HMS Adventure (M23)

HMS Adventure, pennant number M23, was a minelaying cruiser of the Royal Navy designed by Sir E. T. d'Eyncourt and built by Vickers Ltd to Admiralty specifications.

She was laid down at Devonport on November 29th, 1922, and went afloat on June 18th, 1924. She was the first British vessel to be built specially for minelaying, though a great many ships were equipped for such work during the war, prior to which a number of old protected cruisers had been converted into minelayers.

The Adventure had a "standard displacement "-i.e., excluding fuel and feed water·- of 6740 tons, and a normal displacement of 7260 tons. The length overall was 520ft., the extreme breadth 58ft., and the mean draught 19.25ft. Anti-torpedo bulges were fitted. The armament was extremely light, consisting of four 4-7in. guns and sixteen 3-pdr. and machine guns. There was stowage capacity for a large number of mines, which were dropped from ports cut in the square stem. Parsons turbines with reduction gearing were installed at the main propelling unit, but associated with them was a Diesel plant to drive the ship at cruising speed. The total output of the machinery was 40,000 horse-power, and the designed speed 27- 7 5 knots.

Engineer-Commander D. N. H. Bowen and Engineer Lieut.-Commander H. E. Pillar were appointed to the ship in 1926.

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