HMS Argyll (1904)
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The second HMS Argyll was launched in 1904 after an absence of an Argyll presence in the Royal Navy for over 160 years. She was a Devonshire-class armoured cruiser. The ship displaced over 10,850 tons and had a length of 473 feet, making her slightly longer than the current Argyll. She was laid down in 1902, launched in 1904 and commissioned in 1905.
In 1906 she was allocated to the 1st Cruiser squadron, which was part of the Channel Fleet. In 1909 she joined the Atlantic Fleet as part of the 5th Cruiser Squadron. In 1911 she was detached from the squadron to escort the Royal Yacht SS Medina in its trip to Durbar in British India. The following year she joined the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, later being damaged at Plymouth Sound where she ran aground in December 1910.
At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, as part of the Grand Fleet, she made her mark quite quickly, when she captured a German merchant ship on the 6th of August. From late 1914 to late 1915 she was employed in many night-time patrols. In late 1915, Argyll, under the command of Captain James Tancred, ran aground on the Bell Rock near Dundee. The lighthouse had been ordered to switch its lights off for fear of assisting German U-Boats in their operations, and so the light could only be turned on by special permission. While in view of the lighthouse, Argyll sent a signal requesting the light to be turned on.
The ship proceeded on its course believing the signal had been received, but it hadn't. Soon afterwards, Argyll ran aground suffering extensive damage to much of the hull. Two destroyers, Hornet and Jackal, assisted in the rescue of the stricken cruisers crew. No fatalities were suffered from Argyll's crew complement. She was blown up by a navy salvage team after every valuable item onboard had been salvaged, including the ships 6-inch guns. In 1970, her two large propellers were recovered by divers and sold for scrap. For a detailed account of the demise of the ship, see [1] (http://www.bellrock.org.uk/misc/misc_argyll.htm)
See HMS Argyll for other ships of this name.
HMS Argyll Statistics
- Displacement: 10,850 tons
- Length: 473 feet
- Beam: 68 feet
- Draught: 24 feet
- Complement: 655
- Armamemt:
- 4 x 7.5-inch guns
- 6 x 6-inch guns
- 2 x 2-pounder guns
- 18 x 3-pounder guns
- 2 x 18-inch submerged torpedo tubes
- Speed: 22.5 knots
- Propulsion: 16 Boilers, 2 shafts, 21,000 hp (16 MW)