HMS Mosquito (1910)

{{Main|Beagle-class destroyer|l1=Beagle-class destroyer}}

Mosquito was one of three {{sclass|Beagle|destroyer}}s ordered from Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company as part of the 1908–1909 shipbuilding programme.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|pages=118, 305–306}}{{sfn|Manning|1961|page=56}} The vessels were coal-burning after concerns had been raised about the availability of fuel oil in time of war and the bridge was larger and higher than previous designs.{{sfn|Cocker|1981|page=23}} This reduced costs, although it also meant that five boilers were needed, the extra machinery meaning that deck space became more premium.{{sfn|Friedman|2009| page=116}} Otherwise, the Beagle-class vessels were not built to a standard design, with detailed design being left to the builders of individual ships in accordance with a loose specification.{{sfn|Brown|2010|page=68}} The vessels were known as the G class from October 1913.{{sfn|Preston|1985|page=74}}

Mosquito was {{convert|271|ft|m|1}} long, with a beam of {{convert|27|ft|10|in|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|16|ft|6|in|m|1}}.{{sfn|March|1966|page=85}} Normal displacement was {{convert|925|LT|t|abbr=on}}, which increased to {{convert|983|LT|t|abbr=on}} by the end of the First World War.{{cite journal |title=330: Mosquito. Torpedo boat Destroyer |journal=The Navy List |date=March 1913 |page=347 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/94247514 |access-date=15 December 2023 |via=National Library of Scotland}}{{sfn|Parkes|Prendergast|1969|page=114}} Five Yarrow boilers fed direct-drive Parsons steam turbines driving three shafts.{{sfn|Preston|1985|page=73}} Two funnels were fitted. The machinery was rated at {{convert|12000|shp|kW|abbr=on}} giving a design speed of {{convert|27|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Manning|1961|pages=54, 57}} The destroyer reached a speed of {{convert|27.12|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} during sea trials.{{sfn|Hythe|1912|page=249}} Up to {{convert|226|LT}} of coal was carried, giving a design range of {{convert|2000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}.{{sfn|March|1966|page=86}}

Armament consisted of one BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VIII gun forward and three QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun guns aft.{{#tag:ref|"Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 12cwt referring to the weight of the gun.|group=lower-alpha}} Torpedo armament consisted of two British 21 inch torpedo torpedo tubes, one placed forward and the other aft. Two spare torpedoes were carried.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|pages=116, 118}}{{sfn|Preston|1985|pages=73–74}} On 8 April 1916, the Admiralty approved fitting the destroyer with depth charges. Initially, two charges were carried.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|page=151}} This was increased to 30 to 50 charges during 1918.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|page=152}} The ship had a complement of 96 officers and ratings.{{sfn|Preston|1985|page=73}}{{sfn|Hythe|1912|page=249}}

Mosquito was laid down at Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company's Govan shipyard on 22 April 1909, was launched on 27 January the following year and completed on 11 August.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|page=306}} The ship was the eleventh of the name to serve in the Royal Navy, including one in Australian service.{{sfn|Colledge|Warlow|2006|page=234}} The vessel joined the First Destroyer Flotilla.{{cite news|title=Naval And Military Intelligence|newspaper=The Times|issue=39342|date=4 August 1910|page=5}} In 1912, a reorganisation of the Home Fleet resulted in the ships of the Beagle class forming the Third Destroyer Flotilla.{{sfn|Manning|1961|page=25}} Mosquito remained part of the Third Flotilla in March 1913.{{cite journal|title=Fleets and Squadrons in Commission at Home and Abroad: Flotillas of the First Fleet|journal=The Navy List|date=March 1913|page=269a|url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/94246518 |access-date=15 December 2023 |via=National Library of Scotland}} The Flotilla was based at Plymouth. On 19 November 1913, Mosquito left for Malta and joined the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Mediterranean Fleet.{{cite journal|title=Fleets and Squadrons in Commission at Home and Abroad: Mediterranean Fleet|journal=The Monthly Navy List|date=November 1913|url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/94327994|page=270a|access-date=15 December 2023|via=National Library of Scotland}}{{cite news|title=Naval And Military Intelligence|newspaper=The Times|issue=40374|date=20 November 1913|page=13}}

