The first of the name, HMS. Ladybird was an Insect Class River Gunboat. She was 645 tons and armed with 2 x 6-inch guns and 2 x 12 pounder guns. She carried a crew of 65. She was built by Lobnitz, Renfrew, and laid down in 1915. She was launched on April 12th, 1916, originally built for service on the River Danube, but on completion she was sent to the Middle East instead, where she was employed along with the Aphis, in the monotony of escort work, patrolling etc. in the Suez Canal area, based at Port Said or Ismalia. 1917 - She became involved in the confrontation with the Turks on the Mesopotamian Front. On October 30th, with the Aphis and destroyers carried out a bombardment on the Gaza-Beersheba line, which had held up the British advance for months, and on the 31st October Turkey requested and was granted an armistice. 1918 - Together with the Aphis she was dispatched to the River Danube. 1919 -Although the First World War was over, there was still trouble with the Bolshevik army, in which the British became involved. 1921 - In the November, Ladybird and Glowworm, became involved in a remarkable series of events. The Austro-Hungarian Emperor Karl had abdicated in 1918, but after living in exile for a while decided he would like his empire back. On the 22nd October accompanied by a few followers, he crossed from Switzerland into Hungary, which was ruled by a Regent, and set off for Budapest. The Great Powers anxious to preserve the peace they had so painstakingly created in the region, insisted that the Hungarian government should dethrone Karl, who was sitting in a train outside the capital, and banish him for life, the Hungarians complied. And it was left to the Glowworm and Ladybird, then laying at Baja, 90 miles downstream, should transport them into exile. On November 1st the Emperor, accompanied by the Empress Zita and a small entourage were escorted aboard the Glowworm, while the rest of their party settled in the Ladybird. They were transported as far as the Romanian frontier, after which sailors from the gunboats escorted the exiles across Romania in a convoy of cars to Vama, where the imperial party boarded the cruiser Cardiff, for transportation to exile on the Island of Madeira, where Karl died the following year. 1922 - After surviving the terrific cold and fierce ice of the winter, in March Ladybird was withdrawn to Malta and paid off into reserve for economy reasons. 1927 - In January she was brought forward from the reserve and commissioned under the command of Lieutenant Commander L. V. Donne, and taken under tow, with the Aphis, 8,400 miles to China, calling en route at ten ports before reaching Hong Kong, where she underwent a refit. She left on the 10th February to begin her patrols on the Yangtse River, ( she continued with this duty, to protect British interest in the region, and protect commercial shipping until the outbreak of World War Two) 1936 - February 12th arrived back in Hong Kong for a refit, sailing for Shanghai on completion March 23rd to continue her Yangtse patrols. 1937 - By now the Japanese had begun its conquest of China, and to slow down the advance, in August the Chinese constructed a boom across the river near the fortress of Kiangyin at the head of the estuary, this effectively trapping 13 Royal Navy gunboats above the boom. It was there the Ladybird became involved in the 'Panay Incident'. The Japanese army was now advancing steadily on Nanking and was bombing the city daily. The American gunboat USS Panay, was stationed there, and on the 11th December she was picking up the last of the Embassy staff, and US citizens, when Japanese bombs fell 150 feet off her, so it was decided to move her up river to San-Chia-Ho anchorage where the British gunboats Scarab and Cricket were anchored. The Ladybird, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Barlow, as at Wuhu as guard ship, after being extensively damaged by shell fire by the Japanese, she was hit six times by 6 inch gunfire, (the Japanese excuse was they didn't know the ship was neutral, - this was despite flying the appropriate national ensign). On the 12th December the USS Panay was attacked by Japanese aircraft, dropping 18 bombs, one of which disabled the ships forward 3 inch gun and wrecked the pilot house, wounding the captain and several others, more planes joined the attack, and soon all power was lost and the main deck awash, the order to abandon ship was given, and the crew headed for shore in boats, these were strafed by Japanese aircraft, later the Panay rolled over and sank. The survivors who had gone inland to hide were found and picked up by the Ladybird, on her way to Shanghai for repairs. 1938 - Ladybird was in Hong Kong. 1939 - As the situation deteriorated, she was sent to Singapore. 1940 - January at Singapore, Lieutenant Commander J. F. Blackburn was appointed in Command. She spent the early months with the Aphis on minesweeping in the approaches to Singapore. On March 1st, the two gunboats left Singapore on a 900 mile trip to Nancowry, then via Penang, Colombo and Bombay. The next step was a trip to Masirah Island to refuel and take on fresh water, before a five day run to Aden, then the final 1,000-mile leg to Malta, via the Suez Canal and Alexandria, during the latter end of the trip rough seas caused serious damage to the ships loosening rivets. The cruiser Dragon was sent from Malta to give assistance, the Ladybird had almost drained her fuel tanks, and her starboard propeller shaft had been pushed out of alignment, she was taken in tow and headed for Malta, where she entered dock for six weeks for refit and repairs. Towards the end of May she sailed for Egypt, arriving at Port Said on the 7th June, and on the 10th took up station as Port Said Guard Ship. In the August Ladybird sailed from Alexandria to Mersa Matruh, where on the 23rd she left to carry out a bombardment the enemy at Bardia, 'Operation MB l'. On September 17th, Ladybird and Juno, bombarded Sollum and the escarpment road. On the 23rd bombarded Sidi Barrani, and again on the 13 October. December 12 together with the Terror and Aphis, bombarded enemy positions on the Egyptian frontier. The Italians now in retreat and the capture of Sollum, the British Army was now many miles from its supply base, and between December 21st to the 23rd, Ladybird and another gunboat, carried water and supplies along the coast, the two gunboats supplied the army with 100 tons of fresh water daily. 1941- Lieutenant Commander Blackburn I/c January 2nd with the Terror and Aphis provided harassing fire in support of the assault on Bardia, on the 2 st, with the Terror and Gnat bombarded Tobruk. February 25tb-27th, Ladybird supported the destroyers Decoy and Hereward, in 'Operation Abstention' the landing of 200 commando's and naval personnel on the Island of Castelorizo, the resistance was light, and the garrison fort was reduced to ruins by Ladybird's 6-inch shells, and the Italians surrendered. Now short of fuel, Ladybird made for Cyprus, but on route she was attacked by enemy bombers, and was hit by one small bomb which wounded all the 3 inch gun crew. On return to Alexandria, Ladybird and Gnat were sent through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, where an Italian destroyer flotilla was based at Massawa, thought to be on the point of interdicting the route between Suez and Aden. In the event this did not happen, and after undergoing a refit at Port Said, Ladybird sailed for Tobruk. 14th/15th April she sailed to a point off Gazala, and bombarded the airfields and her shells exploding among parked aircraft, bomb dumps, barracks, and a tanker in which several vehicles were set ablaze, a second attack was made on the 28th April. On May 11th/12th the minesweeper Stoke was sunk in an air raid, her survivors being rescued by the Ladybird's crew. On the 12 May off Tobruk, Ladybird was attacked by Italian aircraft, the first bomb burst on the pom-pom mounting destroying the weapon and killing its crew. The Second bomb penetrated the boiler room and exploded within, blowing out the sides of the hull, Ladybird, mortally hurt and afire aft, began to settle by the stern with a list to starboard, the ship was abandoned, the fire spread and she settled in the mud on an even keel in just ten feet of water. Her white ensign continued to fly for the rest of the siege. Her 3 inch gun remained above water and, having been returned to working order by the Royal Artillery, was manned by them during subsequent air raids. 1951 -The wreck was scrapped in situ.