HMS Violet was a Doxford three-funnel, 30-knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1896–1897 Naval Estimates. She was the seventh ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1588 for a 200-ton vessel.[3][4]

HMS Violet scale model located at Olde World Canterbury Village in Lake Orion, MI
History
United Kingdom
Name	Violet
Ordered	1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates
Builder	William Doxford and Sons Pallion, Sunderland
Laid down	13 July 1896
Launched	3 May 1897
Commissioned	June 1898
Out of service	Laid up in reserve 1919
Fate	Sold for breaking, 7 June 1920
General characteristics
Class and type	Doxford three-funnel, 30-knot destroyer[1][2]
Displacement	350 long tons (356 t) standard 400 long tons (406 t) full load
Length	214 ft (65 m) o/a
Beam	21 ft (6.4 m)
Draught	9 ft 7 in (2.92 m)
Installed power	6,300 shp (4,700 kW)
Propulsion	4 × Thornycroft water tube boilers 2 × vertical triple-expansion steam engines 2 × shafts
Speed	30 kn (56 km/h)
Range	95 tons coal 1,615 nmi (2,991 km) at 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Complement	63 officers and men
Armament	1 × QF 12-pounder 12 cwt Mark I L/40 naval gun on a P Mark I low angle mount 5 × QF 6-pdr 8 cwt L/40 naval gun on a Mark I* low angle mount 2 × single tubes for 18-inch (450mm) torpedoes
Service record
Operations:	World War I 1914 - 1918

Construction and career

She was laid down on 13 July 1896, at the William Doxford and Sons shipyard in Pallion, Sunderland, and launched on 3 May 1897. During her builder's trials, she made her contracted speed requirement. She was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in June 1898.[3][4] After commissioning she was assigned to the Devonport Flotilla and spent her entire career in home waters.

She underwent repairs to re-tube her boilers in 1902.[5] On 9 July 1907 Violet collided with a sailing vessel, badly damaging the destroyer's bow and slightly injuring three of her crew. She was towed stern first to the Nore by the destroyer Falcon before being taken into Sheerness for repair.[6] Violet was refitted at Pembroke Dockyard in 1909, having her bow replated and her boilers retubed.[7]

On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. Since her design speed was 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) with three funnels, she was assigned to the C Class. After 30 September 1913, she was known as a C-class destroyer and had the letter ‘C’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.[8]

World War I

August 1914 found her in active commission in the 7th Destroyer Flotilla based at Devonport tendered to HMS Leander. She served there until September 1917 when she was sent to join the local defence flotilla at the Nore.[9]

In April 1918 she was reassigned to the 6th Destroyer Flotilla and the Dover Patrol.[10] She remained in this deployment for the duration of the First World War. Her duties included anti-submarine, counter-mining patrols, and patrolling the Dover Barrage.

In 1919 she was paid off and laid-up in reserve, awaiting disposal. Violet was sold on 7 June 1920 to J Houston of Montrose for breaking.[11]

Pennant numbers

References

Note: All tabular data under general characteristics only from the listed Jane's Fighting Ships volume unless otherwise specified

Bibliography

• Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Dittmar, F. J. & Colledge, J. J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.
• Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
• Lyon, David (2001) [1996]. The First Destroyers. London: Caxton Editions. ISBN 1-84067-3648.
• Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. London: Putnam & Co. OCLC 6470051.
• March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555.