HMS Farnborough
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
|
|
| Name: | Loderer |
| Launched: | 1904 |
| Fate: | Sold to the Royal Navy in 1914 and converted to Q-ship |
 United Kingdom
|
|
| Name: | HMS Farnborough |
| Commissioned: | 1914 |
| In service: | 1914-1918 |
| Fate: | Beached 17 February 1917; Scrapped |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Q-ship |
| Displacement: | 3207 gross tons |
| Propulsion: | steam turbines |
| Armament: | 2 × QF 6 pounder Nordenfelt guns, 5 × 12-pounder guns, 1 × Maxim gun |
HMS Farnborough, also known as (Q-5), was a Q-ship of the British Royal Navy that saw service in the First World War. Farnborough was a heavily armed merchant ship with concealed weaponry that was designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. Farnborough sank two submarines in her service in the First World War. The first submarine was SM U-68 which involved the first successful use of depth charges. The second submarine was SM U-83, which was sunk on 17 February 1917 in an action for which Captain Gordon Campbell of Farnborough received the Victoria Cross. HMS Farnborough was severely damaged in the action and was beached the same day.
Farnborough, of 3207-gross tons, was originally constructed as a collier in 1904 under the name Loderer. She had no fixed port and as such was often referred to as a tramp steamer. The Royal Navy converted her into a Q-ship at HMNB Devonport, arming her with five 12-pounder guns, two 6-pounders, and a Maxim gun. Flaps or dummy compartments on the ship concealed the 12-pounder guns. The 6-pounders were hidden at either end of the bridge and the Maxim was in the middle of the ship. She was renamed the Farnborough en route to her first command.
Farnborough came into contact with SM U-68 off Britain's west coast on 22 March 1916. At approximately 07:00, U-68 fired a torpedo at Farnborough that narrowly missed the ship's bow. Farnborough continued the deception of being a merchant ship and continued at her same speed and course. At 07:20, U-68 surfaced about 1,000 yd (910 m) astern of Farnborough, moved to the ship's port quarter, and fired a shot across the Q-ship's bow.Farnborough stopped, blew off steam, and launched a boat to simulate a surrender. As U-68 closed to 800 yd (730 m), Farnborough raised the British White ensign, uncovered her guns and opened fire with three of her five 12-pounder guns. The British gunners scored several hits on the U-boat out of 21 rapidly fired rounds. As U-68 began to sink, Campbell steered Farnborough over U-68's location and dropped a depth charge that blew the bow of the submarine out of the water. This was the first use of the depth charge in action. As U-68 began going down by the stern, Farnborough's gunners scored another five hits on the U-boat's conning tower. U-68 sank at position 51°54′N 10°53′W / 51.900°N 10.883°WCoordinates: 51°54′N 10°53′W / 51.900°N 10.883°W off Dingle in southern Ireland, with the loss of her entire crew of 38 men.
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