HMS Leven (1898)

HMS ''Leven'' was a Fairfield "30-knotter" destroyer of the Royal Navy, later classified as part of the C class. It was built in 1898–1899, and served with the Royal Navy through to the First World War, sinking a German U-boat in 1918. ''Leven'' was sold for scrapping in 1920.

Construction

HMS ''Leven'' was ordered from the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, Glasgow, as part of the British Admiralty's 1897–1898 shipbuilding programme, one of six "Thirty-Knotter" destroyers ordered in that programme, at a contract cost of £52,407.Lyon 2001, p. 89.Lyon 2001, pp. 23–24. As with other early Royal Navy destroyers, the design of ''Leven'' was left to the builder, with the Admiralty laying down only broad requirements.Chesneau and Kolesnik 1979, p. 87.Manning 1961, p. 39.

''Leven''s design was a near repeat of the three Thirty-Knotters ( ''Fairey'', ''Falcon'' and ''Gipsy'') ordered as part of the previous 1896–1897 construction programme, with four Thornycroft boilers feeding a triple-expansion steam engine, and three funnels being fitted.Chesneau and Kolesnik 1979, pp. 95, 97. The ship had the standard armament of the Thirty-Knotters, i.e. a QF 12 pounder 12 cwt ( calibre) gun on a platform on the ship's conning tower (in practice the platform was also used as the ship's bridge), with a secondary armament of five 6-pounder guns, and two 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes.Lyon 2001, pp. 98–99.Friedman 2009, p. 40.

''Leven'' was laid down as Yard No 405 on 24 January 1898 and launched on 28 June 1898. During her builder's trials the ship made its contracted speed requirement. She was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in July 1898, and was the third ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1813 for a 20-gun sixth rate in service until 1848.Jane 1898, pp. 84–85.Moore 1990, p. 76.

Operational history

Pre-war

''Leven'' served in British home waters for the whole of her career. She was commissioned to replace in the Devonport instructional flotilla in March 1900, receiving that ship's crew under Commander Pennant Lloyd. She participated in the 1901 British Naval Manoeuvres.Brassey 1902, pp. 90, 99. She served in the Devonport instructional flotilla, until replaced in March 1902. Later that year, she underwent repairs to re-tube her boilers.

On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyers were to be grouped into classes designated by letters based on contract speed and appearance. As a three-funneled destroyer with a contract speed of 30 knots, ''Leven'' was assigned to the C class.Gardiner and Gray 1985, p. 18.Manning 1961, pp. 17–18. The class letters were painted on the hull below the bridge area and on a funnel.Manning 1961, p. 34.

World War I

From August 1914 to November 1918 ''Leven'' was deployed in the 6th Destroyer Flotilla based at Dover. While employed with the 6th Flotilla she conducted counter-mining patrols escorted merchant ships, defended the Dover Barrage and took part in operations off the Belgian Coast.

On 8 September 1915, ''Leven'' was involved in a collision with a transport in the English Channel, suffering a badly damaged bow. She was towed stern first back to Dover. On 26 May 1917 ''Leven'' was escorting the monitors , and when they encountered four German torpedo boats. One of the German ships fired a torpedo at ''M24'', which missed, and after they were engaged by ''Leven'', the Germans broke contact.

On 26 January 1918, ''Leven'', carrying out a courier service between Dover and Dunkirk,Keyes 1935, p. 172. spotted the periscope of the German submarine , when ''UB-35'' was attempting to pass through the Dover Barrage, a series of anti-submarine minefields and anti-submarine patrols.Grant 1964, pp. 74–78, 81. ''Leven'' sank ''UB-35'' with depth charges about 6 miles north-west of Calais,In the approximate position rescuing a single survivor, who identified that the sunken submarine was ''UB-35'' before he died.McCartney 2003, pp. 158–159.

In 1919 ''Leven'' was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. The ship was sold on 14 September 1920 to Hayes of Porthcawl for scrapping. ''Leven'' was awarded the battle honour "Belgian Coast 1914–16" for her service.

Pennant numbers

Notes

References

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External links

* http://navalhistory.flixco.info/H/381436/8330/a0.htm
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Leven (1898)
Ships built in Govan
1898 ships
C-class destroyers (1913)
World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom