HMS Lance (1914)

HMS "Lance" was a "Laforey"-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. In company with HMS "Landrail" she fired the first British shot of the First World War on 5 August 1914. This action resulted in the sinking of the German minelayer "Königin Luise" in the North Sea. Both "Lance" and "Landrail" were part of the British 2nd Destroyer Flotilla (based at Harwich), which had been deployed at dawn on the first day of the war as part of a squadron of destroyers doing a sweep of the North Sea. As World War One officially started at 2300 GMT on 4 August 1914, this first British shot occurred within twelve hours of the commencement of hostilities.

The target of "Lance" and "Landrail" was the converted excursion steamer "Königin Luise", which had been pressed into service of the Imperial German Navy as a minelayer. It was whilst she was laying mines that the two Royal Navy Destroyers encountered her. "Königin Luise" was scuttled when her captain realized that escape was impossible.

The actual gun from "Lance" (QF 4 inch Mark IV L/40) that fired this shot is on display in the Imperial War Museum, London. However, the name of the gunlayer who fired the first British shot has been lost to history.

References

Phoebus (1973), Warships and Sea Battles of World War I, BPC Publishing Ltd, ISBN 0-7026-0004-0