HMS Shark (1912)

HMS "Shark", was an "Acasta"-class destroyer sunk during the Battle of Jutland on the evening of 31 May 1916.

She joined the 4th Destroyer Flotilla on completion and served with the Grand Fleet on the outbreak of World War I. Shortly afterwards the ship helped sink the German minelayer "Königin Luise".

During the Battle of Jutland, the 4th Flotilla was attached to Admiral David Beatty's Battlecruiser Fleet based at Rosyth, and assigned to cover the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron. During the battle, at around 6 pm, the destroyer led an unsuccessful torpedo attack by the flotilla on the German 2nd Scouting Group. The other three destroyers escaped with little damage, but "Shark" was crippled by gunfire. [cite book | title = Jutland: An analysis of the fighting | author = N. J. Campbell | id=ISBN 0 85177 379 6 | year = 1987] The forecastle gun was completely blown away with most of its gun crew shortly before the captain, Commander Loftus Jones, declined an offer of assistance from the destroyer HMS "Acasta".

Soon afterwards the aft 4 inch gun was also destroyed and the bridge wrecked. Jones and three seamen continued working the midship gun, engaging nearby German destroyers and leading to the sinking of "V48".cite web | url = http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_loftusjonesvc.htm | work = Royal Naval Museum | title =Biography: Loftus William Jones VC | accessdate=2007-08-20] The German destroyers closed on the ship and returned heavy fire, during which Jones lost a leg. Shortly before 7 pm he ordered the ship to be abandoned and around thirty of the crew managed to get onto the rafts, including the mortally wounded Jones. Seven were picked up six hours later by a Danish ship, but one died soon afterwards.cite book | title = Jutland 1916: Death in the Grey Wastes | author = Nigel Steel & Peter Hart | id=ISBN 0 304 36648 X | year = 2004]

At 7 pm the destroyer was sunk by a torpedo launched by the German torpedo boat "S54" and which hit her abreast of the aft funnel. In March 1917 Jones was gazetted with a posthumous Victoria Cross.cite web | url = http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_loftusjonesvc.htm | work = Royal Naval Museum | title =Biography: Loftus William Jones VC | accessdate=2007-08-20] . The wrecksite is designated as a "protected place" [cite web |title= Statutory Instrument 2008/0950 | work=Office of Public Sector Information, 1 April 2008 | url=http://http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080950_en_1 | accessdate=2008-07-19] under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

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