HMS Terror (I03)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | |
| Laid down: | 26 October 1915 |
| Launched: | 18 May 1916 |
| Commissioned: | 6 August 1916 |
| Fate: | Sunk 23 February 1941 off Darnah |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 7,200 BRT |
| Length: | 405 ft. |
| Beam: | 88 ft. |
| Draught: | 11 feet 8 inches |
| Propulsion: | Reciprocating engines, 2 shafts, 6000 HP |
| Speed: | 12 knots |
| Range: | |
| Complement: | 315 officers & sailors |
| Armament: | Main: 2 15-inch (1x2) Anti-aircraft: |
| Aircraft: | None |
HMS Terror was an Erebus-class monitor built for the Royal Navy in 1915-16 at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Govan, Scotland.
The Erebus class monitors were of 7,200 BRT displacement, 405 feet long, with a maximum speed of 12 knots produced by reciprocating engines with two shafts, and a crew of 315. The ship's armament consisted of two 15-inch main guns in a single forward turret, eight secondary 4-inch guns in eight single turrets, two 3-inch anti-aircraft guns in single turrets, as well as eight .50 inch anti-aircraft Vickers machine guns in two quadruple mounts. The class mostly served in the Naval Gunfire Support (NGS) role.
Contents |
Terror joined the Dover patrol in August 1916 and operated against German Forces on the coast of occupied Belgium. On 19 October 1917 she was torpedoed by German motor torpedo boats. The damage took three months to repair. In the early 1920's she was used for gunnery trials against several old warships including SMS Baden and HMS Superb[citation needed]
At the outbreak of war in 1939 Terror was based at Singapore, supporting the defences of the major naval base there, and had to be recalled to serve in theaters closer to home.[1] She mainly served in the Mediterranean Theatre during World War II. After first using her anti-aircraft armament to help defend Malta against the first Italian Regia Aeronautica air attacks on 11 June 1940, HMS Terror played an important part in Operation Compass, the British assault against the Italian Tenth Army in Libya.
During the successful advance by the Western Desert Force (later to become the 8th Army "Desert Rats") Terror bombarded Italian land forces and fortifications, amongst others the fortified port of Bardia in eastern Libya, firing 660 rounds from her main guns. The ship also served as a water carrier for the advancing British and Commonwealth army.
HMS Terror was subjected to diving attacks by German Junkers Ju 88 bombers on 22 February 1941 after leaving Benghazi. She was badly damaged by near misses and abandoned by her crew. Although taken under tow, she sank off Darnah, Libya before reaching the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet base at Alexandria, Egypt.
- ^ Roberts 2000: 138
Roberts, John: "British warships of the Second World War", Chatham Publishing, London 2000 ISBN 1-86176-131-7
- Uboat.net - HMS Terror
- navalhistory.flixco.info - HMS Terror
- Bob's Ship Collection: HMS Terror
| Erebus-class monitor |
| HMS Erebus | HMS Terror | |
List of monitors of the Royal Navy |