HMS Thracian (1920) facts for kids
HMS Thracian in 1941
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | Thracian |
| Ordered | 1915 |
| Builder |
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| Laid down | 17 January 1918 |
| Launched | 5 March 1920 |
| Commissioned | 1 April 1922 |
| Identification | Pennant number: D86 |
| Motto | Thrust on |
| Fate | Grounded on 17 December 1941 at Ngan Chau, Hong Kong |
| General characteristics HMS Thracian | |
| Class and type | S-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 1,075 long tons (1,092 t) |
| Length | 276 ft (84 m) o/a |
| Beam | 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m) |
| Draught | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | 2 Shafts; 2 steam turbines |
| Speed | 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) |
| Range | 2,750 nmi (5,090 km; 3,160 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 90 |
| Armament |
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 Japan |
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| Name |
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| Builder | Navy 2nd Construction Department at Hong Kong |
| Acquired | 1942 |
| Commissioned | 1 October 1942 |
| Decommissioned | 1945 |
| In service | 1942–1945 |
| Renamed |
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| Reclassified | Training ship, 15 March 1944 |
| Reinstated | Returned to Royal Navy in October 1945 |
| Fate | Scrapped, February 1946 |
| General characteristics Patrol Boat No.101 | |
| Class and type | Patrol boat/Training ship |
| Displacement | 1,150 long tons (1,168 t) standard |
| Length | 80.79 m (265 ft 1 in) Lpp |
| Beam | 8.17 m (26 ft 10 in) |
| Draft | 3.01 m (9 ft 11 in) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h) |
| Complement |
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| Sensors and processing systems |
Mk. 23 gunfire control radar (1944) |
| Armament |
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HMS Thracian was a special type of warship called an S-class destroyer. It was built for the Royal Navy (Britain's navy) during the First World War.
Contents
About the Thracian
Ship Design and Size
The S-class destroyers were improved versions of earlier ships. They weighed about 1,075 tons. These ships were quite long, measuring about 84 meters (276 feet) from front to back. They were also about 8.1 meters (26 feet 8 inches) wide. The bottom of the ship sat about 2.7 meters (9 feet) deep in the water.
Power and Speed
Thracian used two powerful steam turbine engines. These engines got their steam from three large boilers. Together, the engines produced a lot of power, allowing the ship to reach a top speed of 36 knots (about 67 kilometers per hour). The ship could travel about 5,093 kilometers (2,750 nautical miles) when moving at a slower speed of 15 knots. It needed a crew of 90 sailors to operate.
Weapons on Board
Thracian was well-armed for its time. It had three 4-inch guns, which are about 10 centimeters wide. It also had a smaller 2-pounder (40 mm) "pom-pom" gun. This smaller gun was used to shoot at aircraft. For attacking other ships, Thracian carried torpedoes. It had two sets of twin torpedo tubes for 21-inch (53 cm) torpedoes. It also had two single tubes for 18-inch (45 cm) torpedoes. All these torpedo launchers were on the deck and could turn to aim.
Building and Service
Early Years
HMS Thracian began construction on January 17, 1918. It was built by a company called Hawthorn Leslie and Company. However, it wasn't launched into the water until March 5, 1920. This delay happened because of money problems after the First World War. The ship was finally finished and joined the Royal Navy on April 1, 1922. This happened at Sheerness Dockyard.
Battle of Hong Kong (1941)
In December 1941, Thracian played a role in the Battle of Hong Kong. At this time, it was commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Arthur Luard Pears. Thracian was the only destroyer left to defend the colony. Other destroyers had already left for Singapore.
On December 10, Thracian helped attack Japanese boats trying to land on Lamma Island. A few days later, on December 13, it helped move people from Kowloon and Green Island to Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island.
On December 16, Thracian attacked Japanese boats getting ready to invade Hong Kong Island. During this action, it accidentally ran aground (got stuck) at Uk Kok. The crew managed to get it free later that day. It returned to the Aberdeen dockyard for repairs. However, Japanese planes then bombed the dockyard. A bomb that landed nearby caused injuries to some sailors. The damage to Thracian from running aground was too severe to fix quickly.
The next day, December 17, the crew intentionally ran the ship aground at Ngan Chau. This was done to prevent the Japanese from easily capturing it. The brave crew of Thracian then left the ship and continued to fight on land as soldiers. Many of them faced difficult times during the battle and after being captured. Japanese forces later took control of the ship.
After being captured, Thracian was taken by the Imperial Japanese Army. On October 1, 1942, it was officially added to the Imperial Japanese Navy's list of ships. It was renamed Patrol Boat No. 101.
The Japanese Navy repaired the ship. By November 25, the repairs were finished. Patrol Boat No. 101 was then sent to the Yokosuka Naval District. It spent its time helping to protect convoys (groups of ships) in the Yokosuka area.
Later, on August 15, 1943, it was assigned to a torpedo training school in Yokosuka. On March 15, 1944, its role changed again. It was reclassified as a training ship and renamed Special Training Ship No. 1. It was used to test new weapons.
By August 1945, at the end of the war, the ship was found in Yokosuka. The Japanese had tried to sink it, but they were not successful. In December 1945, a British ship, HMS Undine, recovered Thracian. However, it was later taken to Hong Kong and taken apart for scrap metal in 1946.
Images for kids
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IJN Patrol Boat No. 101 in 1942
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IJN Special Training Ship No. 1 in 1945
