HMS Stonehenge (1919)

HMS Stonehenge was an Admiralty S-class destroyer (1917) destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the twentieth century. The S class was a development of the R-class destroyer (1916) created during the First World War as a cheaper alternative to the V and W-class destroyer. Launched after Armistice that ended the war, the ship was commissioned in 1919 and joined the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla. The vessel supported the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War and then British forces assisting the partition of the Ottoman Empire, being based at Constantinople in 1920. In that year, the destroyer ran aground off the coast of Smyrna while on a routine mission. Despite attempts by sister ship HMS Serapis (1918) to refloat the stricken vessel, Stonehenge had to be abandoned, although no one died in the accident. The remains were sold in 1921.

Design and development
Stonehenge was one of 33 Admiralty S-class destroyer (1917) destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty on 7 April 1917 during the First World War as part of the Eleventh War Construction Programme. The design was a development of the R-class destroyer (1916) introduced at the same time as, and as a cheaper and faster alternative to, the V and W-class destroyer. Differences with the R class were minor, such as having the searchlight moved aft and being designed to mount an additional pair of torpedo tubes.

The destroyer had a overall length of 276 ft and a length of 265 ft between perpendiculars. Beam was 26 ft and mean draught 9 ft. Displacement was 1075 LT normal and 1221 LT deep load. Three Yarrow boilers fed steam to two sets of Parsons geared steam turbines rated at 27000 shp and driving two shafts, giving a design speed of 36 kn at normal loading and 32.5 kn at deep load. Two funnels were fitted. A full load of 301 LT of fuel oil was carried, which gave a design range of 2750 nmi at 15 kn. The ship had a complement of 90 officers and ratings.

Armament consisted of three QF 4 in Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline. One was mounted raised on the forecastle, one on a platform between the funnels, and one aft. The destroyer mounted a single 2-pounder 40 mm "pom-pom" anti-aircraft gun for air defence. Four 21 in torpedo tubes were carried in two twin rotating mounts aft. Four depth charge chutes were also fitted aft. Initially, typically ten depth charges were carried. The ship was designed to mount two additional 18 in torpedo tubes either side of the superstructure but this required the forecastle plating to be cut away, causing excess water to come aboard at sea, so they were not carried. The weight saved enabled the heavier Mark V 21-inch torpedo to be carried. Fire control included a training-only director, single Dumaresq and a Vickers range clock.

Construction and career
Laid down by Palmers at their dockyard in Jarrow, Stonehenge, the first Royal Navy ship to be given the name, was launched on 19 March 1919 after the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the war. The vessel was commissioned on 14 August 1919, joining the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla as a tender to the depot ship HMS Hecla (1878). The ship was transferred to Chatham to replace the R-class destroyer HMS Tempest (H71) and was completed to full crew on 11 October. The vessel briefly served in the British campaign in the Baltic as part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War, but returned to Chatham on 1 April 1920.

On 20 August 1920, the Treaty of Sèvres was signed between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies agreeing the partition of the Ottoman Empire. However, to enforce the terms required military intervention in the region. The Royal Navy had been in military occupation of Constantinople since 16 March. Stonehenge was detached from the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla and joined the deployment, serving in the Mediterranean Sea. On 31 October, the destroyer sailed from Constantinople to Mudros on a routine mission, to collect mail and ratings. However, off the coast of Smyrna, the vessel encountered very strong rain that reduced visibility and ran aground. The crew fired rockets to attract attention and were rescued by sister ship HMS Serapis (1918), which also attempted to refloat the destroyer. This was unsuccessful and Stonehenge was abandoned on 6 November. The wreck was sold on 26 March 1921.