HMS Hawke (1891)

HMS "Hawke", launched in 1891, was the sixth British warship to be named "Hawke". She was an "Edgar" class cruiser, a 12-gun twin-screw protected cruiser displacing 7,350 tons. The twin screws delivered 12,000 horsepower giving a top speed of 20 kt (37 km/h).

Service

In 1897-1898 "Hawke", under the command of Captain Sir Richard Poore, was in action in the Mediterranean in the operations which led to the pacification of Crete and the appointment of Prince George of Greece as High Commissioner under the suzerainty of the Sultan of Turkey. At one point she was used as a troopship, taking on a Greek military force in Platania Bay and transporting them back to Greece.

Collision with the "Olympic"

On 20 September 1911, HMS "Hawke", under command of Commander W.F. Blunt, collided in the Solent with the White Star liner RMS "Olympic". In the course of the collision "Hawke" lost her prow. (This was replaced by a straight bow). The subsequent trial pronounced "Hawke" to be free from any blame. During the trial a theory was advanced that the large amount of water displaced by the "Olympic" had generated a suction that had drawn "Hawke" off course. Appeal after appeal followed the decision of the first court to try the case.

inking

During 1914, at the start of the First World War, the "Hawke", commanded by Captain Hugh P.E.T. Williams, was engaged in various operations in the North Sea. On 15 October, out on patrol "Hawke" was torpedoed by a German submarine U 9. Her sister ship HMS "Theseus", which was in company, was attacked at the same time but was undamaged. The "Hawke" sank in a few minutes, with the loss of her Captain, 26 officers and 500 men - only 4 officers and about 60 men were saved.

References

*Colledge
* Roger Chesneau and Eugene M. Kolesnik, ed., "Conway's All The Worlds Fighting Ships, 1860-1905", (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1979), ISBN 0-85177-133-5

External links

* [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/key_list.php?key=Hawke Encyclopedia Titanica: HMS Hawke]