HMS ''Angler'' was a two-funnel, 30-knot

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1895 – 1896 Naval Estimates. She was the second ship to carry this name. She was launched in 1897, served at Chatham and Portsmouth and was sold for breaking in 1920.

Construction

She was laid down as yard number 313 on 21 December 1896, at the John I Thornycroft and Company shipyard at

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district in West London, split between the London Borough of Hounslow, London Boroughs of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing, Ealing. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist Wi ...

on the River Thames. She was launched on 2 February 1897. During her builder's trials her maximum average speed was 30.4 knots. She proceeded to Portsmouth to have her armament fitted. She was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in July 1898. During her acceptance trials and work ups her average sea speed was 25 knots.

Pre-War

After commissioning she was assigned to the Chatham Division of the Harwich Flotilla, where she was part of the

Medway Medway is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Kent in South East England. It was formed in 1998 by merging the boroughs of City of Roche ...

Instructional Flotilla. She was the flotilla leader under the command of Commander John de Robeck during exercises in 1899. Lieutenant Charles Tibbits was appointed in command in September 1899, serving as such for a year until September 1900. In October 1901 she collided in heavy wind near Felixstowe pier with the passenger steamer ''Suffolk'', and the stem was damaged. She was quickly repaired, and left

Sheerness Sheerness () is a port town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 13,249, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby ...

to rejoin the instructional flotilla in early December. In early August 1902 she was again back in the Medway flotilla, taking the crew of under the command of Lieutenant George Geoffrey Codrington. She took part in the fleet review held at

Spithead Spithead is an eastern area of the Solent and a roadstead for vessels off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast, with the Isle of Wight lying to the south-west. Spithead and the ch ...

on 16 August 1902 for the

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

of King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

, before Codrington and the crew turned over to HMS ''Hardy'' which replaced her in the flotilla in December the same year. In 1903 she deployed to the

Mediterranean Fleet 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 ...

. On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. Since her design speed was 30-knots and she had two funnels she was assigned to the D class. After 30 September 1913, she was known as a D-class destroyer and had the letter 'D' painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.

World War I

August 1914 found her in commission in the Portsmouth Local Flotilla tendered to HMS ''Excellent'', the Portsmouth-based gunnery school. She remained in this deployment for the duration of the First World War.

Disposition

In 1919 she was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. She was sold on 20 May 1920 to

Thos. W. Ward Thos. W. Ward Ltd was a Sheffield, Yorkshire, business primarily working steel, engineering and cement. It began as coal and coke merchants. It expanded into recycling metal for Sheffield's steel industry, and then the supply and manufacture ...

of Sheffield for breaking at Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire in Wales.

Pennant numbers

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Angler Ships built in Chiswick 1897 ships D-class destroyers (1913) Ships built by John I. Thornycroft & Company