Admiralty M-class destroyer

The M class, more properly known as the Admiralty M class, were a class of 85 destroyers built for the Royal Navy of United Kingdom that saw service during World War I. All ships were built to an identical – Admiralty – design, hence the class name. 18 other vessels which were officially included within the 'M' class were built to variant designs by three specialist builders – 10 by Yarrow, 6 by Thornycroft (who also built another 6 to the standard Admiralty design), and 2 by Hawthorn Leslie; these are covered in other articles.

HMS Pasley
Class overview
Operators Royal Navy
Preceded byL class
Succeeded byR class
Subclasses
Built1914–1916
In commission1915–1923
Completed85
General characteristics
TypeDestroyer
Displacement
Length273 ft 4 in (83.3 m) (o/a)
Beam26 ft 8 in (8.1 m)
Draught8 ft 6 in (2.6 m)
Installed power
Propulsion3 shafts; 1 steam turbine set
Speed34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range3,710 nmi (6,870 km; 4,270 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement80
Armament

The Admiralty design was based on the preceding L class but modified to produce an increase in speed by approximately 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph). All ships built to the Admiralty design had three identical narrow, circular funnels (this did not apply to the 18 ships built by the specialist yards).

Ships of the pre-war (1913–14) Programme

Six vessels were built under the 1913–14 Naval Programme. These differed from the wartime vessels by being 1,010 tons full load, with slightly smaller dimensions.

NameShip BuilderLaid down[1]Launched[1]Completed[1]Fate
MatchlessSwan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend on Tyne8 November 19135 October 1914December 1914Sold for scrapping on 26 October 1921.
MurrayPalmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Hebburn on Tyne4 December 19138 August 1914December 1914Sold for scrapping on 9 May 1921.
MyngsPalmers, Hebburn on Tyne31 December 191324 September 1914February 1915Sold for scrapping on 9 May 1921.
MilneJohn Brown & Company, Clydebank18 December 19135 October 1914December 1914Sold for scrapping on 22 September 1921.
MorrisJohn Brown, Clydebank20 January 191419 November 1914December 1914Sold for scrapping on 8 November 1921.
MoorsomJohn Brown, Clydebank15 January 191421 December 1914February 1915Sold for scrapping on 8 November 1921.

Besides the above six vessels, three destroyers already under construction were purchased from Yarrow, two from Thornycroft and two from Hawthorn Leslie to these builders' individual designs, and these are listed in separate articles. Three further ships had been projected under the 1913–14 Naval Programme – and named Marksman, Menace and Monitor; however these three ships were cancelled before being contracted to any specific builder, in favour of two Marksman-class leaders.

Ships of the Emergency War Construction Programme

All the following vessels were ordered in five batches as part of the War Emergency Programme. Wartime builds omitted the cruising turbines originally specified and carried by the pre-war sub-group. The funnel heights were also raised compared with the pre-war vessels, and the second 4 in gun was mounted on a bandstand, as with the earlier L-class destroyers. Partridge, Norman, Maenad, Ophelia and Observer were later fitted to carry a kite balloon.

1st War Programme

Sixteen vessels were ordered in September 1914 (as well as four of the Yarrow M class), but part of their cost was met by the provision in the 1914–15 Programme for ten destroyers.

NameShip BuilderBegunLaunchedCompletedFate
MonsJohn Brown30 September 19141 May 1915July 1915Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.
MarneJohn Brown30 September 191329 May 1915August 1916Sold for breaking up 29 September 1921.
MichaelJohn I. Thornycroft & Company, WoolstonOctober 191419 May 1915August 1915Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921.
MilbrookThornycroftNovember 191412 July 1915October 1915Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921.
MinionThornycroftNovember 191411 September 1915November 1915Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.
MunsterThornycroftNovember 191424 November 1915January 1916Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921.
MysticWilliam Denny & Brothers, Dumbarton27 October 191420 June 191511 November 1915Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.
MaenadDenny10 November 191410 August 191512 November 1915Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921.
MagicJ. Samuel White & Company, Cowes1 January 191510 September 19158 January 1916Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921.
MoresbyWhite14 January 191520 November 19157 April 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
MandateFairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan27 April 191513 August 1915Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921.
MannersFairfield15 June 191521 September 1915Sold for breaking up 26 October 1921.
MarmionSwan Hunter28 May 1915Sunk after collision with Tirade on 21 October 1917 off Lerwick.
MartialSwan HunterOctober 19141 July 1915October 1915Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
Mary RoseSwan Hunter8 October 1915Sunk on 17 October 1917 by German cruisers SMS Brummer and SMS Bremse off the Norwegian coast.
MenaceSwan HunterSeptember 19149 November 1915April 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.

2nd War Programme

Nine further vessels were ordered in early November 1914 (as well as one further Yarrow M class).

NameShip BuilderLaid DownLaunchedCompletedFate
MamelukeJohn Brown23 December 191414 August 1915October 1915Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921.
MarvelDenny11 January 19157 October 191528 December 1915Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
MindfulFairfield24 August 191510 November 1915Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921.
MischiefFairfield12 October 191516 December 1915Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.
NonsuchPalmers7 December 1915February 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
NegroPalmers8 March 1915Sunk after colliding with Hoste in the North Sea on 21 December 1916;depth charges from Hoste exploded and blew out the Negro's hull plating.
NepeanThornycroftFebruary 191522 January 1916March 1916Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921.
NereusThornycroftMarch 191524 February 1916May 1916Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921.
NessusSwan Hunter24 August 1915Sunk after colliding with HMS Amphitrite in the North Sea on 8 September 1916.