At the start of the First World War, the destroyer was part of the Second Division of the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla and based at Alexandria.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 4|1919|page=179}} On 18 August, the destroyer was deployed to Suez to deter the Ottoman Empire from restricting British access to the Suez Canal.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 21|1923|page=57}} The ship escorted the ex-Union-Castle Line troopship Grantully Castle carrying the Suffolk Regiment from Port Sudan to Suez on 9 October.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 21|1923|page=71}} On 10 November, the destroyer was deployed to Port Sudan to deter the Ottoman army from being reinforced from Africa.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 21|1923|page=84}}

In 1915 Mosquito participated in the naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign. On the night of 1/2 March, along with {{HMS|Basilisk|1910|2}}, {{HMS|Grasshopper|1909|2}} and {{HMS|Racoon|1910|2}}, the destroyer escorted trawlers attempting to clear the minefields across the narrows of the Dardanelles straits. The force came under heavy fire from Turkish guns, and were forced to turn back before reaching the minefields.{{sfn|Corbett|1921|page=169}} On the night of the 18/19 March, the destroyer was involved in another attempt to clear the mines, this time escorting three trawlers and two picket boats. Once again, they had to turn back under heavy fire.{{sfn|Corbett|1921|page=205}} It was then decided to clear the minefields by day while the British and French battleships suppressed the Turkish guns that protected the minefields.{{sfn|Dorling|1932|page=50}}{{sfn|Massie|2007|pages=450–446}} This was attempted on 18 March, with Basilisk, Grasshopper, Mosquito and Racoon again escorting the minesweeping trawlers.{{sfn|Dorling|1932|page=53}} The attempt failed, however, with the fire from mobile guns forcing the minesweepers to turn back. Even more consequentially, the battleships {{ship|French battleship|Bouvet||2}}, {{HMS|Ocean|1898|2}} and {{HMS|Irresistible|1898|2}} hit mines and sank, the destroyer rescuing the majority of the survivors from Bourvet.{{sfn|Massie|2007|pages=458–463}}{{sfn|Corbett|1921|pages=216–223}}{{sfn|Jordan|Caresse|2017|page=263}}

Mosquito was still based in the Mediterranean in August 1917,{{cite journal|title=XI—Mediterranean Fleet|journal=Supplement to the Monthly Naval List|date=August 1917|page=21|url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/94241918|access-date=15 December 2023 |via=National Library of Scotland}} However, by October that year, the vessel had moved to the Second Destroyer Flotilla, based at Buncrana in the north of Ireland.{{cite journal|title=VII.—Coast of Ireland Station |journal=Supplement to the Monthly Naval List|date=September 1917 |page=17 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92176702 |access-date=15 December 2023 |via=National Library of Scotland}} The Admiralty redeployed the destroyers as escorts to convoys to protect them from German submarines.{{sfn|Newbolt|1928|page=383}} On 5 February 1918, Mosquito was part of the escort for Convoy HX 20, bound from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Liverpool when the troopship {{SS|Tuscania|1914|2}} was torpedoed by the German submarine {{Ship|SM|UB-77||2}} south west of Islay. Mosquito was one of three destroyers detached from the convoy to rescue survivors from the sinking troopship and rescued about 200 men, while {{HMS|Pigeon|1916|2}} rescued about 800 and Grasshopper about 500.{{sfn|Hargreaves|O'Keeffe|2021|page=1}} A total of 166 American soldiers and 44 members of Tuscania{{'}}s crew were killed.{{sfn|Massie|2007|page=762}} Mosquito was still part of the Second Destroyer Flotilla in May 1918, but by July had returned to the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla at Devonport, remaining there until the end of the war.{{cite journal|title=X.—Coast of Ireland Station |journal=Supplement to the Monthly Naval List|date=May 1918 |page=18 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92263982 |access-date=15 December 2023 |via=National Library of Scotland}}{{cite journal|title=VIII.—Local Defence and Escort Flotillas: Devonport |journal=Supplement to the Monthly Naval List|date=July 1918 |page=17 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92289918 |access-date=15 December 2023 |via=National Library of Scotland}}{{cite journal|title=Supplement to the Monthly Naval List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: VIII.—Local Defence and Escort Flotillas: Devonport |journal=The Navy List|date=December 1918 |page=17 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92315674 |access-date=15 December 2023 |via=National Library of Scotland}}

