HMS Lance (1914)

Following the start of the First World War at 2300 GMT on 4 August 1914, Lance, assigned to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla of the Harwich Force, took part in a sweep of the North Sea. The next day, Lance and her sister ship Landrail were sent to investigate a report from a trawler of a ship dropping mines. The two destroyers encountered the German minelayer and former excursion steamer Königin Luise deploying mines. Lance fired a shell from one of her 4-inch guns at Königin Luise which was the first British shot of the war. The minelayer at first attempted to flee, but when her captain realised that escape was impossible, he ordered her to be scuttled instead. Lance picked up 28 survivors from the German ship. Lance′s gun is on display at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth, on loan from the Imperial War Museum, London.^[1][2][5][6]

On 28 August 1914, along with the rest of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, Lance took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight.^[7] On 17 October 1914 Lance was with her flotilla when it attacked the German Seventh Half Flotilla of torpedo boats off Texel, completely annihilating the German force.^[2][7] On 29 November 1915 Lance took part in a sweep by the Harwich Force into the Skagerrak. Poor weather and the absence of enemy shipping caused the mission to be aborted, and while the force was turning for home, a sailor was washed overboard from Lance, but was rescued by Legion.^[8]

In 1916, Lance transferred to the 9th Destroyer Flotilla, still part of the Harwich force.^[9] On 1 June 1916, the Harwich force sortied to reinforce the Grand Fleet following the Battle of Jutland.^[10] Lance was one of eight destroyers detached to screen the damaged battleship Marlborough, which had been torpedoed during the battle, helping to escort the battleship to the Humber for temporary repair.^[11] On 13 August Lance, together with sister ships Lassoo, Laverock and Lennox, was escorting a convoy of seven merchant ships between Britain and the Netherlands when Lasso was hit by a torpedo from the German submarine UB-10. Lance attempted to salvage the stricken destroyer but Lasso broke in two and sank, with all but four of Lasso's crew being rescued.^[12]

In March 1917, Lance transferred to the Sixth Flotilla as part of the Dover Patrol,^[9] leaving the Flotilla in July that year.^[13] By October 1917, Lance was part of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla, based at Devonport,^[14] remaining part of this flotilla on 1 December 1918.^[15]

Lance was laid up under Care and Maintenance at the Nore in December 1919,^[9] and was sold for scrap on 5 November 1921.^[16]

• Bacon, Reginald (1918). The Dover Patrol 1915–1917 Volume II. Hutchinson & Son.
• Barnett, Len (January 2003). "A 'Well Known' Incident Reassessed—The German Attempted Mining of the Thames in August 1914". The Mariner's Mirror. 89 (2): 185–202. doi:10.1080/00253359.2003.10659285. ISSN 0025-3359.
• Campbell, John (1998). Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-750-3.
• "The Destruction of the Königen Louise and the Sinking of the Amphion" (PDF). The Naval Review. 5: 132–139. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
• Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.
• Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-081-8.
• Massie, Robert K. (2007). Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War at Sea. Vintage Books. ISBN 978-0-099-52378-9.
• Monograph No. 31: Home Waters—Part V: From October 1915 to May 1916 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XV. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1926.
• Monograph No. 33: Home Waters—Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XVII. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1927.
• Preston, Antony (1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gray, Randal (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Naval Institute Press. pp. 1–104. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
• Warships and Sea Battles of World War I. BPC Publishing. 1973. ISBN 0-7026-0004-0.