HMS Gloucester (1909)

HMS Gloucester was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy launched on 28 October 1909 from the yards of William Beardmore and Company. She formed part of the Bristol subgroup.

On being commissioned, Gloucester was assigned to the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean and in August 1914 she was involved in the hunt for the German cruisers SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau. For this operation, she was under the command of Captain Howard Kelly and managed to slightly damage the Breslau with one hit at the waterline in the ensuing exchange of gun fire. She was unable to prevent the German ships escaping however. Later that year, Gloucester was operating off the west coast of Africa, hunting for German raiders. In February 1915, she was reassigned to the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet.

It has been long rumoured that she shelled Galway, Ireland during the Easter Rising in April 1916, but she was probably  confused with HMS Laburnam which did shell the outskirts of Galway a day before the Gloucester arrived in Galway Bay landing 100 marines.

On 31 May-1 June 1916, she took part in the Battle of Jutland and later that year was reassigned to the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron. A posting in the Mediterranean followed in December 1916 on joining the 8th Light Cruiser Squadron in the Adriatic. She survived the war and was sold for scrapping on 9 May 1921 to Ward, of Portishead and Briton Ferry.