- HMS Spitfire (1912)
HMS "Spitfire" was an "Acasta"-class
destroyer of theRoyal Navy which took part in thebattle of Jutland in1916 .She was launched on
23 December 1912 and joined the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla, attached to theGrand Fleet .Amongst the small engagements which happened during the night of
31 May –1 June 1916 during the Battle of Jutland was one between "Spitfire" and the Germanbattleship "Nassau". "Spitfire" evaded an attempt by "Nassau" to ram her, but the two ships nevertheless collided and "Spitfire" was seriously damaged, blast from "Nassau's" guns demolishing much of her upperworks, but she ripped off a 20 ft (6 m) section of the German ship's side plating. Both ships survived to return to port. ["The Grand Fleet; Warship Design and Development 1906-1922", D K Brown, 1999, Chatham Publishing, ISBN 1-86176-099-X ]"Spitfire" also helped in the rescue of survivors from the hospital/evacuation ship "Rhodesia" (formerly the Union Castle liner "Galway Castle") which was torpedoed 160 miles off Fastnet by the
submarine U-82 on12 September 1918 ."Spitfire" was sold for scrapping in May
1921 .References
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