HMS Tintagel (1918)

HMS Tintagel was an Admiralty S-class destroyer (1917) destroyer that served with the Royal Navy in the Second World War. 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 in 1918 shortly after the Armistice, the ship was commissioned into the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet. However, the end of the war meant that destroyers were not needed in the front line to the same extent and Tintagel was recommissioned into the Reserve Fleet a year later. Between 1920 and 1921, the ship served with the torpedo school at Sheerness. In 1924, the vessel accompanied the submarine HMS X1 on sea trials. After the London Naval Treaty of 1930, and the subsequent reduction in the Royal Navy's older destroyer force, Tintagel was retired and, in 1931, sold to be broken up in Plymouth.

Design and development
Tintagel was one of 33 Admiralty S-class destroyer (1917) destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty on 7 April 1917 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 ship was also armed with 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 mounted two additional 18 in torpedo tubes either side of the superstructure, controlled by the commander with toggle ropes. Fire control included a training-only director, single Dumaresq and a Vickers range clock.

Construction and career
Laid down on 10 September 1917 during the First World War by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson at their dockyard in Wallsend on the River Tyne with the yard number 1083, Tintagel was launched on 9 August 1918 and completed in December shortly after the Armistice that ended the war. The vessel was the only one in Royal Navy service with the name. Tintagel was commissioned into the Grand Fleet, joining the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla. However, with the end of the war, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and the amount of personnel needed to be reduced to save money. On 15 October 1919, the ship was recommissioned into the reserve fleet at Nore.

'Tintagel was transferred to Sheerness, arriving on 24 October 1920. The destroyer joined the Torpedo School. However, this role did not last long as, on 25 February 1922, it was announced that the school was to close. Tintagel returned to the reserve fleet at Nore. On 9 February 1925, the destroyer was tasked to accompany the new submarine HMS X1 on sea trials. The trials were deemed a success. On 22 April 1930, the London Naval Treaty was signed, which limited total destroyer tonnage that the Royal Navy could operate. As the force was looking to introduce more modern destroyers, some of the older vessels needed to be retired. On 23 June 1931, the vessel was replaced as emergency destroyer at Plymouth by sister ship HMS Scotsman (1918). The ship was retired and, on 16 February 1932, the sold to be broken up by S Castle in Plymouth.