HMS Birmingham (1913)

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HMS Birmingham was a member of the final group of three ships of the "Town" class of light cruisers. Her sister ships were Lowestoft and Nottingham. These three ships were virtually identical to the third group of "Town" ships, but with an additional 6 inch gun worked in on the forecastle.

Builder: Elswick.
Laid down: 1912 [under 1911 Naval Estimates]; launched: May, 1913; completed: 1914.
Displacement: 5440 tons. Crew: 433.
Length: 430' p.p.; beam: 49 ft 10 in; draught: 17 ft 6 in maximum.
Guns: 9 × 6" [single mounts],1 × 3" aa, 4 × 3 pdr.
Torpedo tubes: 2 × 21" submerged.
Machinery: 12 Yarrow boilers; Parsons turbines. Fuel: coal and oil.
Designed performance: 25,000 shp = 25.5 kt.

[edit] History

Built at Elswick, launched 7th May 1913 and completed in January 1914, she joined the 1st light Cruiser Squadron in 1914, in June that year visiting Kiel.

On 9 Aug, 1914 she spotted U-15, whose engines had failed as she was laying stopped on the surface in heavy fog, off Fair Isle. The crew of HMS Birmingham could clearly hear hammering from inside the boat from attempted repairs, and so fired on her but missed. As the U-boat began to dive, she rammed her, cutting her in two. She went down with all hands, the first U-boat loss to an enemy warship.[1] She also sank two German merchant ships that year and took part in the Battle of Dogger Bank in January 1915.

In February 1915 she joined the 2nd Light Cruiser squadron, on 18th June 1915 attacking a u-boat without success.

She also took part in the Battle of Jutland as a member of the Second Light Cruiser Squadron, during which she sustained some damage caused by splintering during the night of the battle.

After the Great War she became the flagship to the 6th Light cruiser Squadron 1919 - 1920, and was then transferred to the Nore during 1920 - 1922. She was recommissioned in November 1923 to the Africa Station with the 6th Light Cruiser Squadron as Flagship, relieving HMS Lowestoft. She then continued to serve in foreign stations until being sold in 1931.