HMS Cockatrice (1912)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Cockatrice
Builder:	Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Newcastle upon Tyne
Laid down:	23 October 1911
Launched:	8 November 1912
Completed:	March 1913
Fate:	Sold for scrap May 1921
General characteristics
Class and type:	Acasta-class destroyer
Displacement:	935 tons
Length:	267 ft 6 in (81.53 m)
Beam:	27 ft (8.2 m)
Draught:	10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
Propulsion:	Yarrow-type water-tube boilers, Parsons steam turbines
Speed:	29 kn (54 km/h)
Complement:	74
Armament:	3 × BL Mk VIII guns 4-inch (101.6 mm) 2 × torpedo tubes

HMS Cockatrice was an Acasta-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy.^[1] She was built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company, launching in 1912 and served throughout the First World War. She was sold for scrap in 1921.

Construction

Cockatrice was one of three Acasta-class destroyers ordered from the Newcastle upon Tyne shipbuilder Hawthorn Leslie and Company as part of the 1911–1912 shipbuilding programme for the Royal Navy. In all, 20 Acasta-class ships were ordered as part of this programme, of which 12, including Cockatrice, were to the standard Admiralty design with the other 8 ships to their builder's own designs.^[2] She was laid down on 23 October 1911 and launched on 8 November 1912.^[3] In 1912, as part of a general reorganisation of the Royal Navy's destroyers into alphabetical classes, the Acastas became the K-class,^[4] and in 1913, it was decided to switch to names beginning with the class letter, with Cockatrice being allocated the name Kingfisher, but this plan was abandoned for the class and Cockatrice completed under her original name in March 1913.^[5][6]

Cockatrice was 260 feet 0 inches (79.25 m) long between perpendiculars and 267 feet 6 inches (81.53 m) overall, with a beam of 27 feet 0 inches (8.23 m) and a draught of 10 feet 5 inches (3.18 m). Displacement was 892 long tons (906 t) normal^{[lower-alpha 1]} and 1,072 long tons (1,089 t) deep load.^[8] Four Yarrow boilers fed steam to direct drive Parsons steam turbines rated at 24,500 shaft horsepower (18,300 kW) and driving two shafts. This gave a speed of 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). The ships had a crew of 73 officers and men.^[5]

The ship's main gun armament consisted of three 4-inch (102 mm) BL Mk VIII guns,^{[lower-alpha 2]} with 120 rounds of ammunition carried per gun.^[5][8] Two 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes were fitted, while two reload torpedoes could be carried.^[8][10] By January 1916, Cockatrice was recorded as being fitted with minesweeping gear.^[11] In 1916, one of Cockatrice's 4-inch guns was converted to a high-angle mount, allowing it to be used for anti-aircraft fire, but in 1918, this gun, together with both torpedo tubes, was removed to allow a heavy depth charge armament.^[12]

Service

Cockatrice joined her sister ships in the 4th Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet based at Portsmouth.^[13][14] With the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the 4th Flotilla, including Cockatrice, joined the newly established Grand Fleet, based at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys.^[14][15][16] Cockatrice was damaged during a severe storm in December 1914.^[17]

Cockatrice remained part of the 4th Flotilla in May 1916,^[18] but was absent from the Battle of Jutland, when most of the 4th Flotilla took part, as she was undergoing refit.^[19][20] The 4th Flotilla, including Cockatrice, left the Grand Fleet and moved to the Humber in July 1916,^[21][22][23] with the role of protecting British minesweepers and deterring German minelayers off the East coast of England.^[24] By December that year, Cockatrice had relocated again as the 4th Flotilla transferred to Portsmouth to carry out anti-submarine operations in the English Channel,^{[23][25][26][27]} while by March 1917, the 4th Flotilla had moved to Devonport.^[23][28] On 13 and 14 May 1918, Cockatrice, on patrol with sister ships Christopher and Ambuscade, attacked possible submarine contacts with depth charges with no apparent results.^[29][30] Cockatrice was still part of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla in August 1918,^[31] but by the end of the war had joined the Northern Patrol Force based at Dundee.^[32][33]

Disposal

Cockatrice was sold for scrap to the ship breakers Thos W Ward of Hayle on 9 May 1921.^[34]

Pennant Numbers

References

• Corbett, Julian S. (1920). Naval Operations Vol. I: To the Battle of the Falklands. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC 781220400. 
• Corbett, Julian S. (1923). Naval Operations Vol. III. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC 847306329. 
• Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7. 
• Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9. 
• Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5. 
• Jellicoe, John (1919). The Grand Fleet 1914–16: Its Creation, Development and Work. London: Cassell and Company Ltd. OCLC 853069377. 
• Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. London: Putnam. OCLC 6470051. 
• Newbolt, Henry (1928). Naval Operations Vol. IV. History of the Great War. London: Longmans Green. OCLC 220475138. 

Acasta-class (or K-classN) destroyers
Royal Navy	Admiralty K class Ambuscade / Keith Shark / Kestrel Christopher / Kite Acasta / King Sparrowhawk / Kingsmill Cockatrice / Kingfisher Achates / Knight Spitfire / Keppel Contest / Kittiwake Lynx / Koodoo Owl / Killer Midge / Keitloa Builders' Special K class Paragon / Kelpie Garland / Kenwulf Fortune / Kismet Porpoise / Kennington Ardent / Kenric Unity / Kinsale Hardy / Kelpie Victor / Kingston
Brazilian Navy	Alexandrino de Alencar / Maranhão (ex-Porpoise)
N Names beginning with "K" were assigned in September 1913, but never used
Preceded by: Acheron class Followed by: Laforey class
List of destroyers of the Royal Navy