# HMS Foyle

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**HMS *Foyle*** was a [Laird-type River-class](/source/River-class_destroyer_(1903)) [destroyer](/source/Destroyer) ordered by the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) under the 1902–1903 Naval Estimates. Named after the [River Foyle](/source/River_Foyle) in Ireland, she was the first ship to carry this name in the Royal Navy.

## Construction

She was [laid down](/source/Keel_laying) on 12 June 1902 at the [Cammell Laird](/source/Cammell_Laird) shipyard at [Birkenhead](/source/Birkenhead) and [launched](/source/Ceremonial_ship_launching) on 25 February 1903. She was completed in March 1903. Her original armament was to be the same as the Turtleback [torpedo boat destroyers](/source/Torpedo_boat_destroyer) that preceded her. In 1906 the [Admiralty](/source/British_Admiralty) decided to upgrade the armament by landing the five 6-pounder naval guns and shipping three 12-pounder 8 hundredweight (cwt) guns. Two would be mounted abeam at the [foc's'le](/source/Foc's'le) break and the third gun would be mounted on the [quarterdeck](/source/Quarterdeck).

## Service history

After [commissioning](/source/Ship_commissioning) she was assigned to the East Coast Destroyer Flotilla of the 1st Fleet and based at [Harwich](/source/Harwich). On 27 April 1908 the Eastern Flotilla departed Harwich for live fire and night manoeuvres. During these exercises [HMS *Attentive*](/source/HMS_Attentive_(1904)) rammed and sank [HMS *Gala*](/source/HMS_Gala_(1905)) then damaged [HMS *Ribble*](/source/HMS_Ribble_(1904)).

In April 1909 she was assigned to the [3rd Destroyer Flotilla](/source/3rd_Destroyer_Flotilla) of the 1st Fleet on its formation at Harwich. She remained until displaced by a [*Basilisk*-class](/source/Beagle-class_destroyer) destroyer by May 1912. She went into reserve in the [5th Destroyer Flotilla](/source/5th_Destroyer_Flotilla) of the 2nd Fleet with a nucleus crew.

On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. The ships of the River class were assigned to the E class. After 30 September 1913, she was known as an E-class destroyer and had the letter 'E' painted on the hull below the [bridge](/source/Bridge_(nautical)) area and on either the fore or aft [funnel](/source/Funnel_(ship)).[3]

## World War I

In early 1914 when displaced by G-class destroyers she joined the [9th Destroyer Flotilla](/source/9th_Destroyer_Flotilla) based at [Chatham](/source/Chatham,_Kent) tendered to [HMS *St George*](/source/HMS_St_George_(1892)). The 9th Flotilla was a patrol flotilla tasked with [anti-submarine](/source/Anti-submarine_warfare) and counter [mining](/source/Naval_mine) patrols in the [Firth of Forth](/source/Firth_of_Forth) area. By September 1914, she was deployed to [Portsmouth](/source/HMNB_Portsmouth) and the [Dover Patrol](/source/Dover_Patrol). Here she provided anti-submarine, counter mining patrols and defended the Dover Barrage.[4]

In August 1915 with the amalgamation of the 7th and 9th Flotillas, she was assigned to the [1st Destroyer Flotilla](/source/1st_Destroyer_Flotilla) when it was redeployed to Portsmouth in November 1916. She was equipped with [depth charges](/source/Depth_charge) for employment in anti-submarine patrols, escorting of merchant ships and defending the Dover Barrage. In spring 1917 as the convoy system was being introduced the 1st Flotilla was employed in convoy escort duties for the [English Channel](/source/English_Channel) for the remainder of the war.[5]

## Loss

On 15 March 1917 HMS *Foyle* struck a contact mine laid by German submarine off Plymouth at position [50°11′N 03°58′W](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?params=50_11_N_03_58_W) with the loss of 28 officers and [ratings](/source/Naval_ratings). Her bow was blown off and she foundered while under tow to Plymouth.

## Wreck site

Her wreck is located at position [50°16′N 04°10′W](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?params=50_16_N_04_10_W).[6]

## Pennant numbers

Pennant number[7] From To N44 6 Dec 1914 1 Sep 1915 D20 1 Sep 1915 15 Mar 1917

## References

1. Jane, Fred T. (1969 [1905]). *Jane’s Fighting Ships 1905/6*. New York: first published by Sampson Low Marston, London 1905, Reprinted ARCO Publishing Company. p. 75.

1. Jane, Fred T. (1990 [1919]). *Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I*. Jane’s Publishing. p. 76. ISBN 1 85170 378 0.

1. *Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1906 to 1922*. Conway Maritime Press. 2006. p. Page 17 to 19. ISBN 0 85177 245 5.

1. ["Naval Database"](http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/F/01886.html)

1. ["History of the Great War, Naval Operations, Volume III, Spring 1915 to June 1916 (Part 1 of 2), by Sir Julian S Corbett, Chapter XIII, Loss of Argyl and Natal"](http://www.naval-history.net/WW1Book-RN3a.htm#13). Retrieved 1 Jun 2013.

1. ["Loss data from U-Boat.net"](http://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/2245.html)

1. [""Arrowsmith" List – Part 1 Destroyer Prototypes through "River" Class"](http://www.gwpda.org/naval/s0420000.htm). Retrieved 1 Jun 2013.

## Bibliography

- *Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905*. London: Conway Maritime Press. 1979. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
- 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.
- *Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921*. London: Conway Maritime Press. 1985. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
- Manning, T. D. (1961). *The British Destroyer*. London: Putnam & Co. [OCLC 6470051](https://www.worldcat.org/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](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/164893555)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [HMS Foyle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Foyle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Foyle?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.