=121 CONTEST. Torpedo Boat Destroyer |magazine=The Navy List |date=April 1913 |page=296 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/94255354 |access-date=9 November 2024 |via=National Library of Scotland}}|group=lower-alpha}}

Four Yarrow water-tube boilers fed steam to Parsons steam turbines which drove two propeller shafts. The machinery was rated to {{convert|24500|shp|kW|lk=in}} giving a design speed of {{convert|29|kn|lk=in}}.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=75}}{{#tag:ref|While the nominal speed of the Acastas at 29 knots was the same as the Acorns, this speed was required at full load displacement rather than the lighter displacements previously used. A trial speed of {{convert|29.5|kn}} at full load corresponded to a speed of {{convert|32|kn}} at the lighter loads previously specified.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|pp=124–125}}|group=lower-alpha}} Three funnels were fitted.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|p=126}} The ship had an endurance of {{convert|1540|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|p=293}}

Armament consisted of three {{convert|4|in|mm|adj=on|0}} guns mounted on the ship's centreline, with one forward and two aft, and two {{convert|21|in|mm|adj=on|0}} torpedo tubes. Two reload torpedoes were carried.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|pp=124–126}} The ship had a crew of 73 officers and ratings.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=75}}

Contest was laid down at Hawthorn Leslie's Hebburn shipyard on 26 December 1911, and was launched on 7 January 1913.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|p=307}} In 1913 the Admiralty decided to reclassify the Royal Navy's destroyers into alphabetical classes, with the Acasta class becoming the K class. New names were allocated to the ships of the K class, with the name Kittiwake being reserved for Contest, but the ships were not renamed.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=75}}{{#tag:ref|It was considered unlucky to rename ships after they had been launched,{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=75}} which would also create considerable administrative problems.{{sfn|Manning|1961|p=18}} In addition, Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty noted that the names allocated to the Ks "are not good names".{{sfn|Friedman|2009|p=277}}|group=lower-alpha}} Contest reached a speed of {{convert|29.7|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} during sea trials.{{sfn|Leyland|1915|p=171}} Contest was completed in June 1913.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|p=307}}

Contest joined the 4th Destroyer Flotilla on commissioning.{{cite magazine |title=Fleets and Squadrons in Commission at Home and Abroad.: Flotillas of the First Fleet |magazine=The Navy List |date=July 1913 |page=269a |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/94284742 |access-date=9 November 2024 |via=National Library of Scotland}} On 24 June 1913, Contest helped escort the {{ship|French battleship|Courbet|1911|6}}, carrying the President of France, Raymond Poincaré to Portsmouth, meeting Courbet mid-Channel.{{cite news |title=The President's Arrival |newspaper=The Times |date=25 June 1913 |issue=40247 |page=7}}

At the outbreak of the First World War, Contest, along with the rest of the 4th Flotilla, joined the newly established Grand Fleet,{{sfn|Jellicoe|1919|p=9}} based at Scapa Flow.{{sfn|Massie|2007|p=151}} In February 1915, Contest was one of a number of Grand Fleet destroyers ordered to escort merchant ships carrying troops of the 1st Canadian Division from Avonmouth to St Nazaire. Although the destroyers failed to rendezvous with the convoy, it reached France without any losses.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 29|1925|pp=55–56}} On 13 February, Contest, {{HMS|Christopher|1912|2}}, {{HMS|Hardy|1912|2}} and {{HMS|Owl|1913|2}} were putting into Barrow harbour to refuel on the way back to Scotland, when they were suddenly signalled to turn away to avoid a ship leaving the harbour. Contest, Christopher and Owl ran aground while attempting to turn in the narrow approach channel, remaining aground until the next day. Contest was repaired on the Clyde.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 29|1925|p=57}} On 2 January 1916, the battleship {{HMS|St Vincent|1908|2}} set out from Scapa Flow to Liverpool for refit, and was meant to be accompanied by Contest and Christopher to The Minch, and then meet the battleship {{HMS|Africa|1905|2}} and escort her back to Scapa. The weather was too heavy to allow the destroyers to accompany St Vincent, however, and they did not leave Scapa until 3 January. The weather forced the two destroyers to seek shelter at Stornoway on 5 January, however, and Africa reached Scapa Flow on 6 January without escort.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 31|1926|pp=47–48}}

Contest took part in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May/1 June 1916, sailing as one of 19 ships of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla in support of the Grand Fleet.{{sfn|Campbell|1998|pp=14, 23}} During the daytime engagement between the fleets, the 4th Flotilla was deployed on the port side of the battleships of the Grand Fleet, on the unengaged side.{{sfn|Campbell|1998|p=150}} Contest took part in several engagements with German forces during the night, with the 4th Flotilla and the German 7th Torpedo Boat Flotilla briefly clashing at about 22:00, with Contest, {{HMS|Fortune|1913|2}} and {{HMS|Garland|1913|2}} firing a few shots at the German ships and the Germans firing torpedoes, with no damage on either side before contact was lost.{{sfn|Campbell|1998|p=279}} At about 23:30, the 4th Fotilla encountered German battleships and cruisers, with the flotilla leader {{HMS|Tipperary|1915|2}} being badly damaged by German shells (mainly from the battleship {{SMS|Westfalen||2}}) and later sinking, while {{HMS|Spitfire|1912|2}} collided with the German battleship {{SMS|Nassau||2}} and the German cruiser {{SMS|Elbing||2}} was rammed by the battleship {{SMS|Posen||2}}, with Elbing later being scuttled. Contest fired one torpedo before turning away, but none of the nine torpedoes launched in this clash hit their targets.{{sfn|Campbell|1998|pp=286–287}} Shortly afterwards (about 23:50), the flotilla, now led by {{HMS|Broke|1914|2}} again encountered the same group of battleships and cruisers. Broke was badly damaged by fire from Westfalen and the cruiser {{SMS|Rostock||2}} and collided with the destroyer {{HMS|Sparrowhawk|1912|2}} and then Contest also collided with Sparrowhawk, cutting off Sparrowhawk{{'}}s stern. Contest suffered damage to her bow that limited her speed to {{convert|20|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}, while Sparrowhawk had to be scuttled. Rostock was hit by a single torpedo, fired by Ambuscade or Contest, and was also later scuttled.{{sfn|Campbell|1998|pp=287–288, 316–317}}

In July 1916, the 4th Flotilla, which had suffered heavy losses at Jutland, was replaced in the Grand Fleet by the newly established 14th Destroyer Flotilla, and the 4th Flotilla, including Contest was transferred to the Humber.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927|pp=19–20}}{{cite magazine |title=Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: I. — The Grand Fleet: Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet |magazine=The Navy List |date=July 1916 |page=12 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92073450 |access-date=12 November 2024 |via=National Library of Scotland}}{{cite magazine |title=Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: III.—Humber Force |magazine=The Navy List |date=August 1916 |page=13 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92073846 |via=National Library of Scotland}} The flotilla's duties included countering German minelaying operations and protecting British minesweepers in the North Sea.{{sfn|Newbolt|1928|pp= 24–25}} In November 1916, the 4th Flotilla, including Contest, was sent to Portsmouth for anti-submarine operations in response to German submarine attacks in the Channel.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927|p=207}}{{cite magazine |title=Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: III. — Humber Force |magazine=The Navy List |date=November 1916 |page=13|url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92098378 |access-date=13 November 2024 |via=National Library of Scotland}}{{cite magazine |title=Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: VIII.—Local Defence Flotillas |magazine=The Navy List |date=December 1916 |page=17 |url=http://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92098810 |via=National Library of Scotland}} On 28 November, Contest, together with {{HMS|Cockatrice|1912|2}} and Spitfire, was sent from Portsmouth to hunt a submarine that had sunk three merchant ships off The Owers that morning, and had been spotted and fired at by the drifter Sailor King, but they did not find the submarine.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927|pp=229–230}} On 16 December, the German submarine {{SMU|UB-38||2}} attacked the British schooner Englishman off the coast of Cornwall, but was driven off by the armed yacht Venetia and a patrol vessel. Contest, {{HMS |Achates|1912|2}} and Owl, on patrol off The Lizard, set out to hunt for the submarine, deploying explosive paravanes, but although one of Achates{{'}}s paravanes detonated during the search, UB-38 escaped unharmed.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pp=51–52}} On 20 December the same three destroyers were ordered to patrol off Ushant in response to U-boat sightings.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pp=85–86}}

By March 1917, the 4th Flotilla had moved to Devonport.{{cite magazine |title=Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: IV. — Miscellaneous Ships in Home Wates or on Detached Service |magazine=The Navy List |date=March 1917 |page=14 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92123282 |access-date=13 November 2024 |via=National Library of Scotland}} On 2 May 1917, the German submarine {{GS|UC-48||2}} sank the fishing smack United off Cornwall. Several hours later, Contest had just picked up the survivors of the snack when a submarine broke surface about {{convert|2000|yd|m|abbr=on}} away. Contest headed for the submarine and dropped four depth charges at a disturbance in the water. UC-48 escaped the attack, however.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939|pp=47–48}}

