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HMS Weymouth was the name ship of the Weymouth Class of light cruisers. During the First World War she took part in the hunt for the Emden, the blockade of the Königsberg in East Africa, served with the Grand Fleet and finally in the Adriatic.
During the war the Weymouth Class cruisers all received a 3in anti-aircraft gun (1915), sited between the second and third funnels. In 1917 the surviving members of the class were given a tripod foremast and director control equipment. In 1918 the Weymouth was given an aircraft platform that extended over the conning tower and forward 6in gun.
At the outbreak of the First World War the Weymouth was sent to the Indian Ocean to take part in the hunt for the Emden. After that she was part of the squadron that blockaded the Königsberg in the Rufiju River (German East Africa) from February to July 1915. The British cruisers could not approach the Köngisberg in her shallow hiding hole, and so a force of shallow-draft monitors had to be laboriously sailed to East Africa. Once there their bombardment convinced the captain of the Königsberg to scuttle his ship, after removing everything of potential use in East Africa.
From East Africa the Weymouth went to the Adriatic (December 1915) and then to the 6th Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet (1916-1917), with a detachment to Bermuda in December 1916. She finished the war back in the Adriatic, at Brindisi (1917-1919). There she survived being torpedoed by the Austrian submarine U-28 on 2 October 1918 off Durazzo (now Durrës, Albania), from where the Serbian army had escaped in 1916.
After the war the Weymouth was refitted (June 1919), then joined the other two survivors of the class in the 7th Light Cruiser Squadron on the South American station (March 1920-January 1921). She entered the Nore Reserve in July 1921, becoming flagship of the Vice Admiral commanding the Nore Reserve between December 1925 and September 1927 when she was paid off.
Displacement (loaded) |
5,800t |
Top Speed |
25kts |
Range |
4,500 nautical miles at 10kts |
Armour – deck |
2in-0.75in |
- conning tower |
4in |
Length |
453ft |
Armaments |
Eight 6in 50 calibre breach loading MK XI |
Crew complement |
475 |
Launched |
18 November 1910 |
Completed |
October 1911 |
Sold for break up |
October 1928 |
| Captains | Sir John D. Kelly |