HMS Star (1896)

HMS Star was a Palmer three funnel, 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates. She was the eleventh ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1643 for a 19-gun ship sold until 1652.

Construction
Star was laid down on 23 March 1896 at the Palmer shipyard at Jarrow-on-Tyne and launched on 11 August 1897. During her builder’s trials she made her contracted speed requirement. She was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in September 1898.

Pre-War
Star was commissioned at Portsmouth 27 August 1901 by Lieutenant and Commander H. W. Osburn and assigned to the Portsmouth Flotilla of the Channel Fleet. She spent her operational career mainly in Home Waters. In 1905 she cruised to Gibraltar and returned.

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
For the test mobilization in July of 1914 she was assigned to the 8th Destroyer Flotilla based at Chatham. Here she provided local anti-submarine and counter-mining patrols.

In November 1916 she was redeployed to the 7th Destroyer Flotilla based at the Humber River. During her deployment there she was involved in anti-submarine and counter-mining patrols.

On 29 September 1918, in conjunction with HMS Ouse (1905), she depth charged the German submarine UB-115 to destruction off Sunderland. UB-115 sank 4.5-miles North East from Beacon Point, Newton-by-the-Sea, with the loss of 39 officers and men.

Disposition
In 1919 she was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. She was sold on 23 July 1919 to Thomas W. Ward of Sheffield for breaking at New Holland, Lincolnshire, on the Humber Estuary.