HMS ''Firedrake'' was a modified , named after the firedrake of
Teutonic mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...
, and the sixth ship of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
to bear the name.
Construction
Sir
Alfred Yarrow maintained that it was possible to build strong,
seaworthy
Seakeeping ability or seaworthiness is a measure of how well-suited a watercraft is to conditions when underway. A ship or boat which has good seakeeping ability is said to be very seaworthy and is able to operate effectively even in high sea stat ...
destroyers with a speed of , and a contract for three such boats was placed with
Yarrow & Company of
Scotstoun,
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
. The "Firedrake Specials",
"Special I class" or "Yarrow Specials" were a little larger than the rest of the class but carried the same armament. ''Firedrake'', and were, however, distinctive in appearance and at least faster than the rest of their class. They all exceeded their contract speed, ''Lurcher'' making over . ''Firedrake'' became part of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
's
1st Destroyer Flotilla.
Curragh Incident
During the Curragh Incident in the spring of 1914, ''Firedrake'' was despatched to Kingstown (now
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire ( , ) is a suburban coastal town in Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown.
The town was built following the 1816 legislation that allowed the building of a major port to serve Dubli ...
in the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
) in order to preserve communications between Lieutenant General
Sir Arthur Paget in Dublin and the British Government in London. She left Southampton at 10:30pm on 19 March, making the passage in record time. The
Unionists suspected that the naval movements were part of a plot to subdue
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
, and ''Firedrake''s captain, Lieutenant Commander B W Barrow, was ordered to report to Paget's Headquarters in
civilian clothes
''Civilian Clothes'' is a surviving 1920 American silent comedy film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It stars Thomas Meighan and was directed by Hugh Ford. This film is based on the 1919 Broadway play, ''C ...
.
[
Discomfort in the ]British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
with possible military action within Ireland was to some extent mirrored in the Royal Navy. In ''Firedrake'', Engineer Lieutenant Ranken informed his captain "that I had signed the British Covenant The British Covenant was a protest organised in 1914 against the Third Home Rule Bill for Ireland. It largely mirrored the Ulster Covenant of 1912.
With the failure of Asquith and Bonar Law to reach a compromise on the delayed bill, Law accepted ...
and that I should be no party to any aggressive move against Ulster if that were the intention in sending us to Kingstown". Had General Paget, he declared, "joined for passage during my regime only one course was open to me - to decline to be a party to propelling the ship". Lieutenant Commander Barrow did not share his principles, and Ranken was relieved by another officer on 22 March.[''The Royal Navy and the Curragh Incident'', Ian F W Beckett & Keith Jeffery, Historical Research, Volume 62, Issue 147 (p 54-69)]
/ref> On 2 April all naval forces, including ''Firedrake'', were withdrawn for Easter leave, with no intention to return them. Although the Royal Navy soon returned to prevent gun-running to the Ulster Volunteers
The Ulster Volunteers was an Irish unionist, loyalist paramilitary organisation founded in 1912 to block domestic self-government ("Home Rule") for Ireland, which was then part of the United Kingdom. The Ulster Volunteers were based in the ...
, ''Firedrake'' does not appear to have taken part.
World War One
At the start of World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
''Firedrake'' and ''Lurcher'' were assigned to the Eighth Submarine Flotilla under the command of Commodore Keyes, and were based at Parkeston Quay, Harwich. Both ships were employed in escorting, towing and exercising with submarines of their flotilla, and the more notable episodes are detailed below:
Landing of the BEF
From August 1914 the British and French Navies attempted to seal the English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
against German naval attack; ''Firedrake'' and 12 submarines formed the north-eastern line. No transports carrying the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) were sunk, although the German Navy made little or no use of submarines against non-military ships at this stage of the war.
According to the despatches of Commodore Keyes,
The Battle of Heligoland Bight
On 26 August 1914 Commodore Keyes hoisted his broad pennant
A broad pennant is a triangular swallow-tailed naval pennant flown from the masthead of a warship afloat or a naval headquarters ashore to indicate the presence of either:
(a) a Royal Navy officer in the rank of Commodore, or
(b) a U.S. Na ...
in ''Lurcher'', leading ''Firedrake'', two D-class and six E-class submarines eastwards into the North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...
. Also at sea were the destroyers of Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, 1st Baronet, (; 10 May 1870 – 30 May 1951) was a Royal Navy officer. During the First World War he served as commander of the Harwich Force. He led a supporting naval force of 31 destroyers a ...
. The plan was to place elements of the High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet (''Hochseeflotte'') was the battle fleet of the German Imperial Navy and saw action during the First World War. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet (''Heimatflotte'') was renamed as the High Seas ...
between Royal Navy surface ships and bottomed Royal Navy submarines. Unknown to Keyes and Tyrwhitt, the Admiralty had added significant reinforcements at the last minute.
Keyes' despatch reads:
Battle was joined at 7:00 on 28 August in misty conditions. Due to lack of information about reinforcements sent by the Admiralty, great potential existed for fratricidal attacks; at 8:15 am ''Firedrake'' and ''Lurcher'' came close to attacking the cruisers and .[''Submarines at War 1914-18'', Richard Compton-Hall, Periscope Publishing Ltd., 2004,]
After the German cruiser was heavily damaged and disabled, Commodore Goodenough ordered his ships to cease firing on her at 12:55 pm and a rescue operation was undertaken. , accompanied by ''Firedrake'' and ''Lurcher'', manoeuvred close to ''Mainz'' in an effort to recover the surviving crew. Boats from ''Liverpool'' were deployed to retrieve those who had abandoned ship while ''Lurcher'' positioned alongside ''Mainz'' to transfer the crew who remained on board. By 1:10pm the Royal Navy ships withdrew as the height of tide was high enough to allow larger Imperial German Navy units to enter the area. Although the operation had been something of a shambles in the mist, the results were clear: Three German light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to th ...
s and a destroyer sunk against no Royal Navy losses.
