Harland and Wolff - Shipbuilding and Engineering Works

HMS Havelock was a ship of 6150 tons, 335 feet 6 inches oa, capable of 10 knots on a good day and armed with 2 X 14 inch guns, 2 X 12 pounder AA and 2 X 3 inch AA. She had a complement of 198 men.

HMS Havelock was a Monitor, delivered by Harland & Wolff in 1915. When the Germans reached the Belgian coast in October 1914 it was clear that the RN needed specialist monitors to support the land front. In November 1914 the President of the American builders, Bethlehem Steel offered Winston Churchill four twin 14 inch gun turrets they were building for a Greek battleship being built in Germany. The Americans realised that they had no hope of delivering the guns because of the British blockade. This was offer was instantly accepted and 4 monitors were ordered, 3 from H&W and one from Swan Hunter.

The original intention had been to name the ships after famous American military figures, but as the entire deal was in flagrant breach of the neutrality regulations this idea was dropped. The ship that was to have been named General Grant became HMS Havelock. She went first to the Dardanelles, then in 1916 returned home and was sent to Lowestoft in May to act as guard ship against German raids.

She was refitted on the Tyne in June 1917, but apart from occasional false alarms and some AA activity saw no more action. She was paid off in Immingham in May 1919 and eventually scrapped in 1927.