HMS RECRUIT

HMS RECRUIT

Class: R-class : Admiralty design, 6th order

Builder:W. Doxford and Sons Ltd, Pallion, Sunderland

Yard number:509

Laid down:1916

Launched:9 December 1916

Completed:April 1917

Propulsion:3 Yarrow boilers powering 2 geared Parsons steam turbines, 27,000 shp

Speed:36 knots

Range:3,450 nautical miles at 15 knots

Fate: On August 9th, 1917, HMS RECRUIT was sunk by the German submarine UB-16 (Wilhelm Rhein), 3 miles north of the Noord Hinder lightvessel. 54 persons were lost.

 

Vessel carried the pennant number: F63

 

GENESIS OF PROJECT Details from Navypedia

In July 1915 the Admiralty Board gave approval for all future destroyers to be engined with 2-shaft geared turbines, preferably Brown-Curtis. This far-sighted move was made only on the basis of the success of a year's service in Leonidas and Lucifer. The design for the next batch of destroyers was in other respects merely a duplication of the standard 'M' design, but with more flare and 0.3m more freeboard on the forecastle. Other improvements were to put the after 102mm gun on a 'bandstand', and a more robust bridge structure. The design which resulted was generally similar ro the war-built 'M' class, with three round funnels. Because the bridge was 2.7m wider than previously the 40mm pom-poms formerly mounted at the end of the forecastle could not be mounted, and so a single pom-pom replaced the 509mm searchlight on its platform between the TT. Some 'M' and 'R'class vessels had 2 356mm TT (one fixed on each beam) subsequently added at the break of the forecastle. The geared turbines were a great success, providing high speed with less cavitation and reduced fuel consumption. The lead-ship Romola maintained 36kts for 4 hours in light condition, and on her acceptance trials reached 32.5kts in deep load condition. Comparative trials run between Romola and Norman showed that the 'R' class used 15% less fuel at 18kts and 28% less at25kts, resulting in an increase of 17.8% and 40% of range. The Yarrow 'specials' were the only units to retain direct-drive turbines. Oil fuel was also increased compared with the 'M' class

 

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Uploaded on December 21, 2020
Taken sometime in 1917