HMS Hawke, launched in 1891, was the nineteenth British warship to be given that name. She was a 12-gun twin-screw protected cruiser displacing 7,350 tons. The twin screws delivered 12,000 horsepower giving a top speed of 20 kt.
During 1914, at the start of the First World War, the Hawke, commanded by Captain Hugh P.E.T. Williams, was engaged in various operations in the North Sea. On 15 October, out on patrol Hawke was torpedoed by a German submarine U 9. Her sister ship HMS Theseus, which was in company, was attacked at the same time but was undamaged. The Hawke sank in a few minutes, with the loss of her Captain, 26 officers and 500 men - only 4 officers and about 60 men were saved. The story as reported in the Guardian:
http://century.guardian.co.uk/1910-1919/Story/0,,126442,00.html
