HMS ''Goshawk'' was an ''Acheron''-class destroyer 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 F ...

that served during

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 ...

and was sold for breaking in 1921. She was the sixth

ship to be named after the bird of prey, ''Accipiter gentilis''.

Construction

She was built under the 1910-11 shipbuilding programme by

William Beardmore & Company William Beardmore and Company was a British engineering and shipbuilding conglomerate based in Glasgow and the surrounding Clydeside area. It was active from 1886 to the mid-1930s and at its peak employed about 40,000 people. It was founded and ...

of Dalmuir and was launched on 18 October 1911. She was built to the standard Admiralty I-class design, with three Parsons steam turbines driving three shafts. Developing about , she was capable of .

Pennant Numbers

Operational history

Action on 16 August 1914

On 16 August 1914, within days of the outbreak of war, the

First Destroyer Flotilla The 1st Destroyer Flotilla, also styled as the First Destroyer Flotilla, was a naval formation of the British Royal Navy from 1909 to 1940 and again from 1947 to 1951. History Pre-war history In May 1906, the First Destroyer Flotilla was at ...

engaged an enemy cruiser off the mouth of the Elbe, which is reported with great verve by an author writing under the pseudonym "Clinker Knocker" in 1938:

The Battle of Heligoland Bight

''Goshawk'' took part on the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914, and in Commodore Tyrwhitt's despatch, her captain was singled out for praise:

The Battle of Dogger Bank

On 24 January 1915, the First Destroyer Flotilla, including ''Goshawk'', were present at the Battle of Dogger Bank, led by the light cruiser ''Aurora''.

Reassignment as submarine screen for battlecruisers

Early in 1915, the First Destroyer Flotilla was reassigned as a submarine screen for the Grand Fleet's battlecruisers. They moved from Harwich to the

Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...

on 17 March 1915.

The Battle of Jutland

''Goshawk'' was present at the

Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland (german: Skagerrakschlacht, the Battle of the Skagerrak) was a naval battle fought between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy ...

with the First Destroyer Flotilla, and her captain, Commander

Dashwood Fowler Moir Vice-Admiral Dashwood Fowler Moir Distinguished Service Order, DSO (16 August 1880 – 8 August 1942) was a British commander serving with distinction in the Royal Navy in both World Wars who was killed whilst escorting North Atlantic Convoy SC 94. ...

RN, 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 ...

Mediterranean service

''Goshawk'' was present at the entry of the Allied Fleet through the Dardanelles on 12 November 1918. The Fleet sighted the minarets of

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

at 07:00 on 13 November and anchored an hour later. The destroyers maintained an anti-submarine patrol to the west of the anchored fleet.

Decommissioning and fate

In common with most of her class, she was laid up after

, and on 4 November 1921 she was sold to Rees of Llanelly for breaking.

References

External links

Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project - HMS Goshawk Crew List
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goshawk (1911) Acheron-class destroyers of the Royal Navy Ships built on the River Clyde 1911 ships World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom