HMS Lance (1914)

HMS Lance was a Laforey-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Launched a few months before the outbreak of the First World War and attached to the Harwich Force, Lance took part in several engagements during the war, including the sinking of the SS Königin Luise (1913) and the Battle off Texel. She was responsible for firing the first British shot of the war.

Construction
HMS Lance was originally to be named Daring but the entire Laforey-class had their names changed to alphabetically homogeneous ones in 1913. Lance was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company and launched on 25 February 1914. She was fitted with three QF 4 in Mk IV guns, a single QF 2 pdr pom-pom Mk. II, and four torpedo tubes in two twin mounts. Lance was designed to operate in British coastal waters against enemy surface and submarine shipping.

Service
Following the start of the First World War at 2300 GMT on 4 August 1914, Lance and her sister ship HMS Landrail (1914), assigned to the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, were tasked with performing a sweep of the North Sea. The next day, the two destroyers encountered the German minelayer and former excursion steamer SS Königin Luise (1913) deploying mines. Lance fired a shell from one of her 4-inch guns at Königin Luise which was the first British shot of the war. The minelayer at first attempted to flee but when her captain realised that escape was impossible he ordered her to be scuttled instead. Lance′s gun is on display at the Imperial War Museum, London.

Throughout the First World War, Lance was attached to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla of Harwich Force. On 17 October 1914 Lance was with her flotilla when it attacked the German Seventh Half Flotilla of torpedo boats off Texel, completely annihilating the German force.