HMS ''Vulcan'' was a British torpedo boat depot ship launched in 1889, later converted to a submarine tender in 1908-09. As a training

hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...

, she was renamed HMS ''Defiance III'' in 1931 and used for training at

Torpoint, Cornwall Torpoint ( kw, Penntorr) is a civil parish and town on the Rame Peninsula in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated opposite the city of Plymouth across the Hamoaze which is the tidal estuary of the River Tamar. Torpoint h ...

. She was scrapped in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

in 1955.

Construction

The increasing numbers of

torpedo boat A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of ...

s which had entered service produced the need for a specialist support ship. ''Vulcan'' could carry six torpedo boats on her deck and had repair workshops and equipment stores. She had an armoured deck and could act as a light cruiser.

Service history

HMS Vulcan, torpedo boat depot ship - IWM Q 75559

''Vulcan'' was launched on 13 June 1889. Captain Henry Jackson was appointed in command in December 1899, when she served as a torpedo depot ship on the

Mediterranean Station The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...

. Captain Charles John Briggs was appointed in command on 12 December 1901.

Robert Falcon Scott Captain Robert Falcon Scott, , (6 June 1868 – c. 29 March 1912) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the ''Discovery'' expedition of 1901–1904 and the ill-fated ''Terra Nov ...

served aboard ''Vulcan'' as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...

. By 1919, ''Vulcan'' was serving as a depot ship. On 18 October 1919, she was in harbour at Blyth,

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land ...

() for repairs to her main engines and moored a few yards from the Royal Navy

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

when, during the afternoon, she built up a head of steam and began to carry out a slow-speed

trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribun ...

. In the restricted waters of the dock basin the suction from ''Vulcan''′s propellers drew ''H41'' towards her and, despite the efforts of both crews to keep the two vessels apart, ''Vulcan''′s screws struck the

stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Or ...

of the submarine, cut through her outer casing, and sliced open her pressure hull. ''H41'' sank quickly, but her crew escaped. ''H41'' later was raised and sold for scrap. In February 1930, HMS ''Titania'' returned to England from a 10-year period based in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

and was ordered to relieve HMS ''Vulcan'' as depot ship of the Sixth Flotilla. Her arrival in England was reported in The Straits Times on 11 February 1930 as follows:

SUBMARINES FROM CHINA H.M.S. Titania, Commander A. B. Lockhart, D.S.C., which on her arrival home from China with submarines of the Fourth Flotilla, was ordered to relieve H.M.S. Vulcan, depot ship of the Sixth Flotilla, Portland. She will retain her seagoing status. Of the six submarines returning with her, one will be retained in full commission to relieve H34 in the Fifth Flotilla. Submarine L3, completed in 1918, will be scrapped. The remaining four submarines will be reduced to reserve at
Fort Blockhouse Fort Blockhouse is a military establishment in Gosport, Hampshire, England, and the final version of a complicated site. At its greatest extent in the 19th century, the structure was part of a set of fortifications which encircled much of Gos ...
.

Notes

References

* * * (available a
internet archive
* * Cruisers of the Royal Navy 1889 ships Maritime incidents in 1919 {{UK-mil-ship-stub