HMS Hoste (1916)

In July 1915, the British Admiralty ordered three {{sclass|Parker|flotilla leader}}s (i.e. large destroyers intended to lead flotillas of smaller destroyers in action), Hoste, {{HMS|Seymour|1916|2}} and {{HMS|Saumarez|1916|2}}, from the Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird. The Parker-class{{#tag:ref|Also known as the improved Marksman-classDittmar and Colledge 1972, p. 69.|group=lower-alpha}} was an improved version of the earlier {{sclass|Marksman|flotilla leader|2}} with the ships' bridge moved rearwards, and an improved gun layout.Gardiner and Gray 1985, p. 80.Friedman 2009, p. 157.

The Parkers were {{convert|325|ft|m|1}} long overall and {{convert|315|ft|m|1}} between perpendiculars, with a beam of {{convert|31|ft|9|in|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|12|ft|m|1}}.Moore 1990, p. 67. Displacement was between {{convert|1660|LT|t|0}} and {{convert|1673|LT|t|0}} normal{{#tag:ref| Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I gives a normal displacement of {{convert|1666|LT|t|0}} for the first two ships of the class, {{HMS|Parker|1916|2}} and {{HMS|Grenville|1916|2}} and {{convert|1673|LT|t|0}} for Seymour and Saumarez, ordered at the same time as Hoste.|group=lower-alpha}} and about {{convert|1900|LT|t|0}} full load. Four Yarrow boilers fed steam to three sets of Parsons steam turbines, rated at {{convert|36000|shp|kW}} and giving a speed of {{convert|34|kn}}. Three funnels were fitted. {{convert|515|LT|t}} of oil fuel were carried, giving a range of {{convert|4290|nmi}} at {{convert|15|kn}}.Friedman 2009, p. 149.

The ship's main gun armament consisted of four QF 4 inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII mounted on the ships centreline, with the forward two guns superfiring so that one could fire over the other, with one gun between the second and third funnel and one aft. Two 2-pounder (40 mm) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft guns were fitted, while torpedo armament consisted of two sets of twin 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes. The standard anti-submarine armament for flotilla leaders such as Hoste from June 1916 onwards was two Type D depth charges on chutes. This was not increased until after Hoste{{'}}s loss.Friedman 2009, p. 151. The ship's complement was 116 officers and men.{{#tag:ref|Hoste was carrying a complement of 138 when she was lost.|group=lower-alpha}}

Hoste, named for William Hoste,Manning and Walker 1959, p. 234 was laid down on 1 July 1915,English 2019, p. 12. launched on 16 August 1916 and commissioned on 13 November 1916.

On commissioning, Hoste joined the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla, part of the Grand Fleet, with the pennant number G90. On 19 December 1916, the Grand Fleet left Scapa Flow to carry out exercises between Shetland and Norway. On the morning of 20 December, Hoste suffered a failure of her steering gear at high speed, almost colliding with several other ships, and was detached to return to Scapa with the destroyer {{HMS|Negro|1916|2}} as escort. At about 01:30 hr on 21 December, in extremely poor weather, with gale-force winds and a heavy sea, Hoste{{'}}s rudder jammed again, forcing the ship into a sudden turn to port. Negro, following about {{convert|400|yd|m}} behind, collided with Hoste. The collision knocked two depth charges off Hoste{{'}}s stern which exploded, badly damaging the rear end of Hoste and blowing in the bottom of Negro{{'}}s hull, flooding her engine room.Dorling 1932, pp. 223–225. Negro sank quickly, and despite the efforts of the destroyer {{HMS|Marmion|1915|2}} to rescue survivors,Dorling 1932, p. 225. 51 officers and men of Negro{{'}}s crew were killed.{{cite web|last=Kindel|first=Don|title=1st to 31st December 1916 in date, ship/unit & name order|work= World War 1 - Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies|publisher=Naval-history.net|date=15 February 2011|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1916-12Dec.htm|access-date=29 March 2015}} Marmion and {{HMS|Marvel|1915|2}} attempted to tow the crippled Hoste back to Scapa, but after three hours, Hoste began to founder. Despite the severe conditions, Marvel went alongside Hoste to rescue the crew of the sinking ship, and when repeatedly forced apart by the heavy seas, repeated the manoeuvre another twelve time. While Marvel sustained damage to her forecastle from repeated impacts between the two ships, she managed to rescue all but four of Hoste{{'}}s crew before Hoste finally sank.Dorling 1932, pp. 226–227. Eight officers and 126 men were rescued by Marvel.Coxon 1919, p. 40.

In August 2023, the wrecks of Hoste and Negro were located and identified. Hoste is lying at a depth of {{convert|100|m|ft}} in two pieces, the stern section about {{convert|3|nmi|km}} from the main wreck, in approximately 59°16’N 1°55’W, {{convert|16|nmi|km}} south of Fair Isle.{{cite web |title=Divers discover tragic WW1 destroyers off Orkney |url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2023/august/31/20230831-divers-discover-tragic-ww1-destroyers-off-orkney |website=News |publisher=Royal Navy |access-date=7 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007180758/https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2023/august/31/20230831-divers-discover-tragic-ww1-destroyers-off-orkney |archive-date=7 October 2023 |location=London |date=31 August 2023 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=HMS Hoste |url=https://lostinwatersdeep.co.uk/hms-hoste.html |publisher=Lost In Waters Deep |access-date=7 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007193032/https://lostinwatersdeep.co.uk/hms-hoste.html |archive-date=7 October 2023 |date=2023|url-status=live}}

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|last=Coxon|first=Stanley W.|title=Dover During the Dark Days|year=1919|publisher=John Lane|location=London|url=https://archive.org/details/doverduringdark00coxogoog|oclc=2286117}}
• {{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=Dorling|first=Taprell|title=Endless Story: Being an account of the work of the Destroyers, Flotilla-Leaders, Torpedo-Boats and Patrol Boats in the Great War|year=1932|publisher=Hodder and Stoughton|location=London|oclc= 361818}}
• {{cite book |last=English |first=John |title=Grand Fleet Destroyers: Part I: Flotilla Leaders and 'V/W' Class Destroyers |year=2019 |location=Windsor, UK |publisher=World Ship Society |isbn=((978-0-9650769-8-4)) }}
• {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War|year=2009|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-049-9}}
• {{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Gray|editor2-first=Randal|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|year=1985|isbn=0-85177-245-5}}
• {{cite book |last1=Manning |first1=T. D. |last2=Walker |first2=C. F. |title=British Warship Names |year=1959 |location=London |publisher=Putnam }}
• {{cite book|last=Moore|first=John|title=Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I|year=1990|publisher=Studio|location=London|isbn=1-85170-378-0}}

• [http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/parker_class.htm#HMS%20Hoste Photo]

{{Parker class flotilla leaders}}

{{December 1916 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoste (1916)}}

Category:Parker-class flotilla leaders

Category:World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom

Category:Ships built on the River Mersey

Category:1916 ships

Category:Ships sunk in collisions

Category:World War I shipwrecks in the North Sea