HMS Inconstant (1914)


HMS Inconstant was one of eight light cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the 1910s. She fought in the First World War, participating in the Battle of Jutland. Following the war, she was scrapped.

Design and description

The Arethusa-class cruisers were intended to lead destroyer flotillas and defend the fleet against attacks by enemy destroyers. The ships were long overall, with a beam of and a deep draught of. Displacement was at normal and at full load. Inconstant was powered by four Parsons steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, which produced a total of. The turbines used steam generated by eight Yarrow boilers which gave her a speed of about. She carried tons of fuel oil that gave a range of at.
The main armament of the Arethusa-class ships was two BL 6-inch (152 mm) Mk XII guns that were mounted on the centreline fore and aft of the superstructure and six QF 4-inch Mk V guns in waist mountings. They were also fitted with a single QF 3-pounder anti-aircraft gun and four [British 21-inch torpedo|] torpedo tubes in two twin mounts.

Construction and service

The ship was launched on 6 July 1914 at William Beardmore and Company shipyard. On being commissioned, she was assigned to the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet. On 31 May to 1 June 1916 Inconstant took part in the Battle of Jutland. She survived the battle and the First World War, and was sold for scrapping on 9 June 1922 to Cashmore, of Newport.