HMS Sparrowhawk (1912) facts for kids
HMS Sparrowhawk
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Sparrowhawk |
| Builder | Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend |
| Laid down | 25 October 1911 |
| Launched | 12 October 1912 |
| Commissioned | 2 May 1913 |
| Fate | after collision on 30 May and attempted tow failed, 1 June 1916 abandoned and scuttled |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Acasta-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 937 |
| Length | 267 ft 6 in (81.5 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft 0 in (8.2 m) |
| Draught | 10 ft 6 in (3.2 m)Error: has synonymous parameter (help) |
| Draft | 8 ft 7 in (2.6 m)Error: has synonymous parameter (help) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph) |
| Armament |
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HMS Sparrowhawk was a destroyer ship built in 1912 for the Royal Navy. She was part of a group of ships called the Acasta-class destroyer class. Sadly, Sparrowhawk was sunk during a huge sea battle called the Battle of Jutland in 1916. This happened after she crashed into another British destroyer, HMS Broke.
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Sparrowhawk was one of three Acasta-class destroyers built by a company called Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson. This shipyard was located in Wallsend, England. She was launched into the water on October 12, 1912.
After being finished in mid-1913, Sparrowhawk officially joined the Royal Navy. She became part of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla.
Serving in World War I
When World War I began, Sparrowhawk was already serving with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla. This group of ships was part of the Grand Fleet, a very large and powerful fleet of the Royal Navy.
The Battle of Jutland Collision
Sparrowhawk was sunk on June 1, 1916, during the Battle of Jutland. This happened after she crashed into another British destroyer, HMS Broke. Six of her crew members died in the incident.
The Collision Begins
Around 11:40 PM, some ships from the 4th Destroyer Flotilla were trying to attack nearby German ships. Commander Walter Allen, on HMS Broke, was leading them. Suddenly, Broke was caught in the bright searchlights of a German battleship called SMS Westfalen.
Broke tried to fire torpedoes, but the German ship was very close, only about 150 yards away. The German ship fired first, and the attack was very powerful. Within a few minutes, 50 crew members on Broke were killed, and 30 more were injured. This stopped the guns from working and made it impossible to do anything useful on the ship's deck.
The helmsman (the person steering the ship) on Broke was killed at the wheel. As he died, his body turned the wheel. This caused Broke to turn sharply and crash into Sparrowhawk.
After the First Crash
Sub-Lieutenant Percy Wood from Sparrowhawk saw Broke speeding towards them at 28 knots. It was heading straight for Sparrowhawk's bridge (the control room). He quickly shouted warnings to the crew on the front part of the ship to get out of the way. Then, he was knocked over by the impact.
When he woke up, he found himself lying on the deck of Broke. Wood reported to Commander Allen, who told him to go back to his own ship. He was told to get ready to take Broke's crew on board Sparrowhawk. Two other men from Sparrowhawk were also thrown onto Broke by the crash.
When Wood returned to Sparrowhawk, his captain, Lieutenant-Commander Sydney Hopkins, told him that he had just sent the same message to Broke. About 20 men from Sparrowhawk moved to Broke, while 15 of Broke's crew crossed over to Sparrowhawk.
More Collisions and Danger
At this point, a third destroyer, HMS Contest, steamed into Sparrowhawk. It hit her stern (the back part) and tore off about 6 feet of the ship. Contest was not badly damaged and was able to continue sailing after the collision.
Broke and Sparrowhawk stayed stuck together for about half an hour. After they finally separated, Broke started moving again, taking 30 of Sparrowhawk's crew with her.
Sparrowhawk still had engine power, but her rudder (the steering part) was stuck to one side. This meant she could only steam in circles, near the burning destroyer Tipperary.
Around 2:00 AM, a German torpedo boat came very close, within 100 yards. But then it turned away. Only one gun on Sparrowhawk was still working. The captain and his officers personally manned it because the gun crews were dead or injured. They held their fire, hoping the German boat would not attack a ship that could not defend itself. Soon after, Tipperary sank, and its fire, which had been attracting attention, went out.
Around 3:30 AM, Sparrowhawk saw a German cruiser. This caused a lot of worry. But shortly after, the ship was seen to tilt and then sink bow first. This was SMS Elbing, which had been hit by a torpedo and then abandoned.
At 6:10 AM, a raft approached Sparrowhawk, carrying 23 men from Tipperary. Three of them were already dead, and five more died after being brought on board.
The End of Sparrowhawk
An hour later, three British destroyers arrived. HMS Marksman tried to attach two strong ropes to Sparrowhawk to tow her to safety. However, the high seas caused the ropes to break. There were also reports of German submarines nearby.
It was decided that Sparrowhawk had to be abandoned. To make sure she sank and did not fall into enemy hands, Marksman fired 18 shells into her.
The wreck of HMS Sparrowhawk was found in August 2016 by Dr Innes McCartney from Bournemouth University and a team from the Sea War Museum Jutland. Parts of the wreck had been taken by salvage companies in the past. The wreck site is now a protected place under a law called the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. This means it is protected because it is a war grave.
