HMS Roebuck (1901)

HMS Roebuck was a Hawthorn Leslie three funnel - 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1898 – 1899 Naval Estimates. She was the twelfth ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1585 for a flyboat.

Construction
Roebuck was laid down on 2 October 1899 at the R.W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company shipyard at Hebburn-on-Tyne and launched on 4 March 1901. She arrived at Chatham Dockyard 18 September 1901 to be armed and prepared for sea trials. During her builder’s trials she made her contract speed of 30 knots. She was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in March 1902.

Pre-War
After commissioning she was assigned to the Channel Fleet in the Portsmouth Flotilla. She spent her operational career mainly in Home Waters.

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 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
July 1914 found her in the Portsmouth Local Flotilla tendered to HMS Pomone. She was deployed to Devonport under orders of the Commander in Chief, Portsmouth for the training of cadets until the Armistice.

Disposition
By December 1918 she was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. She was broken at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1919.

She was not awarded a Battle Honour for her service.