HMS Fawn (1897)

HMS Fawn was a Palmer three funnel, 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates. She was the fourth ship to carry this name.

Construction
Fawn was laid down on 5 September 1896 at the Palmer shipyard at Jarrow-on-Tyne and launched on 13 April 1897. During her builder’s trials she made her contracted speed requirement. She was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in December 1898.

Pre-War
Fawn was commissioned at Portsmouth 27 August 1901 by Lieutenant and Commander J. A. Ingles and assigned to the Channel Fleet. She spent her early operational career in Home Waters operating with the Channel Fleet as part of the Portsmouth Flotilla. In 1902 she was deployed to the Mediterranean Fleet returning to Home Waters in 1906.

On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. Since her design speed was 30-knots and she had three funnels she was assigned to the C class. After 30 September 1913, she was known as a C-class destroyer and had the letter ‘C’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.

World War I
In July 1914 she was deployed in the 6th Destroyer Flotilla based at Dover. In November 1916 she was transferred to the 7th Flotilla on the Humber River. During her deployment there she was involved in anti-submarine and counter-mining patrols.

Disposition
In 1919 she was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. She was sold on 23 July 1919 to Thomas W. Ward of Sheffield for breaking at New Holland, Lincolnshire, on the Humber Estuary.

She was awarded the Battle Honour Belgian Coast 1914 – 18 for her service.