Steam Yachts at War: The Naval Deployment of British & American Armed Yachts 1898-1918

240 pages

Mike Farquharson-Roberts PhD (Mar Hist)

Yachting, recreational sailing, started during the reign of Charles II. Initially to own a ship or even a boat purely for pleasure was expensive and thus socially exclusive. With the advent of steam propulsion for commercial shipping, inevitably the wealthy built steam powered pleasure craft. While there were steam yachts under other flags, notably German and Russian, most were either British or American; actually many of the latter built in Britain. This book records that by 1913 there were 696 steam yachts, over 500 of which were British or American. There were 12 British yachts over one thousand tons Thames measurement (a predecessor of gross registered tonnage). Most had a double expansion steam plant, driving a single screw, although there were twin screw and turbine powered yachts.

While modern ‘super yachts’ vary in appearance, up until the Second World War, steam yachts tended to have a similar appearance, derived in large part from the clipper ships. They had a clipper bow with a long bowsprit, and a long overhanging counter. Even if they carried no sails they had two or even three masts. While some carried a limited fore and aft sailing rig, indeed there was one (Valhalla) which was a fully rigged ship (square sails on three masts) as well as a full steam plant, for most the masts were purely decorative. While built for social purposes, it is apparent both from the plans included as an appendix and some interior photographs that actually the accommodation, while luxurious, was in some cases quite limited for space.

While some were seaworthy enough to undertake ocean cruising, most were built for social purposes, and certainly not to warship constructional standards; very few had any watertight sub-division. Thus, when they went to war, even after modifications for war service, they proved susceptible to weather damage, let alone any action damage incurred on war time service.

They first went to war during the Spanish American war of 1898 as part of the USN; 28 of them, largely employed as patrol craft, but even undertaking shore bombardment, landing operations, and underwater cable cutting.

WW1 started during Cowes week and many steam yachts present were immediately offered to the Admiralty, 38 from Royal Yacht Squadron members alone. Of those “… four were to be sunk by mines, one was lost in a collision, one was wrecked while chasing a submarine in heavy weather… [f]our served as hospital ships…”. In total 60% of British steam yachts were taken up into the Royal Navy. They were armed initially with guns, and later with depth charges and radio. The guns were usually 12 pounders or three inch, although the plans of USS Scorpion in 1898 show her carrying four 5 inch and six 6pdr guns!

In many cases the full-time professional crews moved across to military service under T124 articles, and often the owner remained as the master, receiving naval rank. One yacht Zarefah was “manned, both as to officers and men, mainly with Cambridge graduates and undergraduates … while her skipper [sic] was Lieutenant Commander W H Stuart Garnett RNR…”. This pattern was repeated in the Second World War in Britain.

Many yachts were used as hospital ships. Most were controlled by the army and were painted white with a green stripe around the side and were used to transport casualties across the channel. (Royal Navy hospital ships had a red stripe). Admiral Beatty’s yacht Sheelah (funded by his wife) was taken up “…free of cost, fully manned and equipped as a hospital ship…” but nonetheless attended the surrender of the hochseeflotte in the Forth in 1918 with Lady Beatty on board.

A major feature of the book are the pictures some printed across two pages. There is a good mixture of the vessels in their heyday, as well as those showing the incongruous addition of guns and amputated bowsprits supplemented by colour paintings, one on the dust jacket. Despite being something of a niche publication it is a good read and it is recommended as a memory of a bygone age.