HMS Sentinel (1904)

HMS Sentinel was one of two Sentinel class scout cruisers which served with the Royal Navy. She was built by Vickers Limited, laid down in June 1903, launched on 19 April 1904 and completed in April 1905 at a cost of about £282,000. She was originally to be named HMS Inchkeith, but was renamed in 1903, prior to launching.

Design
She sported a partial turtle deck forward and shorter funnels than later ships of this type. She was designed to act as a leader of a destroyer flotilla but like other ships of this type was soon proved to be too slow for the role. As turbine engined destroyers came into service, they were rendered obsolete. She was armed with ten 12 pounders, eight 3 pounders and two 18 inch torpedo tubes. In 1911-12 she was rearmed with nine 4 inch guns.

Career
HMS Sentinel began her career with the 3rd Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean, before being recalled to join the Channel Fleet, and then the Home Fleet from 1907. In 1910 she was leader of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla at Chatham, then in 1913 moved to lead the 9th Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth.

She began World War I in service with the 8th Destroyer Flotilla in the Firth of Forth but, proving too sluggish for the role, in 1915 was temporarily attached with 6th Light Cruiser Squadron in the Humber. Here she was used to guard against Zeppelin raids. In 1916 she was stationed in the Mediterranean and then the Aegean in 1918. On 12 November 1918 Sentinel was part of the squadron sent through the Dardanelles to undertake duties in the Black Sea, where Britain was becoming involved in the Russian Civil War. After the war Sentinel served as Mechanic’s training ship at Chatham between 1920 and 1922 before being sold for scrap on 18 January 1923. She arrived at Sunderland for breaking up on 20 June 1923 after having suffered a stranding on the way.