HMS Inconstant (1914)

The Arethusa-class cruisers were intended to lead destroyer flotillas and defend the fleet against attacks by enemy destroyers. The ships were {{convert|456|ft|6|in|m|1}} long overall, with a beam of {{convert|49|ft|10|in|m|1}} and a deep draught of {{convert|15|ft|3|in|m|1}}. Displacement was {{convert|5185|LT|t|lk=on}} at normalFriedman 2010, p. 384 and {{convert|5795|LT|t}} at full load. Inconstant was powered by four Parsons steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, which produced a total of {{convert|40000|ihp|lk=in}}. The turbines used steam generated by eight Yarrow boilers which gave her a speed of about {{convert|28.5|kn|lk=in}}.Gardiner & Gray, p. 55 She carried {{convert|840|LT|t|0}} tons of fuel oil that gave a range of {{convert|5000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|16|kn}}.Pearsall, Part I, p. 210

The main armament of the Arethusa-class ships was two BL 6-inch (152 mm) Mk XII guns that were mounted on the centreline fore and aft of the superstructure and six QF 4-inch Mk V guns in waist mountings. They were also fitted with a single Ordnance QF 3 pounder Vickers anti-aircraft gun and four British 21-inch torpedo torpedo tubes in two twin mounts.

The ship was launched on 6 July 1914 at William Beardmore and Company shipyard. On being commissioned, she was assigned to the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet. On 31 May to 1 June 1916 Inconstant took part in the Battle of Jutland. She survived the battle and the First World War, and was sold for scrapping on 9 June 1922 to Cashmore, of Newport.Gardiner & Gray, p. 56

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite Colledge2006}}
• {{cite book|last=Corbett|first=Julian|author-link=Julian Corbett|title=Naval Operations to the Battle of the Falklands|edition=2nd, reprint of the 1938|series=History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents|volume=I|publisher=Imperial War Museum and Battery Press|location=London and Nashville, Tennessee|isbn=0-89839-256-X}}
• {{cite book|last=Corbett|first=Julian|author-link=Julian Corbett|title=Naval Operations|edition=reprint of the 1929 second|series=History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents|volume=II|year=1997|publisher=Imperial War Museum in association with the Battery Press|location=London and Nashville, Tennessee|isbn=1-870423-74-7}}
• {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Cruisers: Two World Wars and After|year=2010|publisher=Seaforth|location=Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK|isbn=978-1-59114-078-8}}
• {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=Naval Weapons of World War One|publisher=Seaforth|location=Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK|year=2011|isbn=978-1-84832-100-7}}
• {{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|year=1985|location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=0-85177-245-5|name-list-style=amp}}
• {{cite book|last=Newbolt|first=Henry|title=Naval Operations|edition=reprint of the 1931|series=History of the Great War Based on Official Documents|volume=V|year=1996|publisher=Battery Press|location=Nashville, Tennessee|isbn=0-89839-255-1}}
• {{cite journal|last=Pearsall|first=Alan|year=1984|title=Arethusa Class Cruisers, Part I|journal=Warship|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|volume=VIII|pages=203–11|isbn=0-87021-983-9}}
• {{cite journal|last=Pearsall|first=Alan|year=1984|title=Arethusa Class Cruisers, Part II|journal=Warship|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|volume=VIII|pages=258–65|isbn=0-87021-983-9}}

{{Commons category|HMS Inconstant (ship, 1915)}}

• [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/light-cruiser/hms-Arethusa.html Ships of the Arethusa class]
• {{Cite web | title = Royal Navy Log Books - HMS Inconstant

| accessdate = 2014-01-03

| url = http://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-06-HMS_Inconstant.htm

|work=naval-history.net

}} OldWeather.org transcription of ship's logbooks December 1914 to February 1915

• [https://www.jutlandcrewlists.org/inconstant Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project - HMS Inconstant Crew List]

{{Arethusa class cruiser (1913)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inconstant}}

Category:Arethusa-class cruisers (1913)

Category:1914 ships

Category:World War I cruisers of the United Kingdom