HMS Falmouth (1910)

Falmouth in 1914
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Falmouth
Namesake:	Falmouth, Cornwall
Builder:	William Beardmore and Company
Laid down:	21 February 1910
Launched:	20 September 1910
Commissioned:	September 1911
Fate:	Sunk 19 August 1916 by U-63
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type:	Town-class light cruiser
Displacement:	5,275 long tons (5,360 t)
Length:	430 ft (131.1 m) p/p 453 ft (138.1 m) o/a
Beam:	47 ft 6 in (14.5 m)
Draught:	15 ft 6 in (4.72 m) (mean)
Installed power:	22,000 shp (16,000 kW) 12 × Yarrow boilers
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:	8 × single BL 6 in (152 mm) Mk XI guns 4 × single QF 3-pounder (47 mm (1.9 in)) guns 2 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour:	Deck: .75–2 in (19–51 mm) Conning Tower: 4 in (102 mm)

HMS Falmouth was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy launched on 20 September 1910 from the yards of William Beardmore and Company. She was part of the Weymouth subgroup.^[1]

She saw action in a number of major naval engagements of the war. On the outbreak of the First World War, she was assigned to the 5th Cruiser Squadron operating in the mid-Atlantic. In August 1914, Falmouth sank four German merchant ships and later that month was reassigned to the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet. On 28 August 1914 she took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, and on 24 January 1915 she took part in the Battle of Dogger Bank.^[2]

She was still part of the squadron when on 31 May to 1 June 1916 she was present at the Battle of Jutland. Her eventful career came to an end on 19 August 1916 when she was damaged by U-66 and then sunk by U-63 under the command of Otto Schultze.^[3] She sits in 15 metres (49 ft) at 53°58.93′N 0°4.50′W / 53.98217°N 0.07500°WCoordinates: 53°58.93′N 0°4.50′W / 53.98217°N 0.07500°W.

Notes

1. Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One
2. Ships of the Weymouth group
3. Colledge

References

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
• Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One (1919), Jane's Publishing Company
• Gray, Randal (ed), "Conway's All The Worlds Fighting Ships, 1906-1921", (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1985), ISBN 0-85177-245-5
• Ships of the Weymouth group