HMS Dublin (1912)

HMS "Dublin", alongside "Chatham" and "Southampton", was a Town class light cruiser of the "Chatham" subgroup, each costing an average £334,053. She was laid down on April 11 1911 by Wm. Beardmore & Company in Dalmuir (near Glasgow) Scotland. HMS "Dublin" was launched on April 30 1912 and completed in March 1913.

Pre-war career

She was initially assigned to the 1st Battle Squadron in 1913 and then to the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron in July 1913, operating in the Mediterranean. She was then reassigned to the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron from September 1913 to the end of 1914.

Pursuit of the "Goeben"

Captain John D. Kelly (1871-1936 Later Admiral of the Fleet, G.C.B., G.C.V.O.) pursued the German cruiser "Goeben" at Messina (off the north coast of Sicily) August 4, 1914 just prior to the outbreak of WWI. On August 6 after having completed coaling, "Dublin" left Malta at 14:00 to join the Rear Admiral. At 20:30 she received orders to obtain the "Goeben"'s course and sink her during the night, by torpedoes if possible. Observing at a distance, Kelly expected to engage around 03:30 but the "Goeben" had unexpectedly altered course to the north. The chase was lost as a daylight attack would be suicidal; "Goeben"’s largest guns could accurately fire explosive shells up to 15 miles away.

Gallipoli and torpedoing

In February 1915, "Dublin" was sent to the Dardanelles and subsequently assisted "Implacable's" landing assault upon Gallipoli, on April 25, 1915 at "X Beach". She was then sent to Brindisi in May 1915. While taking part in a sweep off the Albanian coast, and whilst escorted by French and Italian destroyers, "Dublin" was hit and damaged by a torpedo from Austrian submarine "U-IV" on 9 June 1915. "Dublin" was able to get underway at 17 knots and to return to Brindisi but was out of action for several months and had to return to the UK for refit.

In home waters

"Dublin" served in the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron alongside " Southampton", " Birmingham" and "Nottingham" with the " Grand fleet (Home)" from 1916 to 1919. Now under Captain Scott (Albert Charles Scott 1872-1969, later Vice Admiral; HMS "Dublin" 1916-1918), she participated in the Battle of Jutland on May 31 1916. During the subsequent night actions, "Dublin" fired 117 6-inch shells and along with "Southampton", attacked and sank a destroyer. Both ships however sustained severe damage and three crew members were killed and 27 wounded when "Dublin" received five 5.9 shell inch hits from the SMS " Elbing" and eight 4.1-inch shell hits from "Stuttgart" (possibly also "Frauenlob" and "Hamburg"). Subsequent repairs to "Dublin" were not completed until June 17.

On May 3 1917 in the North Sea, "Dublin" with HMAS "Sydney" and four destroyers ("Nepean", "Obdurate", "Pelican", "Pylades"), left Rosyth for a sweep between the mouths of the Forth and the Humber. At 10:25 "Dublin" observed the "Zeppelin L43" about 17 miles away to the east, rapidly approaching a strange vessel; both cruisers promptly made for the enemy, opening fire on it at extreme range. At 10:54 "Dublin" saw the track of a torpedo passing ahead of her, at 11:12 a submarine was sighted, and at 11:15 another one was spotted, which fired two torpedoes at her. At 11:20 she sighted a third, which she engaged with her guns and on which she dropped a depth-charge. The Zeppelin made a direct attack: making for the stern of "Dublin", and rising hastily as it flew, it endeavoured to obtain a position vertically above the cruiser in order to drop bombs on her - an attempt which was foiled by "Dublin"'s hurried swerve to starboard.

Post-war career

"Dublin" was then commissioned for the 6th squadron at the Africa Station from January 1920 until 1924, though she served for a short time in April with the 3rd squadron in the Mediterranean until being sent to the Reserve at Nore in 1924. She was sold to J.J. King at Troon in July 1926 for scrapping, but "Dublin" ran aground on the way to the breakers. She was refloated in July 1927 and broken up later that year.

References

*Colledge
*Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One (1919), Jane's Publishing Company
* [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/light-cruiser/hms-Chatham.html]