HMS Cobra (1899)

HMS Cobra

Company type	Royal Navy destroyer
Industry	Naval shipbuilding
Founded	28 June 1899
Founder	Armstrong Whitworth
Fate	Sank after structural failure on 18 September 1901
Headquarters	Newcastle upon Tyne , United Kingdom
Products	Steam turbine-powered destroyer

Overview of HMS Cobra

HMS Cobra was a Royal Navy destroyer powered by steam turbines. Constructed on speculation by Armstrong Whitworth, she was subsequently offered to the British Admiralty. The vessel was launched on 28 June 1899 and acquired by the Navy on 8 May 1900 for a sum of £70,000.

Her operational life was brief, ending when she suffered a catastrophic structural failure and sank near South Dowsing Shoal, close to Ingoldmells, on 18 September 1901. The fracture occurred approximately 150 feet from the bow, situated between the two rear boilers. Of those aboard, twelve individuals—including the chief engineer—survived, while 44 naval personnel and 23 contractor staff, primarily employees of turbine manufacturer Parsons Marine, lost their lives.

A court-martial inquiry convened in October cleared the surviving officers of any fault, concluding that the vessel had neither grounded nor struck any obstruction, and that navigational errors were not responsible for her loss. Instead, the investigation attributed the sinking to a structural deficiency in the ship's construction. This finding was disputed by Parsons Marine and other shipbuilders, who cited examples of similar vessels successfully navigating to destinations such as Australia and Japan without incident.

The sinking of Cobra occurred merely six weeks after the loss of Viper, another turbine-driven destroyer in Royal Navy service. Both ships served as experimental platforms to showcase emerging turbine technology. Although neither disaster stemmed from turbine malfunction, these incidents hindered the broader adoption of turbine propulsion in naval vessels. Following these events and the earlier loss of Serpent in 1890, an aversion developed within the Royal Navy toward assigning snake-related names to ships; consequently, such names were retired from use.

History

The vessel Cobra was built by Armstrong Whitworth as a private initiative and was one of two ships offered to the British Admiralty on 12 December 1899. Identified as ship number 674, it was equipped with turbines from the Parsons Marine, akin to those installed in the destroyer Viper. These turbines were anticipated to deliver approximately 60% greater power compared to the reciprocating engines commonly used in similar vessels at the time. The propulsion system included four shafts, each connected to three propellers. The ship's design drew heavily from the destroyers Swordfish and Spitfire, which had recently been constructed at the same shipyard. Sir William Henry White, the Director of Naval Construction, examined the vessel and, while noting it was not as robust as a navy-specified design would have been, raised no significant objections regarding its hull form. It was recommended that the Admiralty acquire the ship rather than allow its sale to a foreign power.

The shipwreck

Lieutenant Alan Wyldbore Bosworth Smith

Steam trials for the Cobra commenced in June 1900. Following completion and incorporation of Admiralty modifications, steam trials concluded by September 1901. Lieutenant Bosworth Smith, along with two officers and 48 crew members, was tasked with navigating the ship from Newcastle to Portsmouth for armament fitting. Departing Elswick at 11:00 on 17 September, the vessel proceeded down the river Tyne, where compass adjustments were made. By 19:00, she reached the river's mouth and set a course of S 25° E at approximately 17 kn (20 mph; 31 km/h). Due to a NNW wind and turbulent seas causing severe rolling, coal feeding to boilers became difficult; two boilers had to be extinguished, reducing speed to around 5 kn (5.8 mph; 9.3 km/h) by 22:00. Stoker John Collins recounted that by early morning on the 18th, standing in the stokehold was nearly impossible. At dawn, speed increased to 8 kn (9.2 mph; 15 km/h). At 07:00, the 'Outer Dowsing' lightvessel appeared roughly 3 mi (4.8 km) away. Cobra adjusted course toward this light for identification and was observed approaching by crew aboard the lightvessel. Witnesses reported seeing Cobra "plunging heavily," then halting amid a cloud of steam before breaking apart. The stern section sank immediately while the bow section drifted with the wind.

Chief Engineer Percey described being in the engine room around 07:15 when he felt a sudden impact as if striking an object. Upon reaching the deck, he saw the ship breaking in two and found himself on the aft portion. Efforts to launch the ship's whaler failed as it capsized due to overcrowding by 40-50 men attempting to board. Although three collapsible boats were available, there was insufficient time to assemble them before sinking occurred. A 14 ft (4.3 m) dinghy was successfully deployed with Petty Officer Francis Barns and seven others aboard. Barns discarded all unnecessary items from the dinghy and managed to rescue four additional survivors including Percey. Three men clung to its side in the water for three hours until calmer seas allowed them aboard. It was reported that another sailor who reached the boat after an exhausting swim realized that adding his weight would capsize it; he said "It's one for many, good-bye all," before letting go and disappearing beneath the waves. The twelve survivors were rescued by the steamer Harlington around 18:15 and taken ashore at Middlesbrough. Despite lifebelts being worn by those in the water, these were insufficient against drowning amid heavy seas. Lieutenant Smith was last seen standing on the bridge as the forward section sank.

