HMS Forester (1911)
{{short description|Acheron-class destroyer of the Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Forester}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=HMS Forester, Acheron-class destroyer - IWM Q 75105.jpg |Ship caption=HMS Forester }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United Kingdom |Ship flag=File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg |Ship name=HMS Forester |Ship ordered= |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes |Ship yard number= |Ship laid down= |Ship commissioned= |Ship homeport= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class=Acheron-class destroyer |Ship displacement=760 tons |Ship length={{convert|246|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|26|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{convert|9|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship power={{convert|13500|shp|kW|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed={{convert|30|kn|km/h|abbr=on}} |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship test depth= |Ship boats= |Ship capacity= |Ship complement=72 |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=
|Ship armour= |Ship armor= |Ship aircraft= |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship badge= }} |
HMS Forester was an Acheron-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that served during World War I and was sold for breaking in 1921. She was the ninth Royal Navy ship to be named after the traditional craft of forester.
Construction
She was built under the 1910-11 shipbuilding programme by J. Samuel White & Company of Cowes.{{cite book |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921 |year=1985 |publisher=Conway's Maritime Press |location=London |isbn=0-85177-245-5 |page=75}} She had three Parsons turbines, and three White-Forster boilers.{{cite web|url=http://www.pbenyon1.plus.com/Janes_1919/Destroyers/I_Class.html|title=I-class destroyers (extract from Jane's Fighting Ships of 1919)|accessdate=2009-11-10|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603231408/http://www.pbenyon1.plus.com/Janes_1919/Destroyers/I_Class.html|archivedate=3 June 2011|df=dmy-all}} Capable of 30 knots, she carried two 4-inch guns, other smaller guns and two 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes and had a complement of 72 men. She was launched on 1 June 1911.{{cite web|url=http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/acheron.htm |title=Battleships-Cruisers.co.uk website - Acheron Class|accessdate=2009-11-10}}
Pennant numbers
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left" | From | |To |
| H39 | 6 December 1914 | 1 January 1918 |
| H34 | 1 January 1918 | Early 1919 |
| H58 | Early 1919 | 9 May 1921 |
Career
=Pre-War=
Forester served with the First Destroyer Flotilla from 1911 and, with her flotilla, joined the British Grand Fleet in 1914 on the outbreak of World War I.
=The Battle of Heligoland Bight=
She was present with First Destroyer Flotilla on 28 August 1914 at the Battle of Heligoland Bight, led by the light cruiser Fearless,{{cite web|url=http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/heligoland-oob.html|title=Battle of Heligoland Bight - Order of Battle (World War 1 Naval Combat website)|accessdate=2009-11-10}} and shared in the prize money for the battle.{{cite web|url=http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/LondonGazette/PrizeMoney/Prize_Bounty_WWI.html|title=An Index of Prize Bounties as announced in the London Gazette 1915 - 1925|accessdate=2009-11-10|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924083340/http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/LondonGazette/PrizeMoney/Prize_Bounty_WWI.html|url-status=dead}}
=The Battle of Dogger Bank=
On 24 January 1915, the First Destroyer Flotilla, including Forester, were present at the Battle of Dogger Bank, led by the light cruiser Aurora.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/dboob.htm |title=Battle of Dogger Bank - Order of Battle (World War 1 Naval Combat website) |accessdate=2009-03-08}} Her crew shared in the Prize Money for the German armoured cruiser Blücher.
=Transfer to Third Battle Squadron=
Forester was not present with her flotilla at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916.
She was one of seven destroyers to go with the First Destroyer Flotilla when it was transferred from the Grand Fleet to screen the Third Battle Squadron in November 1916.Supplement to the Monthly Navy List (November 1916), p. 13.
=HMAT ''Berrima''=
On 18 February 1917, 50 miles west of Portland Bill, HMAT Berrima was struck a mine in the English Channel. Four people died, but the greater part of the crew took to the lifeboats and were picked up by Forester. A tow was passed and she was taken under tow into Portland Harbour the next day. She was subsequently repaired and returned to service.{{cite web|url=http://www.northernbullants.com.au/media/Archives/OurTown/1914TheShipsNotes.html|title=Australian Troopships|accessdate=2009-11-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723111219/http://www.northernbullants.com.au/media/Archives/OurTown/1914TheShipsNotes.html|archive-date=23 July 2008|url-status=dead}}
=Mediterranean service=
File:Charles John De Lacey - Destroyer 'Forester' off Constantinople.jpg
From 1917 the Third Battle Squadron was deployed to the Mediterranean. Forester was present at the entry of the Allied Fleet through the Dardanelles on 12 November 1918.{{cite web|url=http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/db/download.php?CISOROOT=/gwa&CISOPTR=5751|title=The Entry of the Allied Fleet through the Dardanelles|publisher=Oxford University|author=S E Brooks|accessdate=2009-11-11|archive-date=8 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608185445/http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/db/download.php?CISOROOT=/gwa&CISOPTR=5751|url-status=dead}} Charles de Lacy painted Forester off Constantinople and this painting is in the Cowes Maritime Museum.[https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/destroyer-forester-off-constantinople-16694 Art UK] BBC Your Paintings website entry about this painting retrieved 9 June 2013. Museum accession 1993.59
Disposal
In common with most of her class, she was laid up after World War I, and on 4 November 1921 she was sold to Rees of Llanelli for breaking.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|HMS Forester (ship, 1911)}}
{{Acheron class destroyer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forester (1911)}}
Category:Acheron-class destroyers
Category:World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom