- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMAS Fantome in game.
Description:
One of six Cadmus-class sloops built for the Royal Navy, she would be loaned for use within the Royal Australian Navy during the First World War.
The Cadmus-class were a further development on the Condor-class, being extended and carrying more coal. This class were the last of the screw sloop type constructed for the Royal Navy. She would be heavily refitted throughout her life, being initially of mixed propulsion with a Schooner rig upon her three masts along with her steam engine.
This suggestion is for her Patrol vessel fit during the First World War in 1915.
History:
Royal Navy service:
Laid down on the 8th of January 1900 by the Sheerness Dockyard, Kent, England, she would launch on the 23rd March 1901, and finally commissioning on the 5th of June 1902. During her fitting out, another mixed propulsion ship with a schooner rig, the HMS Condor was lost in a gale, and the sails were removed due to safety concerns in storms.
She would join the North America and West Indies Squadron upon commissioning, arriving at the station headquarters at Halifax on the 13th of October 1902. During this time she would visit ports around this station’s duty area, and would conduct various fleet duties. From 1902 to 1903 she would partake in the blockade of the Venezuelan coast as to force that country to pay back their debts.
In late 1906 she would sail for the Australia station as a survey vessel, arriving in 1907. This was done to replace the HMS Penguin, later the HMAS Penguin, who was surveying the Barrier Reef. For this purpose the armament was not needed, being reduced to a single 3pdr. Even this armament was seen as too much, but was retained such that the Fantome could keep her warship status, and would thus pay no habour dues. She would remain on this duty around Australia until 1914, with the First World War.
Royal Australian Navy service:
Upon the outbreak of the First World War, she would be taken over by the Royal Australian Navy, and would thus be renamed to HMAS Fantome, however this would not last long as she was decommissioned in February 1915 for refit as to turn her into a patrol vessel.
For this purpose two single QF 4-inch Mk.IIIs were fitted from the HMAS Psyche, one 12pdr from HMAS Gayundah, with the other three 12pdrs from storage. Her engines were also rebuilt among other small modernisations. These works would finish on the 27th of July 1915.
Although originally destined for service solely within the Bay of Bengal, she would instead be based out of Singapore, and would serve in the Bay of Bengal as well as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. From January 1916 patrols in the Bay of Bengal were ceased, and HMAS Fantome would take up duties east of Singapore. She would refit in Hong Kong, but would remain here until August 1917, where she would return to Sydney.
From November 1917 she was sent to the Western Pacific, where she would remain for the rest of the war. From here she would undertake police duties which were done by the ships of the China or Pacific station pre-war. She was mostly based at Suva, but would move around.
She would pay off on the 14th of January 1919, and returned to the Royal Navy. Her large guns were removed and she would recommission again as a survey vessel, returning to her 1907 fit. She would again serve on the Australia station until late 1923. She would finally decommission on the 27th of April 1924, she would be stripped and left as a service hulk and barge, being finally sold for demolition in 1956.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: Fantome | |||||
| Country: Australia | |||||
| Type: Patrol Vessel | |||||
| Class name: Cadmus | |||||
| Year of commission: 1914 | |||||
| Refit: 1915 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 210 ft (64 m) | |||||
| Beam: 33 ft (10 m) | |||||
| Draught: 11.5 ft (3.5 m) | |||||
| Displacement: 1,090t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 2x Coal fired boilers, driving triple expansion steam at 1,400 ihp (1,044 kW) across two shafts | |||||
| Speed: 13.25kt | |||||
| Endurance: 4,000nmi @ 10kt | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 130-160 | |||||
| Primary armament: 2x1 QF 4-inch Mk.III on mount PI | |||||
| Secondary armament: 4x1 12pdr 12cwt | |||||
| Tertiary armament: Small arms | |||||
| Radar: - nil | |||||
| Sonar: -nil | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armour: | |||||
| Waterline Belt: -nil | |||||
| Magazine: -nil | |||||
| Deck: 1" to 1.5" (25.4mm - 38.1mm) covering machinery and boilers | |||||
| Gun turrets: -nil | |||||
| Bulkheads: - nil |
Sources
Gillett, R. (1983). Australian and New Zealand Warships 1914-1945 (pp.39)
HMAS Fantome 1901 - 1956 - Naval Historical Society of Australia
HMS Fantome (1901) - Wikipedia
HMS Fantome, sloop - British warships of World War 1
https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/hmas-fantome