Faulknor class leader

The "Faulknor" class were a class of flotilla leaders that were under construction in the United Kingdom for the Chilean Navy at the outbreak of World War I. These ships were purchased by the British, taken over and completed for the Royal Navy for wartime service. In common with Royal Navy convention, they were named after famous Royal Navy captains of the past, in this case the members of the Faulknor family.

Design

The Almirante Lynch class destroyers were a private design by J. Samuel White that were significantly larger and heavier armed than their contemporaries. They had four funnels, a tall, narrow fore funnel and three broad, short funnels behind. They were initially armed with six single QF 4 inch guns, unusually arranged with four on the forecastle - two sided in front of the wheelhouse and two sided abreast it - the remaining pair being sided on the quarterdeck. These guns were of a novel Elswick design for the Chileans and when the ships were rearmed they were replaced with standard Royal Navy models. As rearmed in 1918 they carried a BL 4.7 inch gun on the forecastle and another on a bandstand between the after pair of funnels, retained the pair of 4 inch guns abreast the wheelhouse and had two QF 2 pounder pom-poms.They were returned to the friendly nation of Chile in 1920, at which point the Thornycroft type leader "Rooke" was renamed "Broke" to maintain this famous name (that of Admiral Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke of the "Shannon") in the Navy List.

ervice

All of the class were present at the Battle of Jutland on May 31 to June 1 1916 where "Broke" collided with and sank the "Acasta" class ship HMS "Sparrowhawk". Also in this action, "Tipperary", serving with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, was hit by 5.9 inch (150 mm) fire from the secondary battery of the German dreadnought SMS Westfalen and sank with the loss of 185 hands from her crew of 197.

In April 1917, "Broke" took part in an action known as the Battle of Dover Strait with equally large singleton "Swift" where she was damaged.

"Botha" was damaged in the English Channel on March 21 1918 off the coast of Flanders when she rammed and sunk the German torpdeo boat "A-19" and was then torpedoed in error by the French destroyer "Capitaine Mehl".

hips

*"Faulknor" (ex-"Almirante Simpson") - built by J S White, Cowes, launched February 26 1914, completed 1914, returned to Chile 1920
*"Broke" (ex-"Almirante Goni") - built by J S White, Cowes, launched May 25 1914, completed 1914, returned to Chile 1920
*"Botha" (ex-"Almirante Williams Rebelledo") - built J S White, Cowes, launched December 2 1914, completed 1915, returned to Chile 1920
*"Tipperaray" (ex-"Almirante Riveres") - built by J S White, Cowes, launched March 5 1915, completed 1915, sunk by gunfire at Battle of Jutland, May 31 1916

ee also

"Almirante Lynch"-class destroyers for details after return to Chile.

Bibliography

*"Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981", Maurice Cocker, 1983, Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-1075-7
*"Jane's Fighting Ships, 1919", Jane's Publishing