HMS Birmingham (1913)

HMS "Birmingham" was lead ship of the "Birmingham" group of three ships of the "Town" class of light cruisers built by the Royal Navy. Her sister ships were "Lowestoft" and "Nottingham". The three ships were virtually identical to the third group of "Town" ships, but with an additional 6 inch gun worked in on the forecastle.

History

HMS "Birmingham" was built at Elswick, launched on 7 May 1913 and completed in January 1914. She joined the 1st light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet in 1914, visiting Kiel in June that year.

On 9 August 1914 she spotted the German submarine U-15, whose engines had failed as she lay stopped on the surface in heavy fog, off Fair Isle. The crew of HMS "Birmingham" could hear hammering from inside the boat from attempted repairs, and so fired on her but missed. As the U-boat began to dive, she rammed her, cutting her in two. U-15 went down with all hands, the first U-boat loss to an enemy warship. [http://uboat.net/wwi/boats/index.html?boat=15] "Birmingham" also sank two German merchant ships that year and took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight on the 28 August, and the Battle of Dogger Bank in January 1915.

In February 1915 she joined the 2nd Light Cruiser squadron, attacking a u-boat on 18 June 1915 without success. She also took part in the Battle of Jutland as a member of the Second Light Cruiser Squadron, during which she sustained damage caused by splintering during the night of the battle.

After World War I she was flagship to the 6th Light Cruiser Squadron from 1919 to 1920, after which she was transferred to the Nore from 1920 to 1922. She was recommissioned in November 1923 to the Africa Station with the 6th Light Cruiser Squadron as Flagship, relieving HMS "Lowestoft". She then continued to serve in foreign stations until being sold in 1931. She arrived at the yards of Ward, of Pembroke Dock on 12 March that year to be broken up.

References

*Colledge
*Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One (1919), Jane's Publishing Company
* [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/light-cruiser/hms-Birmingham.html Ships of the Birmingham group]