HMS Laurel (1913)

HMS Laurel was a Laforey-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. Launched on 6 May 1913 as HMS Redgauntlet, the ship was renamed on 30 September under an Admiralty order to become one of the first alphabetical class destroyers. On commissioning, the vessel joined the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla and operated as part of the Harwich Force during the First World War. During Battle of Heligoland Bight, Laurel led a flotilla that pursued German torpedo boats, engaging with G194 and G196, and was damaged in action with the cruiser Mainz. The vessel also played a minor role in the Battles of Dogger Bank, Dover Strait and Jutland. With the cessation of hostilities, the ship was placed in reserve and scrapped on 1 November 1921.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Laurel and HMS Redgauntlet.

HMS Laurel at anchor
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Laurel
BuilderJ. Samuel White, East Cowes
Yard number1390
Laid down17 August 1912
Launched6 May 1913
Decommissioned1 November 1921
FateBroken up
General characteristics (as built)
Class and typeLaforey-class destroyer
Displacement
Length268 ft 8 in (81.9 m) (o/a)
Beam27 ft 8 in (8.43 m)
Draught10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
Installed power3 White-Forster boilers, 24,500 shp (18,300 kW)
PropulsionParsons steam turbines, 2 shafts
Speed29 knots (33.4 mph; 53.7 km/h)
Range1,720 nmi (3,190 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement73
Armament

Design and development
Main article: L-class destroyer

Laurel was one of twenty two L- or Laforey-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy.[1] The design followed the preceding Acasta-class but with improved seakeeping properties and armament, including twice the number of torpedo tubes.[2] The vessel was one of the last pre-war destroyers constructed by J Samuel White for the British Admiralty, built alongside the similar Liberty.[3]

The destroyer had a length overall of 268 feet 8 inches (81.89 m), a beam of 27 feet 8 inches (8.43 m) and a draught of 10 feet 6 inches (3.20 m).Displacement was 965 long tons (980 t) normal and 1,150 long tons (1,170 t) deep load. Power was provided by three White-Forster boilers feeding two Parsons steam turbines rated at 24,500 shaft horsepower (18,300 kW) and driving two shafts, to give a design speed of 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). Two funnels were fitted.[4] A total of 268 long tons (272 t) of oil was carried, giving a design range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[5] Fuel consumption was 51.33 long tons (52.15 t) of oil in 24 hours during test.[6] The ship's complement was 73 officers and ratings.[4]

Armament consisted of three QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft and one between the funnels.[1] The guns could fire a shell weighing 31 pounds (14 kg) at a muzzle velocity of 2,177 feet per second (664 m/s).[7] One single 7.7 mm (0.3 in) Maxim gun was carried.[5] A single 2-pounder 40 mm (2 in) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft gun was later added.[1] Torpedo armament consisted of two twin mounts for 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes mounted aft. Capacity to lay four Vickers Elia Mk.4 mines was included, but the facility was never used.[8]

Construction and career

Laurel was laid down by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 17 August 1912 with the yard number 1390. The ship was launched on 6 May 1913.[9] Originally launched as Redgauntlet, Laurel was renamed by Admiralty order on 30 September 1913.[10] Built under the 1912–1913 Programme as part of a class named after characters in Shakespeare’s plays and the Waverley novels by Sir Walter Scott, the destroyer joined what was to be the first alphabetical class.[4]

On commissioning, Laurel joined the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Harwich Force.[11] At the start of the First World War on 4 August 1914, the flotilla was tasked with harassing the Imperial German Navy and on 26 August 1914 was ordered to attack German torpedo boats on their patrol as part of a large Royal Navy fleet in what was to be the Battle of Heligoland Bight.[12]

On 27 August 1914, Laurel was leading the Fourth Division, which included sisterships Laertes, Liberty and Lysander, when the German torpedo boat G194 was sighted.[13] Laurel set off at speed in pursuit, engaging with G194 and G196 and soon encountering the German Fifth Flotilla.[14] In the confusion that followed, Laurel continued to lead the pursuit, attacking a number of German torpedo boats and straying far from the main British fleet. This position meant that, when the light cruiser Mainz arrived to reinforce the German forces, the first salvo landed on Laurel. Within two shots, the damage became critical. The central gun was hit, the resulting explosion blowing away half the funnel and wounding the captain, F. F. Rose. The smoke and steam pouring out from the wounded destroyer obscured the cruiser's aim and Laurel was able to escape, covered by other British ships, which ultimately sank the German cruiser.[15] The destroyer was able to regain steam and returned to Harwich for repairs at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), assisted by the protected cruiser Amethyst.[16]

