HMS ''Constance'' was a light cruiser of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

that saw service in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. She was part of the ''Cambrian'' group of the C class.

Construction

''Constance'' was laid down on 25 January 1915, launched on 12 September 1915, and completed in January 1916.Preston, p. 59

Service history

World War I

Commissioned into service in the Royal Navy in January 1916, ''Constance'' was assigned to the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet from her commissioning until 1919, taking part in the

Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland () was a naval battle between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet, under Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer, durin ...

on 31 May-1 June 1916.

Postwar

After the conclusion of World War I, ''Constance'' was assigned to the 8th Light Cruiser Squadron on the

North America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956, with main bases at the Imperial fortresses of Bermuda and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The ...

(subsequently the ''America and West Indies Station'') from 1919 to 1926, based at the Royal Naval Dockyard in the

Imperial fortress Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, Lord Salisbury described Malta, Gibraltar, Bermuda, and Halifax as Imperial fortresses at the 1887 Colonial Conference, though by that point they had been so designated for decades. Later histor ...

colony A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their ''metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often orga ...

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

, where she escaped damage though torn free from the wharf when a hurricane struck on 21 September, 1922, recommissioning at Devonport in January 1923 to continue this service. From September 1926 to December 1927, she underwent a refit at

Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham, Kent, Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham, Kent, Gillingham; at its most extens ...

, becoming the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

of the

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

Reserve upon its completion. She was assigned to the 5th Cruiser Squadron on the China Station from 1928 to November 1930. In March 1931, ''Constance'' was decommissioned, transferred to the

Reserve Fleet A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed; they are partially or fully Ship decommissioning, decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothba ...

, and placed in reserve at Portsmouth, remaining in reserve there until July 1935.

Disposal

''Constance'' was sold in January 1936 or on 8 June 1936Colledge, p. 89 (sources differ) to Arnott Young, of Dalmuir,

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, to be scrapped.

Notes

References

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External links

Ships of the Cambrian class

Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project - HMS Constance Crew List
{{DEFAULTSORT:Constance (1915) C-class cruisers Ships built on the River Mersey 1915 ships World War I cruisers of the United Kingdom