3rd War Programme

Twenty-two further vessels were ordered in late November 1914.

NameShip BuilderLaid DownLaunchedCompletedFate
NestorSwan Hunter22 December 1915Sunk on 31 May 1916 at the Battle of Jutland.
NobleAlexander Stephen & Sons, Linthouse6 February 191522 December 191515 February 1916Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.
NomadStephen7 February 1916Sunk on 31 May 1916 at the Battle of Jutland.
NizamStephen11 February 19157 February 1916by William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir, 29 June 1916Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.
NonpareilStephen24 February 19157 February 191628 June 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
NormanPalmers20 March 1916August 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
NortheskPalmers5 July 1916October 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
North StarPalmers9 November 1916Sunk on 23 April 1918 at Zeebrugge.
NugentPalmers9 November 1916April 1917Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
ObedientScotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited, Greenock6 November 1916February 1917Sold for breaking up 25 November 1921.
ObdurateScotts21 November 1916March 1917Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921.
OnslaughtScotts21 November 1916Sold for breaking up 30 October 1921. Some sources claimed that she torpedoed and sank the pre-dreadnought battleship SMS Pommern, while others claimed that Faulknor sank her.
OnslowFairfield15 February 191615 April 1916Sold for breaking up 26 October 1921.
OpalWilliam Doxford & Sons, Sunderland11 September 1915Wrecked off Scapa Flow with Narborough on 12 January 1918 (one survivor).
OpheliaDoxford13 October 1915May 1916Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.
OpportuneDoxford20 November 1915June 1916Sold for breaking up 7 December 1923.
OracleDoxford23 December 1915August 1916Sold for breaking up 31 October 1921.
OrestesDoxford21 March 1916June 1916Sold for breaking up 31 October 1921.
OrfordDoxford19 April 1916December 1916Sold for breaking up 1 November 1921.
OrpheusDoxford17 June 1916September 1916Sold for breaking up 31 October 1921.
OctaviaDoxford21 June 1916November 1916Sold for breaking up 5 November 1921.
OssoryJohn Brown23 December 19149 October 1915November 1915Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.

4th War Programme

Sixteen further vessels were ordered in February 1915 (as well as two more of the Thornycroft M class). The eight last-named below of these were of the Repeat M subgroup with raking stems compared with the straight stems of the previous sub-group, and the bows were more flared to improve seakeeping qualities.

NameShip BuilderLaid DownLaunchedCompletedFate
NapierJohn Brown24 March 191527 November 1915January 1916Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.
NarboroughJohn BrownMay 19152 March 1916Wrecked off Scapa Flow (with Opal) on 12 January 1918 (no survivors).
NarwhalDenny21 April 19153 February 19163 March 1916Collided with another vessel in 1919 and broken up in 1920 at Devonport Dockyard.
NicatorDenny21 April 19153 February 191615 April 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
NorsemanDoxford15 August 1916November 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
OberonDoxford29 September 1916December 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
ObserverFairfield1 June 19151 May 191615 June 1916Sold for breaking up 30 October 1921.
OffaFairfield6 July 19157 June 191631 July 1916Sold for breaking up 30 October 1921.
OrcadiaFairfield24 June 191526 July 191629 September 1916Sold for breaking up 31 October 1921.
OriolePalmers31 July 1916November 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
OsirisPalmers28 September 1916December 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
PaladinScottsMay 191527 March 1916May 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
ParthianScottsJuly 19153 July 1916September 1916Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.
PartridgeSwan HunterJuly 19154 March 1916December 1916Sunk on 12 December 1917 by gunfire from the German destroyers G 101, G 103, G 104, and V 100 off Norwegian coast.
PasleySwan HunterJuly 191515 April 1916July 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.

5th War Programme

Eighteen final vessels were ordered in May 1915 (as well as two of the Thornycroft M class and two of the Yarrow M class). However, two of the eighteen were fitted with geared turbines and became the prototypes for the Admiralty R class destroyers (these were the Radstock and Raider, and are listed with the R class). The other sixteen were all to the Admiralty design were of the Repeat M subgroup with raking stems apart from the two ships ordered from White as Redmill and Redwing, which were completed to the earlier 'M' Class design and were renamed Medina and Medway while building.

NameShip BuilderLaid DownLaunchedCompletedFate
Medina (ex-Redmill)White23 September 19158 March 191630 June 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
Medway (ex-Medora, ex-Redwing)White2 November 191519 April 19162 August 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
PelicanWilliam Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir25 June 191518 March 19161 May 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
PellewBeardmore28 June 19158 May 191630 June 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
PennJohn Brown9 June 19158 April 1916May 1916Sold for breaking up 31 October 1921.
PeregrineJohn Brown9 June 191529 May 1916July 1916Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921.
PetardDenny5 July 191524 March 191623 May 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
PeytonDenny12 July 19152 May 191629 June 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
PheasantFairfield23 October 1916Mined on 1 March 1917 off the Orkney Islands.
PhoebeFairfield20 November 191628 December 1916Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921.
PigeonHawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn14 July 19153 March 19162 June 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
PloverHawthorn Leslie30 July 19153 March 191630 June 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
PluckyScotts21 April 1916July 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
PortiaScotts10 August 1916October 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
PrinceStephen27 July 191526 July 191621 September 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
PyladesStephen27 July 191528 September 1916by Beardmore 30 December 1916Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.

Notes

  1. Friedman 2009, p. 308.

Bibliography

  • Cocker, Maurice (1983). Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893–1981. Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1075-7.
  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • Dittmar, Fred; Colledge, Jim (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.
  • Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
  • Jane's Fighting Ships, 1919, Jane's Publishing.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.