HMS Fairy (1897)

HMS Fairy was a three funnel - 30 knot destroyer built by Fairfields for the Royal Navy. Ordered under the 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates, she was the sixth ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1778 for a 16-gun sloop.

She was classified as a C-class destroyer in 1913.

Construction
She was laid down as Yard No 396 on 19 October 1896 at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company shipyard at Govan, Glasgow and launched on 29 May 1897. During her builder’s trials she made her contracted speed requirement. She was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in August 1898.

Pre-war
After commissioning she was assigned to the Channel Fleet. She spent her operational career mainly in Home Waters operating with the Channel Fleet as part of the East Coast Flotilla.

On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed that all destroyer classes were to be designated by letter. She was assigned to the C Class along with other destroyers with a design speed of 30-knots and three funnels and after 30 September 1913, she was known as an "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
From August 1914 she was deployed in the 8th Destroyer Flotilla based at the Firth of Forth, but the next month detached from that formation. By October, she was attached to the Grand Fleet. In July of 1917, she was transferred to the 7th Destroyer Flotilla on the East Coast of England where she'd be engaged in convoy work.

On the 31st of May, 1918 while escorting an East Coast convoy German submarine UC-75 was sighted and rammed by the steamer SS Blaydonian. The U-Boat surfaced with in the convoy and was attacked and rammed by HMS Fairy. Two submariners leapt on to the forecastle of Fairy as their submarine sank. HMS Fairy, however, had sustained heavy damage and sank a short time later in position 53o57’N 00o09’W.

She was awarded the battle honour "Belgian Coast 1914 – 17" for her service.