Titanic Quarter #7: HMS Caroline Traditional Cache

Titanic Quarter #7

Caroline

Career and characteristics.

United Kingdom

HMS Caroline is a decommissioned C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. Caroline was launched and commissioned in 1914. At the time of her decommissioning in 2011 she was the second-oldest ship in Royal Navy service, after HMS Victory. She served as a static headquarters and training ship for the Royal Naval Reserve, based in Alexandra Dock, Belfast, Northern Ireland for the later stages of her career. She was the last remaining British First World War light cruiser in service, and she remains the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland still afloat.

HMS Caroline was built by Cammell Laird of Birkenhead. She was launched in 1914 and commissioned on 4 December 1914. Caroline was part of the early sub-set of C Class ships built without geared turbines and subsequent comparisons with later vessels of the same class demonstrated the superiority of geared propulsion. Caroline's machinery is still in place today, although not in working order.

She served in the North Sea throughout the First World War. She spent much of the war with the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron: Caroline fought with the squadron in 1916 in the Battle of Jutland, under the command of Captain H. R. Crooke.

Caroline later served on the East Indies Station before being placed in Reserve and converted to a headquarters and training ship for the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve's Ulster Division in 1924.

During the Second World War Caroline served as the Royal Navy's headquarters in Belfast Harbour which was used as a home base by many of the warships escorting Atlantic and Russian convoys including Captain-class frigates of the 3rd Escort Group.

As Belfast developed into a major naval base during the Second World War, it outgrew the confines of HMS Caroline herself and occupied different establishments in various parts of the city. Eventually several thousand ratings were wearing Caroline cap tallies. The first such establishment was set up in the Belfast Custom House. Later, Belfast Castle was taken over and included a radio station. There were depth charge pistol and Hedgehog repair workshops associated with HMS Caroline some of which would have been on the quays beside her berth in Milewater Basin.

The Caroline served as the last afloat training establishment in the Royal Naval Reserve.

The Royal Naval Reserve Unit decommissioned from the ship in December 2009 moving ashore and recommissioning as the "stone frigate" HMS Hibernia. The ship was decommissioned on 31 March 2011 in a traditional ceremony. Her ensign was laid up in St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast.

At her decommissioning she held the title of the second-oldest ship in Royal Navy service, as well as being the last First World War British light cruiser in service. She is the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland.

Caroline retains the record of having the fastest build time of any significant warship – nine months from her keel being laid till her launch. Her Parsons steam turbines are the last surviving examples of the kind introduced after the notable event of Parson's Turbinia cutting up the fleet at the Spithead review in 1897. Harland & Wolff of Belfast removed her weaponry and boilers on arrival in Belfast around 1924.