After the Armistice that ended the war, the Royal Navy quickly withdrew all pre-war destroyers from active service.{{sfn|Manning|1961|page=28}} By February 1919, Mosquito was transferred had moved to The Nore.{{cite magazine|title=X.—Vessels at Home Ports Temporarily: The Nore |journal=Supplement to the Monthly Naval List |date=February 1919 |page=19 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92395414 |access-date=15 December 2023 |via=National Library of Scotland}} However, that deployment did not last long. As the force returned to a peacetime level of strength, both the number of ships and personnel needed to be reduced to save money.{{sfn|Moretz|2002|page=79}} Mosquito as declared superfluous to operational requirements, retired, and, on 31 August 1920, was sold to Ward at Rainham to be broken up.{{sfn|Colledge|Warlow|2006|page=234}}{{sfn|Dittmar|Colledge|1972|page=60}}

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book | last=Brown | first=David K. | title=The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906–1922 | year=2010 | publisher=Seaforth Publishing | location=Barnsley, UK | isbn=978-1-84832-085-7}}
• {{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=978-1-5267-9378-2}}
• {{cite book | last=Cocker | first=Maurice | title=Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893–1981 | year=1981 | publisher=Ian Allan | location=London | isbn=978-0-7110-1075-8 | url=https://archive.org/details/destroyersofroya0000cock}}
• {{cite book | last=Corbett | first=Julian S. | title=Naval Operations: Volume II | series=History of the Great War | location=London | publisher=Longmans, Green & Co. | year=1921 | url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations00newbgoog}}
• {{cite book | last=Corbett | first=Julian S. | title= Naval Operations: Volume III | series=History of the Great War | location=London | publisher=Longmans, Green & Co. | year=1923 | url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations03corb}}
• {{cite book | last1=Colledge | first1=J.J. | first2=Ben | last2=Warlow | title=Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy | location=London | publisher=Chatham Press | year=2006 | isbn=978-1-935149-07-1}}
• {{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=978-0-7110-0380-4}}
• {{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=55531197}}
• {{cite book | last=Friedman | first=Norman | title=British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War | year=2009 | location=Barnsley, UK | publisher=Seaforth Publishing | isbn=978-1-84832-049-9}}
• {{cite book | last1=Hargreaves | first1=David | last2=O'Keeffe | first2=Margaret-Louise | title=As We Were: The First World War; Tales from a broken world, week-by-week | volume=1 | location=London | publisher=Whitefox Publishing Limited | year=2021 | isbn=978-1-913532-66-6}}
• {{cite book | last1=Jordan | first1=John | last2=Caresse | first2=Philippe | title=French Battleships of World War One | location=Annapolis | publisher=Naval Institute Press | year=2017 | isbn=978-1-59114-639-1}}
• {{cite book | editor-last=Hythe | editor-first=Thomas | title=The Naval Annual | publisher=J. Griffin & Co. | location=Portsmouth | year=1912 | url=https://archive.org/details/brasseysnavala1912brasuoft}}
• {{cite book | last=Manning | first=Thomas Davys | title=The British Destroyer | location=London | publisher=Putnam | date=1961 | oclc=6470051}}
• {{cite book | last=Massie | first=Robert K. | title=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War at Sea | year=2007 | publisher=Vintage Books | location=London | isbn=978-0-09-952378-9}}
• {{cite book | last=March | first=Edgar J. | title=British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans | location=London | publisher=Seeley Service | year=1966 | oclc=164893555}}
• {{cite book | title=Monograph No. 4: Operations in the Mediterranean, August 4th–10th 1914| year=1919 | publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division | series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) | volume=I | pages=176–217 | url=https://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monograph-Vol.I_opt.pdf | ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 4|1919}}}}
• {{cite book | title=Monograph No. 21: The Mediterranean 1914–1915 | series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) | volume=VIII | year=1923 | publisher=The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division | url=https://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.VIII_opt.pdf | ref={{harvid | Naval Staff Monograph No. 21 | 1923}}}}
• {{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=978-0-7146-5196-5}}
• {{cite book | last=Newbolt | first=Henry | author-link=Henry Newbolt | title=Naval Operations: Volume IV | series=History of the Great War | location=London | publisher=Longmans, Green & Co. | year=1928 | url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations04corb | oclc=1049894132}}
• {{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}}

{{refend}}

{{Beagle class destroyer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mosquito (1910)}}

Category:1910 ships

Category:Beagle-class destroyers

Category:Ships built in Govan

Category:World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom