SHARK

Fleet

Royal Navy

Ship Type

Destroyer

Nickname

–

Ship Class

Acasta class

Grouping

4th Destroyer Flotilla

Command

Grand Fleet

Builder's Yard

Swann, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend.

Budget Year

–

Construction Notes

–

Date Laid Down

–

Launch Date

30.07.1912

Completed date

–

Commission date

–

Year laid down

–

Year launched

1912

Year completed

–

Commission Year

–

Pennant No

–

Photo Details

Photographer unknown, main editor of the volume: Major General CO Nordensvan. - Det Stora världskriget vol. II , p. 347. Printed in Stockholm. 1915 photo of HMS Shark of the Royal Navy, built in 1912. K-class torpedo boat destroyer (950 tons, 31-32 knots). Similar to the L-class of destroyers in appearance, main obvious difference the varying height of the funnels.

Related stories

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Sister ships

Acasta, Achates, Ambuscade, Christopher, Contest, Fortune, Garland, Hardy, Midge, Owl, Porpoise, Sparrowhawk, Spitfire, Unity

Eventual Fate

Damaged by gunfire and torpedoed at Jutland

Jutland result

HMS Shark led attack on II German Scouting Group and received heavy gunfire which tore the forecastle gun off. Loftus Jones waived away the Acasta which had come to offer assistance. Jones and three other crew members continued firing the midship gun and engaged the German destroyer, V.48, which was eventually sunk. Jones was mortally wounded, his leg having been blown off. Later torpedoed by German torpedo boat S.54. Crew abandoned ship around 19:00 but Jones stayed with his ship. Seven crew members were later rescued by a Danish ship although one later died. Commander Loftus Jones received a posthumous Victoria Cross almost a year later, in March 1917, after his wife had organized the appeal with the Navy.

Ready for action after dock repairs

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Commander

Commander Loftus W. Jones (posthumous V.C.)

Noteable Officers

–

Crew complement

80

Officers

–

Ratings

–

Killed

86

Wounded

3

Prisoners

–

Displacement full Load (tons)

1,042 full load

Artefacts Data

–

Ship's Model

–

Length (ft)

267' 6"

Length (mtrs)

81.53

Beam (ft)

27' 6"

Beam (mtrs)

8.1999999999999993

Draught (ft)

10' 6"

Draught (mtrs)

3.2

Max. Speed (knots)

29

Range (miles)

–

Range (kilometres)

–

Fuel

–

Propulsion

Yarrow type water tube boilers, Parsons steam turbines

Armour Main Belt

–

Deck Armour

–

Turret Armour IN CM

–

Conning Tower Armour

–

Barbette Armour

–

Weight of armour

–

Armour / Displacement Ratio

–

Watertight compartments

–

General Notes

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Fire Control Table

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Fire Control - Clock

–

Primary Gun calibre

–

No. Primary Turrets

–

Guns (No.barrels)

–

Primary gun layout

–

Rounds per main gun

–

Effective broadside guns

–

Primary shell Weight (inches or cm)

–

Primary Broadside Weight

–

Secondary Gun Calibre

–

Guns (No.barrels) 2

–

Rounds per secondary

–

Other Armament

Three QF 4" L / 40 Mk IV guns (101.6 mm) mounting P Mk. IX. One QF 2 pdr Pom Pom Mk II gun

Elevation (degrees)

–

Gunnery Range (yards)

–

Gunnery Range (metres)

–

Rate of Fire (rds per minute)

–

Shells expended Main

–

Mines dropped

–

Shells expended Secondary

–

Torpedoes fired

–

Gunnery Notes

–

Torpedo Type IN

21"

No. tubes

2

Torpedo Type MM

533 mm

No. Mines

–

Torpedo Notes

–

References & sources

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