After returning to service, the destroyer remained stationed at Harwich defending the Strait of Dover. On 23 January 1915, the destroyer led the Second Division of the Third Flotilla during the Battle of Dogger Bank.[17] The Flotilla was enable to keep sufficient speed to engage in the battle, which was left to newer and faster M-class destroyers.[18] At the Battle of Jutland, the destroyer, along with sisterships Landrail, Liberty and Lydiard, formed part of a flotilla which were to provide cover to the British battlecruisers.[19] In this case, the flotilla was in the centre of the action but again failed to engage the German battle fleet in the confusion of the battle.[20] However, the destroyer did rescue seventeen survivors from the battlecruiser Queen Mary.[21]

On 5 September 1916, Lark and Laurel were sent to the English Channel to escort Princess Victoria, which was carrying a load of gold bullion from Cherbourg to Portsmouth.[22] On 26 October 1916, the destroyer was part of a four ship flotilla sent to defend the Dover Barrage in the Battle of Dover Strait.[23] The destroyer saw no action at the time, nor on subsequent patrol on 25 February 1917 despite the presence of German warships nearby.[24] The destroyer also sortied on 19 May 1917 to escort the first convoy to journey from Gibraltar. The convoy was a success, with no submarine attacks, and helped justify the convoy system.[25]

The destroyer was subsequently redeployed to the 4th Destroyer Flotilla based at Devonport.[26] After the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the war, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and the amount of personnel needed to be reduced to save money.[27] Laurel was initially placed in reserve at Nore alongside over sixty other destroyers.[28] On 1 November 1921, the vessel was sold and broken up for scrap.[10]

Pennant numbers
Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMS Laurel.
Pennant Number Date
H.91December 1914[29]
H.51January 1918[30]
G.98January 1919[31]

References

Citations
  1. Parkes & Prendergast 1969, p. 111.
  2. Friedman 2009, p. 129.
  3. Williams & Sprake 1993, p. 32.
  4. Preston 1985, p. 76.
  5. Friedman 2009, p. 296.
  6. March 1966, p. 140.
  7. Campbell 1985, p. 59.
  8. March 1966, p. 149.
  9. Williams & Sprake 1993, p. 86.
  10. Colledge & Warlow 2010, p. 224.
  11. "Flotillas of the First Fleet", The Navy List, p. 269a, April 1914, retrieved 6 June 2020 – via National Library of Scotland
  12. Naval Staff Monograph No. 11 1921, p. 111.
  13. Naval Staff Monograph No. 11 1921, p. 119.
  14. Naval Staff Monograph No. 11 1921, p. 123.
  15. Naval Staff Monograph No. 11 1921, p. 134.
  16. Naval Staff Monograph No. 11 1921, p. 136.
  17. Corbett 1921, p. 86.
  18. Corbett 1921, p. 92.
  19. Jutland: Official Despatches 1920, p. 6.
  20. Corbett 1920, pp. 404–405.
  21. Jutland: Official Despatches 1920, p. 573.
  22. Naval Staff Monograph No. 33 1927, p. 134.
  23. Naval Staff Monograph No. 18 1922, p. 83.
  24. Naval Staff Monograph No. 18 1922, p. 89.
  25. Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, p. 118.
  26. "The Grand Fleet", Supplement to the Monthly Navy List, p. 17, July 1918, retrieved 6 June 2020 – via National Library of Scotland
  27. Moretz 2002, p. 79.
  28. "Vessels in Reserve at Home Ports and Other Bases", The Navy List, p. 707, October 1919, retrieved 6 June 2020 – via National Library of Scotland
  29. Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 76.
  30. Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 63.
  31. Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 68.

Bibliography
  • Battle of Jutland, 30 May to 1 June 1916: Official Despatches with Appendices. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1920.
  • Bush, Steve; Warlow, Ben (2021). Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy: A Complete History of the Allocation of Pendant Numbers to Royal Navy Warships & Auxiliaries. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-526793-78-2.
  • Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-459-2.
  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2010). Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy. Havertown: Casemate. ISBN 978-1-93514-907-1.
  • Corbett, Julian S. (1921). Naval Operations: Volume II. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC 1049894619.
  • Corbett, Julian S. (1920). Naval Operations: Volume III. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co.
  • Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-71100-380-4.
  • Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
  • March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers. London: Seeley. OCLC 898841922.
  • Monograph No. 11: The Battle of Heligoland Bight: August 28th 1914. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. III. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1921.
  • Monograph No. 18: Dover Command. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. VI. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1922.
  • Monograph No. 33: Home Waters Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XVII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1927.
  • Monograph No. 35: Home Waters Part IX: 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. IX. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1939.
  • Moretz, Joseph (2002). The Royal Navy and the Capital Ship in the Interwar Period. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-71465-196-5.
  • Parkes, Oscar; Prendergast, Maurice (1969). Jane's Fighting Ships 1919. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. OCLC 907574860.
  • Preston, Antony (1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 1–104. ISBN 978-0-85177-245-5.
  • Williams, David L.; Sprake, Raymond F. (1993). White's of Cowes : "White's-built, well-built!". Peterborough: Silver Link. ISBN 978-1-85794-011-4.
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