HMS Spitfire (1912)

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HMS Spitfire was an Template:Sclass destroyer of the Royal Navy. Spitfire took part in the battle of Jutland in 1916.

Construction

She was launched on 23 December 1912 from the Wallsend yard of Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson and joined the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla.<ref name=BC/>

Service during First World War

From the beginning of the First World War, Spitfire and her flotilla were attached to the Grand Fleet.<ref name=BC/>

Battle of Jutland

Amongst the small engagements which happened during the night of 31 May – 1 June 1916 during the Battle of Jutland was one between Spitfire and the German battleship Template:SMS. Spitfire evaded an attempt by Nassau to ram her, but the two ships nevertheless collided and Spitfire was seriously damaged, blast from NassauTemplate:'s guns demolishing much of her upperworks, but she ripped off a Template:Convert section of the German ship's side plating. Both ships survived to return to port.<ref>The Grand Fleet; Warship Design and Development 1906-1922, D K Brown, 1999, Chatham Publishing, Template:ISBN</ref>

Assistance to the hospital ship Rhodesia

Spitfire helped in the rescue of survivors from the hospital/evacuation ship Rhodesia (formerly the Union Castle liner Template:Ship) which was torpedoed 160 miles off Fastnet by the German submarine Template:Ship on 12 September 1918.

Disposal

Spitfire was sold to Thos. W. Ward shipbreakers<ref name=AS/> for scrapping on 9 May 1921.<ref name=BC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Pennant numbers

citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||From|||To
H41	6 December 1914	1 January 1918
H1A	1 January 1918	Early 1919
H85	Early 1919	9 May 1921

External links

• Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project – HMS Spitfire Crew List