Submarines in the Baltic
On 22 September 1914 ''Firedrake'' and ''Lurcher'' towed the submarines and towards the Skagerrak
The Skagerrak (, , ) is a strait running between the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, the southeast coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area through the Danish Straits to the Baltic Sea.
T ...
.[ This was the first act in a long saga that culminated in a ]British submarine flotilla in the Baltic
A British submarine flotilla operated in the Baltic Sea for three years during the First World War. The squadron of nine submarines was attached to the Russian Baltic Fleet. The main task of the flotilla was to prevent the import of iron ore f ...
.
Raid on Scarborough
By 14 December 1914 the Admiralty had advance warning of the intended raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby
The Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby on 16 December 1914 was an attack by the Imperial German Navy on the British ports of Scarborough, Hartlepool, West Hartlepool and Whitby. The bombardments caused hundreds of civilian casualties ...
through signals intelligence
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ( ...
. Commodore Keyes was ordered to send eight submarines and his two command destroyers, ''Lurcher'' and ''Firedrake'', to take stations off the island of Terschelling to catch the German ships should they turn west into the English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
. On 16 December, as the situation developed, the submarines were ordered to move to the Heligoland Bight
The Heligoland Bight, also known as Helgoland Bight, (german: Helgoländer Bucht) is a bay which forms the southern part of the German Bight, itself a bay of the North Sea, located at the mouth of the Elbe river. The Heligoland Bight extends fro ...
in order to intercept returning German ships. They failed, although one torpedo was fired at by , which missed. As a last-ditch attempt to catch Hipper, the Admiralty ordered Keyes to take his two destroyers and attempt to torpedo Hipper as he returned home around 2 am. on 17 December. Keyes himself had considered this and wanted to try, but the message was delayed and failed to reach him until too late.
Search for submarine ''C31''
On 7 January 1915 both ''Firedrake'' and ''Lurcher'' carried out a search for the missing British submarine , to little avail; it transpired later that she had been mined off the Belgian coast on 4 January.
Capture of ''UC-5''
On 27 April 1916, the German submarine ''UC-5'', under the command of Oberleutnant zur See
''Oberleutnant zur See'' (''OLt zS'' or ''OLZS'' in the German Navy, ''Oblt.z.S.'' in the ''Kriegsmarine'') is traditionally the highest rank of Lieutenant in the German Navy. It is grouped as OF-1 in NATO.
The rank was introduced in the Imper ...
Ulrich Mohrbutter, ran aground on Shipwash Shoal in position . ''Firedrake'' captured the U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
at 1:00pm relatively intact; apart from some damage incurred in the grounding, the crew had taken measures to damage instruments and equipment, including firing small arms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
at them, and seven destruction charges had caused several holes in the pressure hull. ''UC-5'' was towed to Harwich and placed in a dry dock
A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...
, where she was examined and reconditioned. She was displayed at Temple Pier on the Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
in London, and later moved to New York, where she was displayed in Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
. ''Firedrake''s captain, Commander Aubrey Thomas Tillard was mentioned in despatches
To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
for his part in the capture.
Sinking of ''UC-51''
Some sources state that commanded by Oberleutnant zur See
''Oberleutnant zur See'' (''OLt zS'' or ''OLZS'' in the German Navy, ''Oblt.z.S.'' in the ''Kriegsmarine'') is traditionally the highest rank of Lieutenant in the German Navy. It is grouped as OF-1 in NATO.
The rank was introduced in the Imper ...
Hans Galster was sunk by ''Firedrake'' on 13 November or 17 November 1917, either off Harwich or Start Point. It seems most likely that ''UC-51'' was mined in the English Channel and lies in position off Start Point.
Disposal
''Firedrake'' survived the war and was sold to J Smith for breaking on 10 October 1921.[
]
Pennant numbers
HMS ''Firedrake'' in fiction
"The Man Who Won the War
The Man Who Won the War is a 1936 alternate history short story by Robert Buckner. The story details the exploits of Roger Bradman, a Royal Navy officer who "won" World War I for the Allies. Though the story is fictional, it is presented as ...
", a 1936 short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
by Robert Buckner
Robert Buckner (May 28, 1906 – August 18, 1989) was an American film screenwriter, producer and short story writer.
Biography
Buckner studied at the University of Virginia and the University of Edinburgh. He began his professional writing ca ...
, featured Roger Bradman as the commanding officer of ''Firedrake'' who, in the early days of World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, lands on the Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
coast and devises a plan that succeeds in stopping the German Army from reaching Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. It was first printed in ''Atlantic Monthly
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' in February 1936, and then reprinted in ''Reader's Digest
''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...
'' (April 1936) and ''The Best American Short Stories The Best American Short Stories yearly anthology is a part of ''The Best American Series'' published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Since 1915, the BASS anthology has striven to contain the best short stories by some of the best-known writers in con ...
of 1937''.
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Firedrake (1912)
Acheron-class destroyers of the Royal Navy
Ships built on the River Clyde
1912 ships
World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom