Difference between revisions of "H.M.S. Tiger (1913)"

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Revision as of 11:41, 16 September 2012

H.M.S. Tiger
Career Details
Pendant Number: 91 (April, 1918)[1]
Ordered: 1911-1912 Programme
Built By: John Brown, Clydebank
(Ship no. 418)[2]
Laid Down: 20 June, 1912
Launched: 15 December, 1913
Commissioned: 3 October, 1914
Sold: February, 1932
Fate: Scrapped
Characteristics

Construction and Service

Letters inviting tenders were sent to ten firms on 21 December, 1911. That of John Brown and Company of Clydebank was accepted on 4 April, 1912, and she was laid down on 20 June of that year.[3] Tiger was launched on 15 December, 1913, by Lady Helen Vincent, wide of Sir Edgar Vincent. Captain Edward S. Fitzherbert, Captain Superintendent, Contract Built Ships, Clyde District, was present on behalf of the Admiralty.[4]

Of the ship's chief commissioning officers, the first to be appointed was the Gunnery Officer, Lieutenant-Commander Evan Bruce-Gardyne, on 13 March, 1914. The Torpedo Officer, Lieutenant-Commander Walter N. Lapage, was appointed on 19 June. Captain Henry B. Pelly was appointed in command on 3 August, closely followed by Commander Henry G. Sherbrooke as Commander on the sixth and Commander Edward R. Jones as Navigating Officer on the eighth.[5] The First Lieutenant was apparently the retired Lieutenant James Bayley, appointed on the twenty-second.[6] The ship commissioned at Clydebank on 3 October,[7] and joined the Grand Fleet at Scapa on 6 November.[8] On the tenth the Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet, Admiral Sir John R. Jellicoe, wrote to Lord Fisher, the First Sea Lord, objecting to the removal of a battle cruiser from his command:

I explained that Tiger is absolutely unfit to fight yet. Even if trained (which she is not), her one dynamo that is effective cannot do the work of the fire control instruments, lighting, etc., and she would be a present to the Germans.[9]

On the 13th Vice-Admiral Sir David R. Beatty, Vice-Admiral Commanding the First Battle Cruiser Squadron referred in a letter to Jellicoe to "TIGER being as yet unfit" to take the place of Princess Royal, detached.[10] Jellicoe flatly replied on the 17th that "TIGER will be with you when next at sea."[11] Beatty informed Fisher on the 15th:

You are probably not aware that Tiger is not yet fit to fight. Three out of her four dynamos are out of action for an indefinite period, and her training is impeded by bad weather, which might continue for many weeks at this time of year, and at present she is quite unprepared and inefficient.[12]

On 14 December Commander Arthur J. Davies replaced Commander Sherbroke.[13]

Dogger Bank

In the wake of Dogger Bank, Vice-Admiral Beatty complained to the Second Sea Lord, Sir Frederick T. Hamilton, that "the Tiger had a very mixed Ship's Company, with a large number of recovered deserters, and that it was an uphill task for the Captain to pull them together in War Time, and the same efficiency could not be expected from the Tiger as from the other ships."[14] Lieutenant-Commander Patrick Macnamara succeeded Bruce-Gardyne as Gunnery Officer on 9 March, 1915.[15] Vice-Admiral Sir F. D. Doveton Sturdee, commanding the Fourth Battle Squadron, told his Rear-Admiral, Alexander L. Duff of the relief, who noted in his diary:

He also told me what I am extremely sorry to hear, viz, that Bruce Gardyne is to be taken out of Tiger on account of bad shooting both in action & in at target practice. I was afraid it might happen. I am sorry for his mother who is so proud of him being Lieut (G) of so fine a ship. Shall we gain by swapping horses while crossing the stream? I doubt it.[16]

Post-War

Under the terms of the London Naval Treaty of 1930, Tiger was one of five capital ships to be removed from the effective list.[17] Before paying off she participated in the Spring Cruise of the Atlantic Fleet. She fired her guns for the last time on the night 13-14 March, 1931, and with her last salvo straddled the target.[18] On 30 March the Atlantic Fleet sailed out of Gibraltar for home. At a signal from Sir Michael Hodges, the Commander-in-Chief, Tiger proceeded at full speed from her position at the rear of the battle cruisers up the line of ships of the fleet, whose crews cleared lower deck and cheered her, whilst the bands of the Royal Marines played "Heart of Oak" and other tunes. At the head of the line she shaped course for Devonport, 200 miles distant, and sailed into the mist, with her band playing "Auld Lang Syne."[19]

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

Radio

According to the ambitions of 1909, Tiger had Service Gear Mark II wireless upon completion.[26]

Armament

Main Battery

This section is sourced from The Sight Manual, 1916 except where otherwise noted.[27]

The 13.5-in Mark V(H) guns were in Mark II mountings able to elevate 20 degrees and depress 5 degrees. In many respects, Tiger's main battery guns were similar to those of the King George V and Iron Duke class dreadnoughts, except her "A" turret was unique in the Royal Navy for having its layer's sighting scopes in the turret face as horizontal periscopes in an effort to avoid blast from super-firing B turret.

The sights were limited to 15 degrees elevation, but the central sights had "20 degree super-elevation strips". Additionally, 6 degree super-elevation prisms would have been provided by 1916. The deflection gearing constant was 61.3, with 1 knot equalling 2.51 arc minutes, calculated as 2500 fps at 5000 yards. Range drums were provided for full charge at 2450 fps, three-quarter charge at 2000 fps, as well as 6-pdr sub-calibre gun and .303-in aiming rifle. Muzzle velocity was corrected by adjustable scale plate between 2560 and 2260 fps. The adjustable temperature scale plate could vary between 40 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and a "C" corrector could alter the ballistic coefficient by +/- 20%.

The periscope holder was inclined 1 degree 37 minutes (which may have effectively been 2.5 degrees for mechanical reasons; it equalled .195 degrees at 10,000 yards).

The side sighting lines were 2 inches below the bore and 83.95 inches abreast for "A" turret, and 43.25 inches above and 39 inches abreast the bore for the other turrets. The central scopes were 56.25 inches above and 42 inches abreast.

OOQ open director sights capable of 20 degrees elevation were fitted by 1916.

The guns were capable of continual aim in all but heavy weather. Gunlayer and turret trainer each used a single hand wheel. Elevation was at 5 degrees per second was achieved by just a single revolution of the hand wheel — a final increase in sprightliness over King George V and Lion classes. [28]

The mount required (or preferred) a low elevation for loading.[29]

Torpedoes

Fire Control

Range Dials

As of 1920, the ship had one Range Dial Type B and one Type C.[30]

Rangefinders

Tiger was completed with seven 9-foot rangefinders: one atop each of its four turrets, one in the fore top, and a pair in armoured hoods atop the gun control tower and torpedo control tower.[31] The T.C.T. rangefinder, a 9-foot Barr and Stroud Rangefinder of unknown model, sat on an M.V. 3 mounting.[32] This simple outfit was to be lost as the benefits of longer base rangefinders became clear.

In 1916 or 1917, a small rangefinder was reportedly added over the C.T., and a medium one to the rear of "Y" turret which is curiously unmentioned in the same source's description of 1918 equipment.[33]

Sometime in 1917 or 1918, the T.C.T. rangefinder was upgraded to a 15-foot instrument, with a new armoured hood and racers and training driving the hood directly rather than through the rangefinder mounting. This rangefinder lacked hand-following gear to facilitate in transmission of range cuts, and when it was considered as an addition around 1917, space concerns were causing problems.[34]

By 1918, the desire for torpedo control rangefinders was so keen that an additional 9-foot instrument was ordered.[35]

Her rangefinder equipment during 1918 had come to be:[36]

  • two 25-ft R.F.s in "A" and "Q" turret
  • three 15-ft in "X" turret, G.C.T., T.C.T.
  • one 12-ft in spotting top
  • three 9-ft in "B" turret, in G.C.T. and above compass platform (the last, likely the torpedo control one mentioned above)
  • one 2m F.T. 29[37] HA RF (in shield over control top, added July 1918)

In 1919, a large rangefinder was added to "A" turret.[38]

In 1922-24, large rangefinders were fitted to "Q" and "Y" turrets, replacing the medium one on "Y" which escaped mention in 1918.[39]

Evershed Bearing Indicators

The ship was not provided this equipment until 1916 later, as it is not recorded in the pertinent section of Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914.[40] In 1916, it was decided that she was to be so equipped. [41] If and when so fitted, her installation would likely have resembled that of the Queen Mary, [Inference] with transmitting positions at

Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter

At some point, Tiger was likely equipped with four Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter Mark IIs:

  • one on each side of the foretop, driven by flexible shafting from the Evershed rack on the director
  • one on each side of the Gun Control Tower employing an electrical F.T.P. system.

