HMS Tern (1927)
{{short description|Gunboat of the Royal Navy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United Kingdom |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}} |Ship namesake= |Ship motto= |Ship builder= Yarrow & Co., Glasgow{{cite web |url=http://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?exact=1&year_built=&builder=&ref=23091&vessel=TERN |title=Steam Turbine TERN built by Yarrow & Co. Ltd. in 1928 for Admiralty, Naval |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |accessdate=2021-02-25 }} |Ship laid down= |Ship launched= 29 August 1927 |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned=November 1927 |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship honours= |Ship fate= Scuttled 19 December 1941 |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption={{cite web |url=http://www.clydeserver.com/shipping/viewtopic.php?t=22883 |title=Tern 1927 HMS - River Gunboat |work=ClydeMaritime |date=2012-08-29 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225070245/http://www.clydeserver.com/shipping/viewtopic.php?t=22883 |archivedate=2021-02-25 |accessdate=2021-02-25 }} |Ship type=River gunboat |Ship displacement={{convert|262|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} |Ship length={{convert|168|ft|m|abbr=on}}o/a |Ship beam={{convert|27|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{convert|4|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship power=*{{convert|1370|shp|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion= 2-shaft geared turbines |Ship speed= {{convert|14|kn|lk=in}} |Ship range= |Ship complement=55 |Ship armament=
}} |
HMS Tern was a river gunboat built for the Royal Navy by Yarrow in 1927.
Design
Tern and her sister ship {{HMS|Seamew|1928|6}} were river gunboats ordered under the Royal Navy 1926 Estimates, and were sometimes referred to as Tern-class river gunboats. They sported two masts and were propelled by twin-screw propellers with geared steam turbines, giving them a top speed of {{convert|14|kn|lk=in}}. The ships were protected by bulletproof plating to the bridges along with gun shields. They were introduced with {{HMS|Peterel|1927|6}} and {{HMS|Gannet|1927|6}} as modern vessels for use in China. The four vessels were sometimes grouped in the same class, despite Tern and Seamew having a smaller and shorter design than the latter two vessels.{{cite web |url=http://www.navtechlife.com/River_Gunboats.htm |title=River Gunboats: China |work=Naval technology and life on board|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225074653/http://www.navtechlife.com/River_Gunboats.htm |archivedate=2021-02-25 |accessdate=2021-02-25 }}
Service
Tern was constructed by Yarrow in Scotstoun in 1927, with the yard number 1528. After her construction, she was broken down into sections and transported to Hong Kong, where she was reassembled and launched. After her reconstruction she served in the Yangtze.
In 1941, she was transferred back to Hong Kong. In December, she took part in the Battle of Hong Kong. On 11 December, she assisted in the evacuation of British forces from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island.{{cite book|last=Banham|first=Tony |author-link=Tony Banham|title=Not the Slightest Chance: The Defence of Hong Kong, 1941|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pr7ZjNCqyUsC|year=2003|publisher=UBC Press|isbn=978-0-7748-1045-6|page=53}} On 12 or 13 December, she shot down a Japanese aircraft.{{cite book|last=Banham|first=Tony |author-link=Tony Banham|title=Not the Slightest Chance: The Defence of Hong Kong, 1941|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pr7ZjNCqyUsC|year=2003|publisher=UBC Press|isbn=978-0-7748-1045-6|page=70}} She was scuttled in Deep Water Bay on 19 December, to prevent capture by the Japanese.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{December 1941 shipwrecks}}
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Category:Ships built in Glasgow