HMS Boadicea (1908)

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Career

Class and type:	Boadicea class scout cruiser
Name:	HMS Boadicea
Builder:	Pembroke Dockyard
Laid down:	June 1, 1907
Launched:	14 May 1908
Commissioned:	June 1909
Fate:	Sold 13 July 1926
General characteristics
Displacement:	3,300 tons normal 3,800 tons deep load
Length:	385 ft (117 m) (p/p) 405 ft (123 m) (o/a)
Beam:	41 ft (12 m)
Draught:	14 ft (4.3 m)
Propulsion:	12 Yarrow boilers Parsons turbines Four shafts 18,000 shp
Speed:	25 knots
Range:	Carried 450 tons coal (855 tons max) 200 tons fuel oil
Complement:	317
Armament:	As built Six x 4 in 50cal Mk VIII guns (6 x 1) Four x 3 pounder (4 x 1) guns Two x 18 in Torpedo Tubes 1916 Ten x 4 in 50cal Mk VIII guns (10 x 1) Four x 3 pounder (4 x 1) guns One x 3 in A/A gun (later replaced with a 4 in gun) Two x 18 in Torpedo Tubes
Armour:	conning tower: 4 inch deck: 1 inch

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Boadicea.

HMS Boadicea was the lead ship of the Boadicea class scout cruisers which served with the Royal Navy. She was built at Pembroke Dockyard, being laid down in June 1907, launched on 14 May 1908 and commissioned in June 1909.

[edit] Design

Designed to provide destroyer flotillas with a command ship capable of outclassing enemy destroyers with her six four inch (102 mm) guns, she proved too slow in service from the start of her career. Her twenty five knots was barely capable of matching the speeds of the River class destroyers she led in the 1st Flotilla in 1909 but proved inadequate to match the 26 knots (48 km/h) of the Beagle class destroyers which took over in 1910 and the Acheron class, which could reach 32 knots (59 km/h).

[edit] Career

She joined the Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow at the start of hostilities in the First World War and was attached to the Second Battle Squadron. Further shortcomings were exposed as she proved unable to take the rough conditions in the North Sea, losing her bridge on 15 December 1914, with several men drowned. She then had to return to port while her Squadron chased German raiders off the Yorkshire coast in December 1914.

Boadicea was rearmed in 1916, with four additional 4-inch (100 mm) guns and a 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun, which was upgraded to a 4-inch (100 mm) weapon before the end of the war. Boadicea was at the Battle of Jutland but took no part in the fighting, being judged too light in armour and firepower to engage the enemy. She actually spotted the German fleet the night after the battle but her report was not passed to Admiral Jellicoe for fear of giving away the position of the British Fleet.

She was converted to mine laying duties in December 1917 and completed three missions in that role, laying 184 mines. She operated in Dartmouth harbour from January 1921, until being sold for scrap on 13 July 1926 to be broken up at Alloa, Rosyth.