HMS Shark (1912) facts for kids
HMS Shark
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Shark |
| Builder | Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend |
| Launched | 30 July 1912 |
| Fate | Sunk, Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Acasta-class destroyer |
| Length | 267 ft 6 in (81.5 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft 0 in (8.2 m) |
| Draught | 10 ft 6 in (3.2 m) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph) |
| Armament |
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HMS Shark was a special type of warship called an Acasta-class destroyer. It was built for the Royal Navy (Britain's navy) in 1912. Sadly, Shark was sunk during a very big sea battle called the Battle of Jutland on May 31, 1916.
Contents
Building a Warship: HMS Shark's Design
In 1911 and 1912, the British Navy planned to build 20 new destroyers. These ships were designed to be fast and powerful. Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, a shipbuilding company in Wallsend, was chosen to build one of these destroyers, HMS Shark.
What Made Shark Special?
Shark and other Acasta-class destroyers were bigger and stronger than earlier ships. The navy wanted faster ships to match those being built by other countries. They also wanted ships that could travel further without needing to refuel.
- Size: Shark was about 267 feet 6 inches (81.5 m) long. That's longer than two basketball courts! It was 27 feet 0 inches (8.2 m) wide and sat about 10 feet 5 inches (3.2 m) deep in the water.
- Power: The ship used special boilers and steam turbines to make it go. These engines gave it a top speed of 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph) (knots). A knot is a way to measure speed at sea.
- Weapons: Shark had three large 4-inch (102 mm) guns. One was at the front and two were at the back. It also had two tubes that could fire powerful torpedoes. Torpedoes are like underwater missiles.
- Crew: About 73 sailors worked on HMS Shark.
Shark started being built on October 27, 1911. It was launched into the water on July 30, 1912. This is when the ship is officially named and put into the water for the first time. The ship was fully finished in April 1913.
Changing Names: The K Class
In 1913, the navy decided to give its destroyers new names based on letters of the alphabet. The Acasta class was going to be called the K class. Shark was supposed to be renamed Kestrel. However, the ships were never actually renamed, so Shark kept its original name.
HMS Shark in Action: World War I
After it was finished, Shark joined the 4th Destroyer Flotilla. A flotilla is a group of small warships. This group was based at Portsmouth. When World War I started in August 1914, the 4th Flotilla, including Shark, became part of the Grand Fleet. The Grand Fleet was the main battle fleet of the Royal Navy, based at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands.
German Attack on Coastal Towns
On December 15, 1914, German warships tried to attack British coastal towns like Scarborough and Hartlepool. They hoped to draw out British ships so they could fight them. The British knew about the attack from secret radio messages.
HMS Shark was one of seven destroyers helping the British battlecruisers. Battlecruisers are large, fast warships. Early on December 16, Shark and other British destroyers chased a German destroyer. Later, Shark and another destroyer, HMS Hardy, met a German light cruiser called Hamburg. Hardy was damaged in the fight.
Shark then helped protect the British battlecruisers. They met more German ships and tried to attack them with torpedoes. But more German cruisers appeared, and Shark had to stop its attack because of bad visibility (it was hard to see).
The Battle of Jutland: Shark's Final Fight
The Battle of Jutland was one of the biggest naval battles in history. It happened on May 31, 1916. During this battle, Shark was part of a group of four destroyers. Their job was to protect the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron.
Around 6 p.m., Shark led an attack against a group of German ships. Shark fired two torpedoes, but they didn't hit their targets. The other three destroyers managed to get away safely. However, Shark was hit by enemy gunfire. Its fuel pipes and steering gear were destroyed, meaning it couldn't move or steer properly.
The front gun on Shark was completely blown away, and most of its crew were killed. The ship's captain, Commander Loftus Jones, was a very brave man. He refused help from another destroyer, HMS Acasta, because he didn't want to put Acasta in danger too.
Soon after, the back gun was also destroyed, and the ship's bridge (where the captain steers) was wrecked. Commander Jones, even though he was badly hurt, kept fighting. He and three sailors continued to fire the middle gun. They even managed to sink a German destroyer called V48.
German destroyers came closer and fired heavily at Shark. During this intense fighting, Commander Jones lost a leg. Shortly before 7 p.m., he ordered his crew to leave the ship. About thirty sailors got onto rafts. Only seven of them were rescued six hours later by a Danish ship, but one of them died soon after. Commander Jones is believed to have gone down with his ship. In total, 86 out of 92 men on board Shark were killed.
The Loss of HMS Shark
At 7 p.m., a German torpedo boat called S54 fired a torpedo at Shark. The torpedo hit the ship near the back, and Shark sank.
In March 1917, Commander Jones was given the Victoria Cross after his death. This is the highest award for bravery in the British military. The place where Shark sank is now a protected site. This means it's illegal to disturb the wreck.
