HMS Hermes (1898)

HMS "Hermes" was "Highflyer" class cruiser which served with the Royal Navy.. She is historically notable for being refitted in April-May 1913 to act as the first experimental seaplane carrier of the Royal Navy, with a launching platform and room to stow three seaplanes (the French "La Foudre" preceded her by about a year).

Career

She was built at the yards of Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, being laid down in April 1897, launched on 7 April 1898 and commissioned in October 1899. She initially served as the flagship of the East Indies station and then the Cape station (1907-1913). In May 1913 she was re-commissioned as a seaplane carrier. The conversion involved fitting a stowage platform at the rear of the ship and a launching platform at the front. The aircraft took off using wheeled trolleys and were then retrieved by cranes. Two seaplanes were carried during trials in 1913. The results of these trials were used to help design HMS "Ark Royal", completed as a seaplane carrier using a pre-existing hull after her purchase in May 1914.

After the trials ended in December 1913 the aircraft equipment was removed from the "Hermes". She was converted back into a cruiser and commissioned in May 1913, but taken out of service at the end of the year and placed in reserve. At the start of the First World War "Hermes" was once again converted to a seaplane tender, delaying her re-entry to service until 31 August 1914. She was then part of the Nore Command and used to ferry aircraft to France. On 30 October she arrived at Dunkirk with one load of seaplanes. The next morning she set out on the return journey. She was then recalled because a German submarine was known to be in the area, but before the order could be obeyed, she was torpedoed by U 27 off Ruylingen Bank in the Straits of Dover. She sank with the loss of 22 of her crew.

References

*Colledge
*Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One (1919), Jane's Publishing Company
* [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/light-cruiser/hms-Highflyer.html Highflyer class in World War I]
* [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_HMS_Hermes.html History of HMS Hermes]
* [http://www.worldnavalships.com/hermes_class1.htm#HMS%20Hermes HMS Hermes]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/uk_sea.htm#herm Experimental seaplane carrier "Hermes"]