HMS Hampshire (1903)

HMS Hampshire

Company type	Armoured cruiser
Industry	Naval shipbuilding
Founded	September 1, 1902 (1902-09-01) Elswick, United Kingdom
Defunct	June 5, 1916 (1916-06-05)
Fate	Sunk by mine in 1916
Headquarters	Elswick , United Kingdom
Products	Warship (armoured cruiser)

Overview

HMS Hampshire was among six Devonshire-class armoured cruiser vessels constructed for the Royal Navy during the early 1900s. Upon her completion, she joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Channel Fleet. Following a period in reserve with the Third Fleet starting in 1909, she underwent a refit and subsequently served with the Mediterranean Fleet from 1911. In 1912, she was redeployed to the China Station, where she remained until the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914.

During the war’s initial phase, Hampshire participated in operations targeting German commerce raiders before being reassigned to the Grand Fleet at the close of 1914. Upon returning to home waters, she joined the 7th Cruiser Squadron. In 1916, she was transferred to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron and took part in the Battle of Jutland. On 5 June that year, while en route to Arkhangelsk, Russia, transporting the Secretary of State for War, Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, Hampshire is believed to have detonated a mine laid by a German submarine. The sinking resulted in the loss of 737 out of 749 personnel aboard, including Kitchener and his staff. Subsequent speculation suggested possible involvement of German espionage and sabotage. The wreck site is protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, although some components have been recovered. The circumstances surrounding her sinking have been depicted in several films.

Construction and Specifications

Built by Armstrong Whitworth at their Elswick yard on the Tyne, Hampshire was laid down on 1 September 1902 and launched on 24 September 1903. She reached completion on 15 July 1905. This Devonshire-class class armoured cruiser displaced approximately 10,850 long tons (11,020 t) under normal load conditions. Her overall length measured 473 ft 6 in (144.3 m), with a beam of 68 ft 6 in (20.9 m) and a draught of 24 ft (7.3 m).

Propulsion was provided by two quadruple-expansion steam engines powered by seventeen Yarrow boilers and six cylindrical Scotch marine boilers, generating around 21,000 ihp (16,000 kW). This enabled a maximum speed of 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph). The ship carried up to 1,033 long tons (1,050 t) of coal and had a crew complement of approximately 610 personnel.

Her armament configuration included four single-mounted BL 7.5-inch Mk I guns, six single BL 6-inch Mk VII guns, two single QF 12-pounder 8-cwt guns, eighteen single QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns, and two single British 18-inch torpedo tubes. Armour protection featured a belt ranging from two to six inches thick, decks between three-quarters to two inches in thickness, six-inch barbettes, five-inch gun turrets, a twelve-inch conning tower, and five-inch bulkheads.

Design and description

The cruiser Hampshire was engineered with a displacement of approximately 10,850 long tons (11,020 t). Its overall length measured 473 feet 6 inches (144.3 m), with a beam spanning 68 feet 6 inches (20.9 m), and it featured a deep draught of 24 feet (7.3 m). Propulsion was provided by two 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, each linked to its own shaft, delivering a combined output of 21,000 indicated horsepower (16,000 kW) that enabled the vessel to reach speeds up to 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph). Steam was generated by a total of twenty-three boilers, comprising seventeen Yarrow and six cylindrical boilers. The ship could carry up to 1,033 long tons (1,050 t) of coal fuel and accommodated a crew complement of 610 officers and enlisted personnel.

The primary weaponry consisted of four breech-loading (BL) 7.5-inch (191 mm) Mk I guns, each installed in individual turrets positioned one forward and one aft of the superstructure, with an additional turret mounted on each side amidships. These guns fired shells weighing 200-pound (91 kg) to a maximum range near 13,800 yards (12,600 m). Secondary armament included six BL 6-inch Mk VII guns arranged within casemates along the midsection; four were situated on the main deck and were operational only during calm sea conditions. These guns fired 100 pounds (45 kg) shells capable of reaching about 12,200 yards (11,200 m). Additionally, Hampshire was equipped with eighteen quick-firing (QF) 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns and two submerged torpedo tubes measuring 18 inches (460 mm) in diameter. The vessel also carried two QF 12-pounder 8 cwt guns that could be detached for land operations.

During the First World War, modifications were made to the Devonshire-class ships, including Hampshire: the six-inch guns originally placed on the main deck were relocated to the upper deck and fitted with protective gun shields. The casemate openings were sealed to enhance seaworthiness, and four displaced 3-pounder guns were removed.

Protection-wise, the ship featured a waterline armour belt up to 6 inches (150 mm) thick, terminated at either end by transverse bulkheads measuring 5 inches (130 mm) in thickness. Gun turret armour was five inches thick, while the barbettes supporting these turrets had six inches of armour plating. Deck armour thickness varied between 0.75–2 inches, and the conning tower was heavily fortified with twelve inches of armour.

Construction and service

The vessel named Hampshire, honoring the English county of Hampshire, was constructed by Armstrong Whitworth at their Elswick shipyard, with keel laying occurring on 1 September 1902. The ship was launched on 24 September 1903 and reached completion by 15 July 1905. Initially, she served within the Channel Fleet's 1st Cruiser Squadron alongside most of her sister ships. In December 1908, she underwent refitting at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard before being placed in reserve as part of the Third Fleet in August 1909. Recommissioned in December 1911, she joined the Mediterranean Fleet's 6th Cruiser Squadron and was subsequently reassigned to the China Station in 1912.

First World War

At the outbreak of the conflict, she was stationed at Wei Hai Wei and became part of a modest squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Martyn Jerram, who led the China Station. Her mission included the destruction of the German radio facility located at Yap, alongside the armoured cruiser Minotaur and light cruiser Newcastle. During the journey, on 11 August, the squadron intercepted and sank the collier SS Elspeth; however, due to insufficient coal reserves, Hampshire was unable to reach Yap and was redirected by Jerram to return to Hong Kong with the captured crew from Elspeth. Later that month, she received orders to proceed to the Dutch East Indies in search of German naval vessels, narrowly missing the German light cruiser Emden. The Emden had been unreported since hostilities commenced and had entered the Bay of Bengal, commencing attacks on unsuspecting British merchant vessels from 14 September onward. Hampshire was deployed in this region to hunt for Emden, remaining on patrol through October and November alongside the armed merchant cruiser Empress of Asia until the raider was sunk on 9 November by HMAS Sydney. Following this, Hampshire escorted an ANZAC troop convoy via the Indian Ocean and Red Sea en route to Egypt. In December, she underwent refitting at Gibraltar before returning to home waters for service with the Grand Fleet. Assigned to the 7th Cruiser Squadron in January 1915, she was later detached in November to provide escort duties in the White Sea. She returned in time to take part in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 with the 2nd Cruiser Squadron. Throughout this engagement, she did not come under direct fire and fired only four salvos at the German II Scouting Group, all falling short; additionally, she engaged in firing at false submarine periscope sightings during the battle.

Final voyage and sinking

Shortly after Jutland, Hampshire was tasked with transporting Lord Kitchener from Scapa Flow on a diplomatic journey to Russia via Arkhangelsk. Due to severe gale conditions, it was decided that Hampshire would navigate through the Pentland Firth and then proceed northward along the western coastline of the Orkney Islands, providing shelter from strong winds and enabling her destroyer escorts to maintain formation. Departing Scapa Flow at 16:45, she rendezvoused approximately an hour later with her two destroyer escorts: Acasta-class class vessels Unity and Victor. As they altered course northwestward, wind intensity increased and shifted direction head-on against their route, causing both destroyers to lag behind Hampshire. Given it was deemed improbable that enemy submarines would operate under such rough weather, Captain Savill ordered both Unity and Victor back to Scapa Flow.

While proceeding alone amid turbulent seas approximately 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) off Mainland between Brough of Birsay and Marwick Head at around 19:40 on 5 June, a sudden explosion caused Hampshire to list sharply to starboard. She had struck one of several mines laid by German minelaying submarine U-75 during 28–29 May just prior to Jutland. The blast breached her hull between bow and bridge sections; heavy seas destroyed lifeboats as they were lowered against her side. Within roughly fifteen minutes following impact, she sank bow-first. Of those aboard—735 crew members plus 14 passengers—only twelve crew survived after reaching land on three separate Carley floats. The tragedy claimed a total of 737 lives including Kitchener himself along with all members of his Russian mission. The sinking occurred approximately twelve miles north of the closest lifeboat station located at Stromness. While it remains uncertain whether lifeboat assistance would have altered outcomes given conditions at sea, no lifeboat deployment was requested.

Fritz Joubert Duquesne, a spy aligned with both the Boer cause and later Nazi Germany, professed having assumed the identity of Russian Count Boris Zakrevsky to join Kitchener in Scotland. Duquesne claimed he signaled a German U-boat shortly after departing Scapa Flow alerting them about Kitchener’s vessel’s approach and was subsequently rescued by that submarine as Hampshire sank. In subsequent decades he orchestrated the Duquesne Spy Ring, which resulted in his capture by the FBI along with thirty-two other Nazi agents in what became America’s largest espionage conviction. Nevertheless, Duquesne’s narrative is riddled with "numerous improbabilities", and there exists "no records" validating any aspects of his account.

Wreck

Recovered propeller and shaft from Hampshire

'‘Hampshire,’ Isle of Wight and Winchester War Memorial'’ situated outside Winchester Cathedral

The wreck site is protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 as a designated controlled location at coordinates 59°7.065′N 3°23.843′W, where diving is prohibited without official permission. The vessel lies inverted at depths ranging between 180–230 feet (55–70 m).

Memorials

Kitchener Memorial located at Marwick Head on Orkney

In 1983, salvage operations recovered one propeller along with part of Hampshire's drive shaft. These artifacts are currently exhibited at the Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and Museum situated in Lyness on Hoy Island within Orkney. Additionally, three Vickers 3 Pounder Mk II Quick-Firing deck guns were retrieved from the wreck; one underwent restoration in 2021 by expert conservators based in Alloa and is now displayed prominently in the museum’s entrance hall.

The names of all 737 personnel lost aboard Hampshire are inscribed on the right side base of the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Winchester War Memorial, located outside Winchester Cathedral.

In tribute to Kitchener as well as officers and men who perished aboard Hampshire, a memorial tower was constructed at Marwick Head on Mainland Island in Orkney during 1926 by local residents. The square-shaped stone tower features crenellations and bears this inscription: Template:Blockquote

Media

The demise of Hampshire along with circumstances surrounding Kitchener’s death have been depicted in several films including the silent-era production How Kitchener Was Betrayed (1921), as well as in Fraulein Doktor (1969), which focuses on a female spy, and more recently in The King's Man (2021), a prequel exploring events preceding those portrayed in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015).

External links

• Website by the Orkney Heritage Society focusing on the losses of HMS Hampshire and HM Drifter Laurel Crown
• Dedicated memorial website for HMS Hampshire
• Crew List for HMS Hampshire from the Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project