Page 2 - Sutclifffe-APD_Military_RN-H-Force

ROYAL t{A V'f - 1914 .. 1918 .
"H" Force ..

Oft tbe outbreak o£ ihe first World War the Norin
American and West Indies Station comprised the 4~h Cruiser
Squadron, and thl:s fox-ce was r·e£'ontted as "H" Force. The
more modern vessels were alloca t~d to more a~ive theatres

of war a11d l:.'he :force consisted of the older cruise rs,
armoured c~uisers and armed· Mercnant cruisers.

"H" Fo.l:ce t .s iaBk was to intercept ettemy shippin.g in
Caribbean and to hunt down and destroy the naval ships o£
Central Powers ; later in the war "H" ~orce ships had also

to act as convoy escorts and combat the u~Boat ~enace.
From -\:.ime -to t i me tlJe composition of "H" Force vari-e~

and included French a nd Australian ~aval sh ips as well as
tnose of ihe Royal Uavy. ~any of these vessels called
at ~smaica du~ing thair tours ot duty, as Well as other

naval. vessels not specii'i-c.all.Y part of "H" Force , For
si mplic±i:.y. however, t.hese lat.ter 5hip.s have. 'been included

be.l ow as if -they were P-art ot "!'i., :Force.
Admiralty records - wnicn include the a~med ~e.rchant
11
cruisex-s .. lists b\.ot-e ~han thirty snips as being in H''
Force dur~~g ~ne wa~, ahd w~~" ~ossible pbotographs ot
these vessels a~e showh bQlow, wi~h sho~t details oi eacn
Ghip. t he de~~ils name the snip; class; date of the

conunissioning o::f. fhe ve.esel; tonnage; arman'le.nt -and number
of crew, ~nd, :£1na11~\ 5pee.d.
Covers or cards 1rom so~e of ihe vessela are also ~bow~

below, wnere ~hese have been identified as from ~amaica.