HMS Laburnum (1915)
 HMS Laburnum in a photo taken in 1917 by Eric Murray from HMS Poppy | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name: | HMS Laburnum |
| Namesake: | Laburnum |
| Builder: | Charles Connell and Company, Scotstoun |
| Laid down: | February 1915 |
| Launched: | 10 June 1915 |
| Completed: | August 1915 |
| Identification: | Pennant number: T49 (January 1918), later T48 |
| Fate: | Transferred to New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, 11 March 1922 |
| New Zealand | |
| Name: | HMS Laburnum |
| Acquired: | 11 March 1922 |
| Fate: | Transferred to Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve, 11 February 1935 |
.svg.png){kind=small} Straits Settlements | |
| Name: | HMS Laburnum |
| Acquired: | 11 February 1935 |
| Fate: | Scuttled, 15 February 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Acacia-class sloop |
| Displacement: | 1,200 long tons (1,219 t) |
| Length: | |
| Beam: | 33 ft (10 m) |
| Draught: | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Range: | 2,000 nmi (3,700 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h) with max. 250 tons of coal |
| Complement: | 77 |
| Armament: | |
HMS Laburnum was a Royal Navy Acacia-class sloop built by Charles Connell and Company, Scotstoun. She was scuttled during the fall of Singapore in 1942.
Construction
She was laid down at the Scotstoun yard of Charles Connell and Companyin February 1915, launched on 10 June 1915 and completed in August 1915. The Acacia-class fleet sweeping sloops were adapted for escort work, minesweeping and as decoy warships.
Service history
Easter Rising
In April 1916, during the Easter Rising in Ireland, Laburnam shelled the outskirts of Galway.
Far East service
She was in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy from 11 March 1922 to 11 February 1935, where she exercised with cruisers, toured New Zealand ports, took part in ceremonial occasions, and went on annual Pacific Island cruises. This was in conjunction with her sister ship Veronica which was similar, but with small differences as they came from different commercial shipyards.
She left Auckland on 1 February 1935 for Singapore, where she was paid off to become a drill and training ship for the Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve.
Drill ship at Singapore
As drill ship, Laburnum was equipped with independent wireless equipment, and housed a number of naval offices including Captain, Auxiliary Vessels and Captain, Extended Defences Office. Laburnum had her engines removed shortly after her arrival in Singapore in order to augment her accommodation. Hence she could not be fully utilised when war broke out in the Far East. With the evacuation of Penang, Laburnum also played host to the RNVR Penang Division, headed by Commander C C Alexander.
Fate
She was lost by scuttling on 15 February 1942 during the fall of Singapore. The wreck was raised about 1946, and sunk off East Lagoon, Singapore as part of an existing breakwater of old hulks, and finally removed and scrapped about 1967.
References
- McDougall, R J New Zealand Naval Vessels pp18–19 (1989, Government Printing Office, Wellington) ISBN 978-0-477-01399-4
External links
- Royal New Zealand Navy website
- Picture of HMS Laburnum, with a ship history
- Witness statement on shelling of Galway given in 1950 to the Irish Bureau of Military History