HMS Liberty (1913)

{{Main|Laforey-class destroyer (1913)|l1=L-class destroyer}}

Liberty was one of twenty-two L- or {{sclass|Laforey|destroyer (1913)|0}} destroyers built for the Royal Navy.{{sfn|Parkes|Prendergast|1969|page=111}} The design followed the preceding {{sclass|Acasta|destroyer|0}} but with improved seakeeping properties and armament, including twice the number of torpedo tubes.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|page=129}} The vessel was one of the last pre-war destroyers built by J Samuel White for the British Admiralty, constructed alongside the similar {{HMS|Laurel|1913|2}}.{{sfn|Williams|Sprake|1993|page=32}}

The destroyer had a length overall of {{convert|268|ft|8|in|m|0}}, a beam of {{convert|27|ft|8|in|m|0}} and a draught of {{convert|10|ft|6|in|m|0}}. Displacement was {{convert|965|LT|t|lk=on}} normal and {{convert|1150|LT|t}} deep load. Power was provided by three White-Forster boilers feeding two Parsons steam turbines rated at {{convert|24500|shp|kW|lk=in}} and driving two shafts, to give a design speed of {{convert|29|kn}}. Two funnels were fitted.{{sfn|Preston|1985|page=76}} A total of {{convert|268|LT}} of oil was carried, giving a design range of {{convert|1720|nmi}} at {{convert|15|kn}}.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|page=296}} Fuel consumption was {{convert|51.33|LT}} of oil in 24 hours during test.{{sfn|March|1966|page=140}} The ship's complement was 73 officers and ratings.{{sfn|Preston|1985|page=76}}

Armament consisted of three QF 4 inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft and one between the funnels.{{sfn|Parkes|Prendergast|1969|page=111}} The guns could fire a shell weighing {{convert|31|lb|kg}} at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2177|ft/s|m/s}}.{{sfn|Campbell|1985|page=59}} One single Maxim gun gun was carried.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|page=296}} A single QF 2-pounder naval gun anti-aircraft gun was later added.{{sfn|Parkes|Prendergast|1969|page=111}} Torpedo armament consisted of two twin mounts for British 21 inch torpedo mounted aft. Capacity to lay four Vickers Elia Mk.4 mines was included, but the facility was never used.{{sfn|March|1966|page=149}}

Liberty was laid down by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 31 August 1912 with the yard number 1391. The ship was launched on 15 September 1913.{{sfn|Williams|Sprake|1993|page=86}} Originally named Rosalind in honour of the heroine of the play As You Like It, Liberty was renamed by Admiralty order on 30 September 1913.{{sfn|Colledge|Warlow|2010|p=224}}{{sfn|Manning|Walker|1959|p=378}} Built under the 1912–1913 Programme as part of a class named after characters in Shakespeare's plays and the Waverley novels by Sir Walter Scott, the destroyer joined what was to be the first alphabetical class, with each successive class of destroyers named after a letter of the alphabet.{{sfn|Preston|1985|page=76}}

File:L-class destroyers under fire from the 'Mainz' at the Battle of the Heligoland Bight, 28 August 1914 RMG PW1232.jpg

On commissioning, Liberty joined the Third Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Harwich Force.{{citation |title=Flotillas of the First Fleet|work=The Navy List|date=April 1914|page=269a|url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/91838329|via=National Library of Scotland|access-date=27 July 2020}} After the British declaration of war and the start of the First World War on 4 August 1914, the flotilla was tasked with harassing the Imperial German Navy and on 26 August was ordered to attack German torpedo boats on their patrol as part of a large Royal Navy fleet in what was to be the Battle of Heligoland Bight.{{sfn| Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|page=111}} The following day, Liberty was part of the Fourth Division, which included fellow L-class destroyers {{HMS|Laertes|1913|2}}, Laurel and {{HMS|Lysander|1913|2}}, when the German torpedo boat {{SMS|G194||2}} was sighted.{{sfn| Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|page=119}} The destroyers set off at speed in pursuit, engaging with G194 and {{SMS|G196||2}}, and soon encountering the German 5th Flotilla.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|page=123}} Liberty was second in the line when their pursuit brought them to the light cruiser {{SMS|Mainz||2}} and almost immediately took a hit from the larger vessel that destroyed the bridge and killed the ship's commander, Nigel K. W. Barttelot.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|page=162}} The destroyer, in turn, claimed two hits against the German ship.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|page=134}} Damaged, the destroyer took no further part in the action, but watched as the British forces overwhelmed the German cruiser.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|page=136}} However, at the end, after the wounded were transferred to other ships in the British fleet, Liberty was able to return to Harwich without assistance and was soon repaired.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|page=144}}

After returning to service, the destroyer remained stationed at Harwich defending the Strait of Dover. On 23 January 1915, the destroyer led the Second Division of the Third Flotilla during the Battle of Dogger Bank.{{sfn|Corbett|1921|page=86}} The Flotilla was incapable of keeping sufficient speed to engage in the battle, which was left to newer and faster {{sclass|M|destroyer (1913)|0}} destroyers.{{sfn|Corbett|1921|page=92}} The ship did, however, rescue the destroyer that led into the fray, {{HMS|Meteor|1914|2}}, which had been heavily damaged attacking the German armoured cruiser {{SMS|Blücher||2}}, towing the vessel back to Britain.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|page=216}} For the remainder of the year, and into the next, the vessel remained at Harwich.{{citation|title=Harwich Force|work=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List|date=January 1916|page=13|url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92030254|via=National Library of Scotland|access-date=1 August 2020}}

