HMS Gloucester was a Town-class light cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was one of five ships of the Bristol sub-class of the Town class, sometimes referred to as the Glasgow class. The ship was named after the port of Gloucester and was the eighth Royal Navy vessel to bear that name.
Construction and specifications
Gloucester was laid down on 15 April 1909 by William Beardmore and Company at their Dalmuir shipyard and launched on 28 October 1909. She was commissioned in October 1910. The ship displaced 4,800 long tons (4,900 t) normally and 5,300 long tons (5,400 t) at full load, with an overall length of 453 feet (138.1 m), a beam of 47 feet (14.3 m), and a mean draught of 15 feet 3 inches (4.65 m). Twelve Yarrow boilers fed Parsons steam turbines driving four propeller shafts, rated at 22,000 shaft horsepower (16,000 kW) for a design speed of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph). During sea trials she achieved 25.85 knots from 22,406 shp. Her range was 5,830 nautical miles (10,800 km) at 10 knots, and she carried a complement of 480 officers and ratings.
Her armament consisted of two single BL 6-inch (152 mm) Mk XI guns mounted on the centreline fore and aft, ten single BL 4-inch (102 mm) Mk VII guns in waist mountings, four Vickers 3-pounder (47 mm) saluting guns, and two submerged 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes. The Bristol sub-class were considered protected cruisers, with an armoured deck of 2 inches (51 mm) over the magazines and machinery, 1 inch (25 mm) over the steering gear, and 3/4 inch (19 mm) elsewhere. The conning tower was protected by 6 inches (150 mm) of armour. The armament was considered rather light for ships of this size, and the waist guns were subject to immersion in heavy seas.
Early career
Upon commissioning in October 1910, Gloucester was assigned to the 1st Battle Squadron of the Home Fleet. In January 1913, she was transferred to the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean.
Pursuit of Goeben and Breslau
In early August 1914, as war approached, Gloucester was deployed at the mouth of the Adriatic Sea as part of the Mediterranean Fleet under Admiral Sir Archibald Berkeley Milne, tasked with preventing the German battlecruiser Goeben and light cruiser Breslau from linking up with the Austro-Hungarian Fleet. When the German ships sortied from Messina on 6 August heading east toward Constantinople, Gloucester trailed them and radioed their movements to Milne. When Breslau turned about to feign laying mines, Captain Howard Kelly attacked the German ship, opening fire at 13:35 on 7 August at a range of 11,500 yards. The engagement caused Souchon to turn and open fire on the British cruiser, after which Kelly disengaged. Gloucester fired 18 six-inch and 14 four-inch shells during the brief action, scoring one hit on Breslau with little effect, and was not hit in return. Kelly was forced to break off pursuit at 16:40 because Milne had forbidden him to pass Cape Matapan and his coal was running low. For his conduct, Captain Kelly was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath.
Later wartime service
After the German ships reached Turkey, Gloucester was assigned to the squadron blockading the Dardanelles. In November 1914 she was ordered to the Indian Ocean to search for German commerce raiders but was recalled shortly afterward to rejoin the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet. In late February 1915 she was detached to search for the German armed merchant cruiser SS Kronprinz Wilhelm off the west coast of Africa. On 28 March 1915, Gloucester captured the raider's supply ship SS Macedonia in the Central Atlantic, and Kronprinz Wilhelm was forced to intern herself a few weeks later for lack of supplies.
Gloucester participated in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May–1 June 1916 as part of the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron screening Vice-Admiral David Beatty's battlecruisers. She briefly engaged the disabled German light cruiser SMS Wiesbaden around 18:15 and later took part in an engagement with the German 4th Scouting Group. She fired a total of 37 shells during the battle and was not damaged.
After Jutland, Gloucester was reassigned to the 2nd Battle Squadron and by December 1916 had been transferred to the 8th Light Cruiser Squadron in the Adriatic. She was detached to the Indian Ocean in March 1917 to search for the German commerce raider SMS Wolf but was recalled on 23 May. She remained in the Adriatic until the end of the war in November 1918.
Disposal
Gloucester was placed in reserve in April 1919, listed for disposal in March 1920, and sold for scrap on 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward of Portishead and Briton Ferry.