John Smith, captain of steam fishing lighter '15', departed Great Yarmouth harbour at 08:00 heading toward South Dowsing light. Around 16:30, he recovered two deceased men from the sea and upon spotting Cobra’s wreckage approached it. Approximately 15 ft (4.6 m) of the ship’s bow protruded above water, inverted with its bottom facing upward. No signs of life were observed near the visible remains, so he proceeded to consult with those aboard the lightship. He was requested to relay news ashore but first returned to retrieve additional bodies from Cobra’s overturned whaler floating nearby. On 20 September, Commander Storey of naval vessel Hearty attempted to tow parts of the still visible wreck into shallower waters but succeeded only in moving it about 100 yd (91 m). A Swedish diver named Frank Carlson conducted multiple dives on the wreck lying inverted with its stem elevated off the seabed.

Court-martial and committee of enquiry

The Cobra Inquiry, scenes during the court-martial held aboard the Victory at Portsmouth. Illustrated London News 1901

A court-martial, presided over by Rear-Admiral Pelham Aldrich, began on 10 October 1901 to examine the circumstances surrounding the sinking. Among those called to testify was Mr. Philip Watts, Armstrong's general manager and a qualified naval architect who later served as Director of Naval Construction at the Admiralty. Watts explained that although the vessel was marginally longer than Swordfish, making it structurally weaker, this was offset by an increased depth that enhanced its strength by 17%. He doubted that wave forces alone could have caused the ship to break apart, especially since the fracture did not occur where the hull’s integrity would be most compromised. Watts acknowledged that the engines weighed approximately 28 long tons (28.4 t) more than initially planned, and that the ship departed with around 20 long tons (20.3 t) excess weight above her design specification of 450 long tons (457.2 t). A diver discovered a 1 in (2.5 cm) indentation along the keel plate starting roughly 30 cm from the jagged break, with no damage to the paintwork. Watts interpreted this as evidence of a collision with a wreck’s mast, although no such wreckage was found, and notably, Cobra’s stern section remained missing. Carpenter's Mate E. Privett recounted feeling two minor shocks on the bridge that resembled grounding impacts, followed shortly by the stern rising between 20 and 30 degrees. Additionally, Captain Shilling of the steamer Oakwell reported encountering floating timber nearby. The court-martial ultimately concluded that structural deficiencies caused the ship’s breakup rather than an impact with debris and censured White for approving the purchase.

In November 1901, due to persistent concerns about potential weaknesses in other ships similar to Cobra, an enquiry was initiated under Vice-Admiral Rawson. The committee included experts such as Dr. John Inglis, Professor John Biles, Mr. Archibald Denny, and H. E. Deadman. Their investigation involved testing the destroyer Wolf, which was supported in cradles while water was drained from around it to measure hull stress from limited points of support. These tests validated theoretical models indicating adequate structural strength. Further sea trials demonstrated that operational stresses were consistently lower than those recorded during dockside testing. The committee’s final assessment determined that while Cobra was less robust than many comparable vessels, it remained stronger than some others. They found no justification to believe wave action alone would cause her to break apart unless there was a significant undetected defect in materials or construction—none of which was evident during her build.

Both the court-martial and enquiry findings were classified as confidential for fifty years, restricting external experts from reviewing detailed evidence. More recently, an alternative theory has emerged regarding Cobra’s sinking: that she first struck floating timber causing the keel plate indentation and subsequently collided again further aft at a structurally weaker section of bottom plating, resulting in a breach consistent with survivors’ reports of two impacts. This breach allowed water ingress sufficient to flood up to boiler level before structural failure occurred. Stoker Collins recalled that steam generated by flooding near a boiler alerted crew members in the boiler room who evacuated prior to the ship breaking apart. The additional weight from flooding would have been enough to cause catastrophic failure amid heavy seas.

Bibliography

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• The Times, "The Loss Of The Cobra", London edition, page 11, issue no. 36566, dated 21 September 1901 (accessed via The Times Digital Archive)
• The Times, "The Loss Of The Cobra", London edition, page 8, issue no. 36567, dated 23 September 1901 (accessed via The Times Digital Archive)
• The Times, "The Loss Of The Cobra: Verdict Of The Court-Martial", London edition, page 5, issue no. 36588, dated 17 October 1901 (accessed via The Times Digital Archive), including follow-up correspondence in October and November