As the need for such gear was apparently first identified in early 1916, it seems likely that these installations were effected well after Jutland.[42][Inference]

Gunnery Control

The control arrangements were similar to those in Iron Duke, as follows.[43]

Main Battery Control

Control Positions
  • G.C.T.
  • "B" turret
  • "X" turret
Control Groups

The four 13.5-in turrets were separate groups, each with a local C.O.S. so that it could be connected to

  • T.S.
  • Local control from officer's position within turret

Secondary Battery Control

Control Positions
  • Two primary towers on each side of C.T.
  • Two secondary towers each side further aft
Control Groups

The 6-in broadside guns were organized into two groups, port and starboard. "The guns are worked in pairs, three pairs each side."[44]

Directors

Main Battery

Tiger was fitted with a cam-type, tripod-mounted director in a light aloft tower along with a directing gun in "Q" turret.[45] The battery was divisible into forward ("A" and "B") and aft ("Q" and "Y") groups, and a C.O.S. in the T.S. allowed the following modes of control:[46]

  • All turrets on aloft director
  • All turrets on directing gun
  • Forward group on aloft, aft group on directing gun

At the Battle of Jutland, Tiger suffered some damage in her aft turrets early and appeared to grow mistrustful of her director system, repeatedly "lining up", often after reporting salvoes as "ragged" — taken as indication that receivers were out of step:[47]

  • At 4.05.5, after a ragged salvo, the director took 5 minutes to be lined up correctly as the guns were put into "individual." "X" [sic] remained in individual thereafter, perhaps owing to damage.
  • 4.23.05 the same process (for the same reason) took 3.35 to complete.
  • 4.43 Completed a lining up, seemingly for luck as the enemy had passed out of sight some three and a half minutes prior
  • 5.09.45 Lined up after checking fire, again seemingly as a tic
  • 6.36 Lined up during lull
  • 7.20 Tested director on friendly light cruiser on port bow during lull

In August, 1918, in recognition of shortcomings in the use of directing guns, it was ordered that Tiger should be fitted with a second tripod-type[Inference] director aft, as Lion and Princess Royal had been configured. It seems likely that this work was not completed in the 1918-1919 timeframe, owing to a shortage of sighting equipment.[48]

Secondary Battery

The 6-in broadside guns were supported by a pair of pedestal-mounted directors situated forward, one to port and one to starboard. Guns could only be directed by the director on their broadside.[49]

Transmitting Stations

Tiger had a single T.S. for her main battery, and a separate one for her secondary battery.[50] It is not clear whether there was ever a Dreyer table of any kind for the secondary T.S.. If one was there, it might have been a Dreyer Turret Control Table.

Dreyer Table

Tiger most likely had a Mark IV Dreyer Table when she completed.[51] It is a certainty that she had this equipment by the Battle of Dogger Bank.[52] It seems likely that this table was updated to Mark IV* standard late during or after 1918[53]. At some point, she likely received Dreyer Turret Control Tables, but it is unknown whether each turret received one, or just the two controlling turrets.[54]

Fire Control Instruments

Vickers F.T.P. Mark III instruments sent range and deflection data to gun sights, while Barr and Stroud (probably Mark II*[Inference]) instruments were used elsewhere[55].

Gun Ready signals mounted in the T.S. and control positions indicated which which guns were ready.[56]

No Target Visible indicators were installed.[57]

In 1916, it was decided that instruments were to be provided so that the fore top could be equally able to control gunnery as the GCT.[58]

Torpedo Control

In 1916, a number of further changes were decided upon:[59]

  • Navyphone communication between CT and aft torpedo flat and TCT and fore torpedo flat
  • removal of secondary director hoods
  • "transfer of instruments in the secondary positions" to the CT and TCT. I presume that "secondary positions" means the secondary director hoods.
  • it was approved that the ships should have a transmitters in the T.S. and receivers in T.C.T. and C.T. so that gunnery data for range, course and speed could be shared with the torpedo control group.
  • arrangements were to be made that all capital ships with 21-in torpedoes to receive transmitters and receivers so that the T.C.T. could pass the plotted torpedo deflection to the C.T., which could then use a reciprocal set of equipment to send the T.C.T. a deflection to be placed on the sight and range to open fire.

Alterations

In 1913, Tiger was slated as part of the twelve ship order to receive a director system for her main battery. It was fitted sometime after the war started but prior to May, 1915.[60]

In October, 1914, it was decided that Tiger should receive a Open Director Sight for each of her turrets. They were fitted between April 1916 and June 1917.[61]

By the end of 1915, she had been equipped with a Torpedo Control Plotting Instrument Mark I in her TCT.[62]

In August, 1918, in recognition of shortcomings in the use of directing guns, it was ordered that Tiger should be fitted with a second tripod-type[Inference] director aft, as Lion and Princess Royal had been configured. It seems that supplies of sights were insufficient to meet this goal, however. In November 1918, an alternative source for the equipment was considered, but the changing circumstances put an end to the plan.[63]

See Also

{WP|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Tiger_(1913)}}

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. p. 35.
  2. ↑ Johnston. Clydebank Battlecruisers, Footers.
  3. ↑ Records of Warship Construction during the War. 1914—1918. Volume I. ADM 1/8547/430. p. 78.
  4. ↑ "The Launch of H.M.S. Tiger" (News). The Times. Tuesday, 16 December, 1913. Issue 40396, col C, p. 12.
  5. ↑ The Navy List (November, 1914). p. 385a.
  6. ↑ The Navy List (October, 1915). p. 398q.
  7. ↑ Roberts. p. 123.
  8. ↑ Parkes. p. 557.
  9. ↑ Fear God and Dread Nought. III. p. 68.
  10. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 137/2134. f. 32.
  11. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 137/2134. f. 34.
  12. ↑ Fear God and Dread Nought. III. p. 71.
  13. ↑ The Navy List (October, 1915). p. 398q.
  14. ↑ Beatty Papers. I. p. 249.
  15. ↑ The Navy List (October, 1915). p. 398q.
  16. ↑ Diary entry of 7 March, 1915. Duff Papers. National Maritime Museum. DFF 15.
  17. ↑ "Naval Estimates" (News). The Times. Friday, 6 March, 1931. Issue 45764, col A, p. 9.
  18. ↑ "End of Famous Ship" (News). The Times. Tuesday, 31 March, 1931. Issue 45785, col B, p. 11.
  19. ↑ "Passing of the Tiger" (News). The Times. Thursday, 2 April, 1931. Issue 45787, col D, p. 8.
  20. ↑ The Navy List (October, 1915). p. 398q.
  21. ↑ The Navy List (Deceember, 1916). p. 398r.
  22. ↑ The Navy List (December, 1918). p. 920.
  23. ↑ The Navy List (August, 1919). p. 920.
  24. ↑ Dewar Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45. f. 59.
  25. ↑ "Naval, Military, and Air Force" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 30 December, 1929. Issue 45397, col D, p. 3.
  26. ↑ ARTS 1908 Wireless Appendix, p. 13.
  27. ↑ The Sight Manual, 1916, pp. 4, 23-27, 106, 108-109.
  28. ↑ Brooks. Dreadnought Gunnery and the Battle of Jutland, pp. 45-46.
  29. ↑ Noel Papers at National Maritime Museum, Turret Captain Bourne's report. (NOE/5)
  30. ↑ Manual of Gunnery of H.M. Fleet, Volume III, 1920, p. 44.
  31. ↑ Roberts. Battlecruisers, p. 92.
  32. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1918, p. 175.
  33. ↑ Burt. British Battleships, p. 219.
  34. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1917, p. 198. (C.I.O. 481/17)
  35. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1918, p. 177.
  36. ↑ Burt. British Battleships, p. 213.
  37. ↑ length and type inferred from reported 6-ft 6-in base length and knowledge of B&S R.F.s.
  38. ↑ Burt. British Battleships, p. 219.
  39. ↑ Burt. British Battleships, p. 220.
  40. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 34.
  41. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916, p. 145.
  42. ↑ The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, 1919, pp. 25-6.
  43. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, pp. 7-8.
  44. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 7.
  45. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. p. 142.
  46. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. p. 88.
  47. ↑ Admiralty. Jutland Official Despatches pp. 389-393.
  48. ↑ The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, p. 18.
  49. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook, 1917. pp. 91, 143.
  50. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, pp. 6-7.
  51. ↑ an inference supported by John Brooks in an email dated March 28 2008.
  52. ↑ The Beatty Papers, Volume I Appendix V, Gunnery Notes, p. 241, reference thanks to John Brooks.
  53. ↑ crossed out from one section and pencilled in in another in Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, p. 3.
  54. ↑ Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, p. 3.
  55. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, pp. 72.
  56. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 11.
  57. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914, p. 11.
  58. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916, p. 145.
  59. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916, p. 145.
  60. ↑ The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, pp. 9-10.
  61. ↑ The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, p. 18.
  62. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1915, p. 60.
  63. ↑ The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, p. 18.

Bibliography


Battlecruiser H.M.S. Tiger
<– Lion Class Major Cruisers (UK) Renown Class –>
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