On 31 May 1916, as part of the Ninth Destroyer Flotilla, Liberty was one of a small contingent from the Harwich Force that took part in the Battle of Jutland.{{sfn|Campbell|1998|page=23}} The destroyer, along with sisterships {{HMS|Landrail|1914|2}}, Laurel and {{HMS|Lydiard|1914|2}}, were to provide cover to the British battlecruisers of the First Battlecruiser Squadron.{{sfn|Jutland: Official Despatches|1920|page=6}} In this case, the flotilla was in the centre of the action but again failed to engage the German battle fleet in the confusion of the battle, with Liberty failing even to spot the enemy ships.{{sfn|Corbett|1920|pages=404-405}} Later that year, on 26 October, the destroyer was part of a four ship flotilla sent to defend the Dover Barrage in the Battle of Dover Strait, but saw no action at the time.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 18|1922|page=83}}

The destroyer had more success on 8 February the following year. While patrolling the Barrage, shortly after 03:00, Liberty spotted the German minelaying submarine {{SMU|UC-46||2}} surface ahead.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|page=228}} The destroyer swiftly opened fire and sped forward, ramming the German ship ahead of the conning tower at {{convert|24|kn|abbr=on}}. The German vessel sank with no survivors.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|page=229}} In addition to these actions, Liberty was also deployed as an occasional convoy escort.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939|page=160}} The ship was subsequently redeployed to the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla based at Devonport.{{citation|title=The Grand Fleet|work=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List|date=July 1918|page=17|url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92289918|via=National Library of Scotland|access-date=27 July 2020}}

After the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the war, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and personnel needed to be reduced to save money.{{sfn|Moretz|2002|page=79}} Liberty was initially placed in reserve at the Nore alongside over sixty other destroyers.{{citation|title=Vessels in Reserve at Home Ports and Other Bases|work=The Navy List|date=October 1919|page=707|url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92552954|via=National Library of Scotland|access-date=27 July 2020}} On 5 November 1921, the vessel was sold and broken up for scrap.{{sfn|Colledge|Warlow|2010|p=228}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book |title=Battle of Jutland, 30 May to 1 June 1916: Official Despatches with Appendices |location=London |publisher=His Majesty's Stationery Office |year=1920 |url=https://archive.org/details/battleofjutland300grearich |ref={{harvid|Jutland: Official Despatches|1920}}}}
• {{cite book | last1=Bush | first1=Steve | last2=Warlow | first2=Ben | title=Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy: A Complete History of the Allocation of Pendant Numbers to Royal Navy Warships & Auxiliaries | location=Barnsley | publisher=Seaforth Publishing | year=2021 | isbn=978-1-526793-78-2}}
• {{cite book | last=Campbell | first=John | title=Naval Weapons of World War Two | location=Annapolis | publisher=Naval Institute Press | year=1985 | isbn=978-0-87021-459-2}}
• {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=John |title=Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting |location=London |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |year=1998| isbn=978-0-85177-750-4}}
• {{cite book |last1=Colledge |first1=J. J. |last2=Warlow |first2=Ben |author-link1=J. J. Colledge |title=Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy| publisher=Casemate |location=Havertown |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-93514-907-1}}
• {{cite book |last=Corbett |first=Julian S. |author-link=Julian Corbett |title=Naval Operations: Volume III |series=History of the Great War |location=London |publisher=Longmans, Green and Co |year=1920 |url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations03corb/ |oclc=1049894619}}
• {{cite book |last=Corbett |first=Julian S. |title=Naval Operations: Volume II |series=History of the Great War |location=London |publisher=Longmans, Green and Co |year=1921 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.523436 |oclc=924170059}}
• {{cite book |last1=Dittmar |first1=F.J. |last2=Colledge |first2=J.J. |title=British Warships 1914–1919 |year=1972 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton |isbn=978-0-71100-380-4}}
• {{cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |author-link=Norman Friedman |title=British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War |year=2009 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley |isbn=978-1-84832-049-9}}
• {{cite book | last1=Manning | first1=Thomas Davys | last2=Walker | first2=Charles Frederick |title=British Warship Names | location=London | publisher=Putnam | year=1959 | oclc=780274698 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s5jfAAAAMAAJ}}
• {{cite book|last=March |first=Edgar J.|title=British Destroyers| location=London |publisher=Seeley |year=1966 |oclc=898841922}}
• {{cite book |title=Monograph No. 11: The Battle of Heligoland Bight: August 28th 1914 |series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) |volume= III |year=1921 |publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921}}}}
• {{cite book |title=Monograph No. 18: Dover Command |series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) |volume= VI |year=1922 |publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 18|1922}}}}
• {{cite book |title=Monograph No. 34: Home Waters Part VIII: December 1916 to April 1917 |series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) |volume= VIII |year=1933 |publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division |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= IX |year=1939 |publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939}}}}
• {{cite book | last=Moretz| first=Joseph |title=The Royal Navy and the Capital Ship in the Interwar Period | location=London | publisher=Routledge| year=2002 | isbn=978-0-71465-196-5}}
• {{cite book |last1=Parkes |first1=Oscar |last2=Prendergast |first2=Maurice |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1919 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbott |year=1969 |oclc=907574860}}
• {{cite book | last=Preston | first=Antony | chapter=Great Britain and Empire Forces | pages=1–104 | 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=978-0-85177-245-5}}
• {{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=David L. |last2=Sprake |first2=Raymond F. |title=White's of Cowes : "White's-built, well-built!" |location=Peterborough |publisher=Silver Link |year=1993 |isbn=978-1-85794-011-4}}

{{refend}}

{{L class destroyers (1913)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liberty (1913)}}

Category:1913 ships

Liberty

Category:Ships built on the Isle of Wight

Liberty