HMSGhurka
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMSGhurka
Builder	Hawthorn Leslie and Company,Newcastle upon Tyne
Laid down	6 February 1906
Launched	29 April 1907
Commissioned	December 1908
Fate	Mined, 8 February 1917
General characteristics[1]
Class & type	Tribal-classdestroyer
Displacement	880 long tons (894 t) normal 990 long tons (1,006 t) deep load
Length	255 ft 0 in (77.72 m)pp 260 ft 6 in (79.40 m)oa
Beam	25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
Draught	8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
Propulsion	3 ×steam turbines 3 × shafts 14,250 shp (10,630 kW)
Speed	33 kn (38 mph; 61 km/h)
Range	1,460 nmi (2,700 km; 1,680 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	72
Armament	5 ×QF 12-pounder guns,[2] 2 ×18 inch (450 mm)torpedo tubes

HMSGhurka^[a] was aTribal-classdestroyer built in 1907 for theRoyal Navy. She served as part of theDover Patrol during theFirst World War, playing a part in the sinking of the German submarineU-8 in 1915, and was sunk by a German mine in 1917.

HMSGhurka was ordered fromHawthorn Leslie as one of five Tribal-class destroyers purchased under the 1905–06 shipbuilding programme.^[3] The Tribals derived from a requirement by theFirst Sea Lord"Jackie" Fisher, for asteam turbine powered, oil-fueled destroyer capable of at least 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph). Armament was specified as three12 pounder (3 inch, 76 mm) 12 cwt guns^[b] and two 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes. The Hawthorn Leslie design forGhurka was powered by steam turbines fed by fiveYarrow boilers, driving three propeller shafts and rated at 14,250shaft horsepower (10,630 kW). The ship was fitted with three low funnels.^[1][4][5] A high-pressure turbine drove the centre shaft, while the exhaust steam from this turbine fed two low-pressure turbines on the outer shafts. Separate cruising turbines were also fitted to the outer shafts. Two of the 12 pounder guns were mounted on the ship'sforecastle, with the remaining gun situated aft.^[6]

Ghurka was laid down at Hawthorn Leslie's shipyard atHebburn on theRiver Tyne on 6 February 1906 and launched on 29 April 1907.^[7] She reached an average speed of 33.91 knots (62.80 km/h; 39.02 mph) over a six-hour run during trials,^[8] and was completed in December 1908.^[7] Prior to commissioning,Ghurka's armament was reinforced by adding another two 12 pounder guns.^[9]

On 9 January 1908 steamerHartley proceeding with a cargo of coal sheered and collided withGhurka moored near theHawthorn Leslie's shipyard inSouth Shields, and dealt extensive damage to the destroyers port quarter.^[10]

On 13 August 1908 steamerCity of Naples while swinging preparing to proceed down river Tyne inSouth Shields collided withGhurka moored near Hebburn Buoys, dealing considerable damage to the destroyer's starboard side.^[11]

From 1910 to 1913,Ghurka served as part of theFirst Destroyer Flotilla, and then joined the Fourth Flotilla,^[12] based atPortsmouth.^[13] In October that year, the Tribals were officially designated the F class, and as such the letter "F" was painted onGhurka's bows.^[14][15]

The short range of the Tribal class meant that they were unsuitable for long range operations, so, on the outbreak of theFirst World War,Ghurka, along with the rest of her class, joined theSixth Destroyer Flotilla based atDover as part of theDover Patrol.^[12][14][16]Ghurka was damaged in a collision with her sister Tribal-class destroyerHMS Cossack on 23 August 1914, requiring repair in dry dock.^[17]

On 4 March 1915, the German submarineU-8 became caught in nets laid across theStraits of Dover to indicate the passage of submarines, and the disturbance in the net was spotted by the drifterRoburn, which called up the nearby destroyer patrol, which includedGhurka, as well asViking,Maori andNubian.Viking detonated herexplosive anti-submarine sweep without effect, but after the submarine was spotted byMaori,Ghurka used her own explosive sweep to force the German submarine to the surface. After briefly being shelled, the submarine was scuttled and abandoned, the crew surrendering.^{[17][18][19][20][21]} On 10 March 1915,Ghurka made another attack with an explosive sweep which at the time was believed to have probably sunk another submarine, but it was later discovered to be unsuccessful.^[19]

Another role of the Dover Patrol was shore bombardment, andGhurka took part as an escort in the bombardment ofZeebrugge on 23 August 1915.^[22]

Ghurka was sunk on 8 February 1917 after hitting aGermanmine offDungeness.^[23] Only five of the crew survived,^[24] with 74 killed.^[17] The wreck is located at a depth of 30 metres at50°51′20″N0°53′17″E / 50.85556°N 0.88806°E /50.85556; 0.88806^[25] (offDungeness). It is designated as a "protected place" under theProtection of Military Remains Act 1986.

• Bacon, Reginald (1918).The Dover Patrol 1915–1917 Volume I. London: Hutchinson & Son.
• Bacon, Reginald (1918).The Dover Patrol 1915–1917 Volume II. London: Hutchinson & Son.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969].Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing.ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.OCLC 67375475.
• 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.
• Grant, Robert M. (1964).U-Boats Destroyed: The Effect of Anti-Submarine Warfare 1914–1918. London: Putnam.
• 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.
• Monograph No. 29: Home Waters: Part IV.: From February to July 1915(PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1925.

• SI 2008/0950 Designation under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986
• HMSGurkhaArchived 5 March 2012 at theWayback Machine, Index of 19th Century Naval Vessels

• Tribal-class destroyers (1905)
• 1907 ships
• World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom
• World War I shipwrecks in the English Channel
• Protected wrecks of the United Kingdom
• Wreck diving sites in the United Kingdom
• Maritime incidents in 1917
• Ships sunk by mines
• Ships built by Hawthorn Leslie

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