HMS Liffey

A number of ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Liffey, after the Irish river. Another was planned but renamed before entering service:

HMS Liffey (1904)

HMS Liffey was a Laird Type River-class destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1903 – 1904 Naval Estimates. Named after the River Liffey flowing through Dublin, she was the third ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1813 for an 50-gun 4th Rate sold in 1827.

Construction

She was laid down on 22 March 1904 at the Cammell Laird shipyard at Birkenhead and launched on 23 September 1904. She was completed in May 1905. Her original armament was to be the same as the Turleback torpedo boat destroyers that preceded her. In 1906 the Admiralty decided to upgrade the armament by landing the five 6-pounder naval guns and shipping three 12-pounder 8 hundredweight (cwt) guns. Two would be mounted abeam at the foc'x'le break and the third gun would be mounted on the quarterdeck.

Pre-War

After commissioning she was assigned to the East Coast Destroyer Flotilla of the 1st Fleet and based at Harwich.

On 27 April 1908 the Eastern Flotilla departed Harwich for live fire and night manoeuvres. During these exercises HMS Attentive rammed and sank HMS Gala then damaged HMS Ribble.