On 18 September 1917, Contest was part of the escort of a America-bound convoy out of Plymouth, when the merchant ship City of Lincoln was hit by a torpedo at 17:45. City of Lincoln remained afloat, and Contest was ordered to stay with the damaged ship until tugs arrived. At 18:15, Contest was hit by a single torpedo which caused the destroyer's depth charges and then her aft magazine to explode, wrecking the stern of the ship. With no steering, Contest then collided with City of Lincoln sustaining further damage, and began to slowly sink. The crew abandoned ship, with 35 of the destroyer's crew killed or missing, plus three of City of Lincoln{{'}}s crew who had been taken aboard the destroyer.{{sfn|Hepper|2006|p=103}}{{#tag:ref|Sources differ as to what submarine sank Contest. Hepper says that {{SMU|U-32||2}} was almost certainly responsible,{{sfn|Hepper|2006|p=103}} while U-boat.net credits {{SMU|U-106||2}}.{{cite web |last=Helgason |first=Guðmundur |title=Ships hit in WWI: HMS Contest |publisher=U-boat.net |url=https://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/1426.html |access-date=13 November 2024}} Both submarines were sunk

before they reached port.{{sfn|Hepper|2006|p=103}}{{cite web |last=Helgason |first=Guðmundur |title=WWI U-Boats: U-106 |publisher=U-boat.net |url=https://uboat.net/wwi/boats/?boat=106 |access-date=13 November 2024}}|group=lower-alpha}}

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting|year=1998|location=London|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|isbn=0-85177-750-3}}
• {{cite book |last1=Dittmar|first1=F. J. |last2=Colledge |first2=J. J. |title=British Warships 1914–1919 |year=1972 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton, UK |isbn=0-7110-0380-7}}
• {{cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |title=British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War |year=2009 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-1-84832-049-9}}
• {{cite book |editor-last1=Gardiner |editor-first1=Robert |editor-last2=Gray |editor-first2=Randal |title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 |year=1985 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |isbn=0-85177-245-5}}
• {{cite book |last=Hepper |first=David |title=British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860–1919 |year=2006 |location=London |publisher=Chatham Publishing |isbn=9781861762733}}
• {{cite book |last=Jellicoe |first= John |title=The Grand Fleet 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development and Work |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.41761 |year=1919 |location=London |publisher=Cassell and Company, Ltd.}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Leyland |editor-first=John |title=Brassey's Naval Annual 1915 |year=1915 |location=London |publisher=William Clowes and Sons, Limited |url=https://archive.org/details/brasseysnavala1915brasuoft/page/n5/mode/2up}}
• {{cite book |last=Manning |first=T. D. |title=The British Destroyer |year=1961 |publisher=Putnam |location=London}}
• {{cite book |last=Massie |first=Robert K. |title=Castles of Steel |year=2007 |publisher=Vintage Books |location=London |isbn=978-0-099-52378-9}}
• {{cite book|title=Monograph No. 29: Home Waters—Part IV.: From February to July 1915|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume=XIII|year=1925|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XIII_opt.pdf|ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 29|1925}} }}
• {{cite book|title=Monograph No. 31 Home Waters—Part VI.: From October 1915 to May 1916|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume=XV|year=1926|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XV_opt.pdf|ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 31|1926}} }}
• {{cite book |title= Monograph No. 33: Home Waters Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916 |series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) |volume= XVII |year=1927 |publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVII_opt.pdf |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927}} }}
• {{cite book |title= Monograph No. 34: Home Waters Part VIII: December 1916 to April 1917 |series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) |volume= XVIII |year=1933 |publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVIII_opt.pdf |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933}} }}
• {{cite book|title= Monograph No. 35: Home Waters Part IX: 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= XIX|year=1939|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url= http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XIX_opt.pdf|ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939}} }}
• {{cite book|last=Newbolt|first=Henry|title=History of the Great War: Naval Operations: Vol. IV|year=1928|publisher=Longmans Green|location=London| url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations04corb |oclc=220475138}}

{{Acasta class destroyer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Contest (191), HMS}}

Category:Acasta-class destroyers

Category:World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom

Category:1913 ships