HMS Dublin (1912)

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Town-class
HMS Liverpool
General Characteristics
Displacement:	4,800–5,440 tons
Length:	430 feet (131.1 m)
Beam:	50 feet (15.2 m)
Draught:	16 feet (4.9 m)
Propulsion:	4 shaft Parsons turbines, 22,000–31,000 shp (16–23 MW)
Speed:	25–30 knots (46–56 km/h)
Range:
Complement:	475–500
Armament:	Eight to nine 6 inch (152 mm) 50/45-caliber Mk XI/XII, four 3 pounder guns 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Aircraft:	None

HMS Dublin, alongside Chatham and Southampton, was a Chatham Class Light Cruiser, each costing an average £334,053. Laid down April 11, 1911 by Wm. Beardmore & Company in Dalmuir (near Glasgow) Scotland. HMS Dublin was launched April 30, 1912 and completed March 1913.

Complement 491-560

Normal Coal load 750 tons Maximum 1100 tons 260 tons oil

4 Screws 25000 HP Maximum speed 25.5 knots

Armament:

8 x 6” guns
1 x 3” Anti aircraft gun
4 x 3 Pounder
2 x Machine guns
2 x 21” Torpedo Tubes
8 x Lewis guns
3” Armour Amidships
2” Deck Armour Slopes

Service:

1st Battle Squadron 1913
1st Light Cruiser Squadron July 1913 in the Mediterranean
2nd Light Cruiser Squadron September 1913 to end of 1914

Captain John D. Kelly (1871-1936 Later Admiral of the Fleet G.C.B. G.C.V.O. ) pursued the German battle cruiser, Goeben at Messina (off the north coast of Sicily) August 4, 1914 just prior to the outbreak of WWI. On August 6 after having completed coaling, Dublin left Malta at 14:00 to join the Rear Admiral. At 20:30 she received orders to obtain the Goeben's course and sink her during the night, by torpedoes if possible. Observing at a distance, Kelly expected to engage around 03:30 but the Goeben had unexpectedly altered course to the north. The chase was lost as a daylight attack would be suicidal; Goeben’s largest guns could accurately fire explosive shells up to 15 miles away.

In February 1915, Dublin was sent to the Dardanelles and subsequently assisted Implacable's landing assault upon Gallipoli, April 25th, 1915 at X Beach. Then sent to Brindisi May 1915. While taking part in a sweep off the Albanian coast, and being escorted by French and Italian destroyers, Dublin was hit and damaged by a torpedo from Austrian submarine U-4 on 9th June 1915. Able to work up to 17 knots, Dublin was able to return to Brindisi but is out of action for several months and returned to the UK for refit.

Dublin served in the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron alongside Southampton, Birmingham and Nottingham with the Grand fleet (Home) from 1916 to 1919. Now under Captain Scott (Albert Charles Scott 1872-1969, later Vice Admiral; HMS Dublin 1916-1918) she was engaged at Jutland May 31 1916. During night action, Dublin shot 117 6-inch shells and along with Southampton, attacked and sank a destroyer. Both ships however sustained severe damage and three crewmembers were killed, 27 wounded when Dublin received 5x5.9 inch hits from Elbing and 8x 4.1-inch hits from Stuttgart (possibly also Fravenlob and Hamburg). Subsequent repairs to Dublin were not completed until June 17th.

On May 3rd 1917 in the North Sea, the Dublin with the Sydney and four destroyers (Nepean, Obdurate, Pelican, Pylades), left Rosyth for a sweep between the mouths of the Forth and the Humber. At 10:25 the Dublin observed the Zeppelin L43 about 17 miles away to the east, rapidly approaching a strange vessel; both cruisers promptly made for the enemy, opening fire on it at extreme range. At 10:54 the Dublin saw the track of a torpedo passing ahead of her, at 11:12 a submarine, and at 11:15 another, which fired two torpedoes at her. At 11:20 she sighted a third, which she engaged with her guns and on which she dropped a depth-charge This angered the Zeppelin into a direct attack: making for the stern of the Dublin, and rising hastily as it flew, it endeavoured to obtain a position vertically above the cruiser in order to drop bombs on her - an attempt which was foiled by the Dublin's hurried swerve to starboard.

Dublin was then commissioned for the 6th squadron at the Africa Station from January 1920 until 1924, though she served for a short time in April with the 3rd squadron in the Mediterranean until being sent to the Reserve at Nore in 1924. Sold to J.J. King at Troone July 1926, Dublin ran aground on way to the breakers but she was refloated July 1927 and broken up later that year.