H.M.S. Conflict (1894)

H.M.S. Conflict (1894)
Pendant Number:	P.24 (1914) D.96 (Sep 1915-Apr 1918) D.18 (1918)
Builder:	J. Samuel White
Ordered:	1893-94
Laid down:	3 Jan, 1894
Launched:	13 Dec, 1894
Commissioned:	Jul, 1899
Broken up:	1920

H.M.S. Conflict was one of thirty-six 27 Knotters, broad meta-class of early Torpedo Boat Destroyers built for the Royal Navy in the 1890s.

She had an uncommonly long service life for an early destroyer, serving through the Great War.

Service

Conflict was named by Mrs. Whyatt of Cowes when she was launched on 13 December, 1894. She as 205.5 feet in length with a beam of 20 feet and draught of 11.5 feet. Her accommodation was for fifty men, and could carry coal enough for thirty-three days cruising at economical speeds.

In 1900, Conflict was in the Mediterranean. Two successive captains would be invalided, one of them dying soon after being put ashore at Malta.

Sir John Fisher inspected Conflict on 4 November, 1901 and found her in a general condition "not creditable to the officer in command". Subsequently Fisher had commanding officer Lieutenant Thomas Henderson relieved and packed off to the first class protected cruiser Amphitrite with the stinging comment that he was unsuitable for independent command "as he has a bad temper and possesses neither tact nor judgement."

In 1911, the Conflict was tender to Vernon and apparently had a 21-in A.W. torpedo tube for testing purposes. Hers was the first to have screw plugs added to allow range and depth to be set while the tube was loaded, and to access the stop and charging valves. While it generally worked, it was decided that the weakening of the tube did not warrant retrofitting existing tubes in this way, but that the Fearless and Rob Roy and future ships should have their tubes built with this feature, as well as the means of filling the collision head.

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

• Chief Gunner in Command Charles W. Chipp, February, 1900 – late 1901^[Inference]  (and in command of Daring)
• Lieutenant & Commander Cyril Corbett, 19 April, 1900 – 22 October, 1900  (invalided, would die 17 December, 1900)
• Lieutenant & Commander John G. de O. Coke, 26 October, 1900 – 3 May, 1901  (invalided – I wonder what pattern was afoot)
• Lieutenant & Commander Thomas Henderson, 10 May, 1901 – 1 December, 1901
• Lieutenant & Commander Bertram O. F. Phibbs, 25 February, 1902 – 14 June, 1902
• Lieutenant & Commander Robert W. Myburgh, mid 1902 – 22 July, 1902  (for passage)
• Lieutenant & Commander Charles W. Chipp, 1 April, 1903 – 27 April, 1904
• Lieutenant & Commander Humphrey H. Smith, 27 May, 1905 – 13 March, 1906
• Lieutenant & Commander Albert M. H. Phillips, 13 March, 1906 – 28 May, 1906
• Lieutenant & Commander George P. Leith, 28 May, 1906 – 4 October, 1906
• Lieutenant & Commander William C. Castle, 4 October, 1906 – 22 March, 1909
• Lieutenant & Commander Evelyn C. O. Thomson, 1909 – 1 February, 1910
• Lieutenant & Commander Thomas K. Maxwell, 1 February, 1910 – 27 January, 1911
• Lieutenant & Commander Bernard J. H. Ward, 27 January, 1911 – 21 August, 1911
• Commander Francis R. Scarlett, 18 August, 1911 – 31 October, 1911
• Lieutenant & Commander Montague R. Bernard, 31 October, 1911 – July, 1912
• Lieutenant-Commander Leonard P. Vavasour, 14 January, 1913 – August, 1913
• Lieutenant in Command Harold G. Campbell, 19 August, 1913 – June, 1914
• Lieutenant-Commander Alan F. W. Howard, 29 July, 1914 – 1 August, 1914  (for Test Mobilisation)
• Lieutenant in Command Francis G. Glossop, 22 August, 1914 – 7 March, 1915
• Lieutenant in Command Walter C. Clark-Hall, 7 March, 1915 – 9 January, 1916
• Lieutenant-Commander R.N.R. Albert E. Woods, 9 January, 1916 – 9 May, 1917
• Lieutenant R.N.R. in Command Robert L. F. Hubbard, 9 May, 1917 – 31 March, 1918
• Lieutenant R.N.R. in Command Joseph K. Chaplin, 3 April, 1918 – 3 January, 1919

See Also

• Wikipedia