HMS Falmouth (1910) facts for kids
Falmouth at anchor, 1914
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | Falmouth |
| Namesake | Falmouth, Cornwall |
| Builder | William Beardmore and Company, Dalmuir |
| Laid down | 21 February 1910 |
| Launched | 20 September 1910 |
| Commissioned | September 1911 |
| Fate | Sunk, 19 August 1916, by U-63 |
| Status | Diveable wreck |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class and type | Town-class light cruiser |
| Displacement | 5,275 long tons (5,360 t) |
| Length |
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| Beam | 47 ft 6 in (14.5 m) |
| Draught | 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m) (mean) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | 4 × shafts; 2 × Parsons steam turbines |
| Speed | 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) |
| Range | 5,610 nautical miles (10,390 km; 6,460 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 475 |
| Armament |
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| Armour |
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HMS Falmouth was a fast light cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the early 1900s. She was part of the Weymouth sub-class, which was a group of four ships. Falmouth joined the fleet in 1911.
When World War I started in 1914, Falmouth became an important ship in the Grand Fleet. She took part in major naval battles like the Battle of Heligoland Bight, the Battle of Dogger Bank, and the Battle of Jutland. In 1916, she was hit by torpedoes from German submarines and sank off the coast of Yorkshire.
Contents
Building a Warship
The Weymouth-class ships, like Falmouth, were bigger and better versions of earlier cruisers. They had more powerful weapons.
Ship Size and Speed
Falmouth was about 453 feet (138.1 m) long, which is longer than a football field. She was 47 feet 6 inches (14.5 m) wide and sat 15 feet 6 inches (4.7 m) deep in the water. The ship weighed about 5,275 long tons (5,360 t) when fully loaded.
To make her move, Falmouth had 12 large boilers that created steam. This steam powered two steam turbines, which turned four propellers. This setup allowed her to reach a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph), or about 29 miles per hour. She could travel for a long distance, over 5,610 nautical miles (10,390 km; 6,460 mi), at a slower speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). About 475 sailors worked on board.
Weapons and Protection
Falmouth was armed with eight large 6 inches (152 mm) guns. These guns were placed around the ship, some at the front and back, and some on the sides. She also had four smaller 3 pounder[convert: unknown unit] guns for closer combat or saluting. For underwater attacks, she carried two 21 inches (533 mm) torpedo tubes.
To protect the ship, Falmouth had an armoured deck. This deck was like a strong shield over the ship's important parts, like the engines and ammunition storage. It was about 2 inches (51 mm) thick in some places. The conning tower, where the ship was controlled, had even thicker armour, about 4 inches (102 mm) thick. The gun shields, which protected the gun crews, were 3-inch (76 mm) thick. However, there was a small gap under the gun shields that could let in shell fragments, which was a weak point.
Falmouth was built by William Beardmore and Company in Scotland. Her construction started on 21 February 1910, and she was launched on 20 September of the same year. She officially joined the Royal Navy in September 1911.
Early Years and World War I
Initially, Falmouth was part of the Atlantic Fleet. In 1913, she was moved to the reserve fleet, meaning she wasn't actively used but was ready if needed.
When World War I began in August 1914, Falmouth quickly became active again. She joined the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet, which was the main British battle fleet.
She was present at the Battle of Heligoland Bight in August 1914, but didn't play a big role. Later, in December 1914, she was part of the ships chasing German vessels after they attacked British towns. By the end of 1914, Falmouth became the flagship for Rear-Admiral Trevylyan Napier, meaning she was the lead ship of his squadron.
In January 1915, during the Battle of Dogger Bank, Falmouth and her squadron escorted the Grand Fleet. They weren't directly involved in the fighting but helped protect the larger ships.
Battle of Jutland
Falmouth took part in the biggest naval battle of World War I, the Battle of Jutland, on 31 May–1 June 1916.
As the battle started, Falmouth and her squadron were scouting ahead for the British battlecruisers. They were among the first ships to spot the German fleet. Falmouth engaged several German ships in difficult conditions. She fired at the damaged German cruiser SMS Wiesbaden and also aimed a torpedo at it, which missed.
Later, Falmouth fired at the German battlecruisers SMS Lützow and SMS Derfflinger, hitting both of them. She was only hit once herself, by a 15-centimetre (5.9 in) shell that damaged her foremast.
Towards the end of the battle, Falmouth spotted five German cruisers. She opened fire and hit the German light cruiser SMS München twice. One of these hits damaged München's boilers, making it hard for her to move. Falmouth fired more shells than any other British light cruiser during the battle.
The Sinking of Falmouth
On 18 August 1916, the British Grand Fleet sailed out because they knew the German fleet was planning an attack. The Germans wanted to bombard Sunderland and had submarines waiting to ambush British ships.
On the afternoon of 19 August, as the Grand Fleet was heading home, Falmouth was hit by two torpedoes from the German submarine U-66. The torpedoes badly damaged the cruiser. An armed trawler, Cooksin, came alongside and took off all the crew members who weren't needed to keep the ship running.
Falmouth managed to keep moving slowly through the night. The next morning, two tugboats arrived to help tow her. However, her path took her right past another German submarine, U-63. Despite having eight destroyers protecting her, Falmouth was hit by two more torpedoes around noon.
The cruiser stayed afloat for another eight hours before finally sinking off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire. Luckily, no one was killed in the attacks, though one sailor later died from his injuries. Today, the wreck of Falmouth rests in 16 metres (52 ft) of water.
