Admiralty M class

Admiralty M- class
HMS Paladin
Overview
Type	destroyer
units	85 (+ 18/25 specials )
Shipyard	12 shipyards
Keel laying	from November 1913
Launch	September 1914 to January 1917
Commissioning	December 1914 to April 1917
Whereabouts	eleven war losses sold for demolition in 1921
Technical specifications
displacement	Standard : 994  ts maximum 1042 ts
length	overall: 82 m (269 ft)
width	8.3 m (27.5 ft)
Draft	3.2 m (10.5 ft)
crew	80 men
drive	3 Yarrow Kessel White boats: White Forster , 3 Parsons or Brown Curtis turbines 25,000 HPw, 3 shafts
speed	34 kn
Armament	3 × 102 mm L / 40 Mk.IV gun 1 × 2 pdr Mk.II gun 2 × 2 21 "-533 mm torpedo tubes
Fuel supply	237-298 ts of oil
similar	Yarrow M Class  (10) Thornycroft M Class  (6) Hawthorn M Class (2) Medea Class (4) Yarrow Later M Class  (7)
Further developments	R-class , S-class

The Admiralty M class was the last class of destroyer , by the Royal Navy before World War I was appointed. Deviating from the usual orders of 20 boats, however, only thirteen boats and seven specials were ordered. By doing without some planned destroyers, the Admiralty had the means to order the first two newly constructed Flotilla leaders of the Marksman class for the L and M classes.

The war building programs led to further orders for this type of destroyer. By 1916, 85 were destroyers of the Admiralty M class built on twelve yards. In addition, there were another 18/25 M-class boats based on slightly different designs by Thornycroft (six boats), Yarrow (ten two-chimney boats and seven of the "later M" or Yarrow R-class ) and Hawthorn & Leslie (two four-chimney) Boats) were built.

The admiralty draft was based on the previous L-Class . All the boats of the Admiralty Draft had three thin and round funnels.

From 1916 the Royal Navy began to procure the R-Class as a successor model.

The boats of the last pre-war order

In the 1913/1914 budget, the first six boats of the new Admiralty Draft were ordered. Contractors were Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company in Hebburn on Tyne for HMS Murray and Myngs , Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson in Wallsend for the Matchless and John Brown & Company , Clydebank for Milne , Morris and Moorsom , which were delivered by February 1915.

In addition, seven other boats (three of the so-called boats were purchased that were to slightly different designs at three shipyards in part already under construction Yarrow-M-class with two chimneys and two shafts, as well as two boats Thornycroft M-Class with thicker, medium-sized chimney and the Hawthorn M-Class with four chimneys). Three other boats planned as Marksman , Menace and Monitor , which were included in the plans of the following budget, were not ordered and replaced by two Flotilla leaders of the Marksman class from funds from the 1913/1914 budget. A planned order from J. Samuel White was also omitted. The shipyard in Cowes received the order for one of the newly constructed flotilla leaders ( Lightfoot ), the order for the other went to Hawthorn, Leslie & Co.
The Admiralty hoped for a delivery of the boats in the spring of 1914, but none of the shipyards was able to do this. Yarrow delivered the Special Miranda as the first boat in August 1914 and by the end of the year nine of the thirteen boats had been in service with the Navy.

The boats of the Emergency War Construction Program

The other boats in the class were ordered in five lots as part of the War Emergency Program. The war buildings did not receive the marching turbines of the pre-war order. These boats also had higher funnels and the second 4-inch gun on a higher level than in the previous L-class destroyers. Five boats ( Partridge , Norman , Maenad , Ophelia and Observer ) received a device for using a tethered balloon during their service life .

The Minion built at Thornycroft according to the Admiralty's design

In September 1914, the first re-order of 16 boats according to the Admiralty Draft and four more boats of the Yarrow M-class, the costs of which were included in the planned budget 1914/1915 for ten destroyers. The orders went back to John Brown (2), Swan Hunter (4) and as an admiralty draft to John I. Thornycroft & Company in Southampton-Woolston (4). Other shipyards of the type were joined by William Denny and Brothers in Dumbarton , J. Samuel White in Cowes and Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Govan , each with two boats . In addition, John Brown and Fairfields manufactured the similar ships of the Medea class and Hawthorn ordered by Greece, while Leslie manufactured the larger Talisman class destroyers, which were designed for export .

Yarrow M-Class from the air

At the beginning of November 1914 another nine boats of the Admiralty draft were built at Palmers (2), Thornycroft (2), Fairfield (2), John Brown (1), Swan Hunter (1) and Denny (1) as well as another boat of the Yarrow-M- Class ordered. At the end of the month the next and largest order for 22 boats was placed. Again orders went to Palmers (4), Fairfield (2), John Brown (1) and Swan Hunter (1). New contractors were William Doxford & Sons , Sunderland , with eight, Alexander Stephen & Sons , Linthouse , with four and Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. , Greenock , with two boats.

In February 1915 another 16 boats were ordered, eight of which belonged to the so-called Repeat M-subgroup . They received a modified bow shape with a sloping bow and a modified hull in order to improve the sea characteristics. The contractors were Fairfield (4), Palmers (2), John Brown (2), Swan Hunter (2), Denny (2), Scotts (2) and Doxford (2). In addition, two boats of the different Thornycroft M-class were ordered, although this shipyard had now also started six boats according to the Admiralty draft.

In May 1915 the last order was placed for another 16 boats from the Repeat M subgroup : John Brown (2), Denny (2), Fairfield (2), White (2), Stephen (2), Scotts (2) and Beardmore in Dalmuir (2) as a new contractor; this shipyard had made two replicas of the L-class in the first war building program. In addition there were two orders to Hawthorn & Leslie in Hebburn, which had only built two specials and then the four Talisman class destroyers. Further specials were ordered with two boats each from Thornycroft and Yarrow of their special types.

The types of the M-Class

• 

  Admiralty-M destroyer Marmion

• 

  Thornycroft-M destroyer Patrician

• 

  Yarrow-M destroyer Nerissa

• 

  Hawthorn-M destroyer Mansfield

• 

  ~ M ex Greek Melampus

The Admiralty class boats

Ten boats built at Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company in Hebburn upon Tyne:

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
VK	HMS Murray	December 4, 1913	August 6, 1914	12.1914	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
VK	HMS Myngs	1913	09/24/1914	02.1915	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
2.E	HMS Nonsuch	1914	December 7, 1915	02.1916	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
2.E	HMS Negro	1914	March 8, 1915	06/30/1916	sank on December 21, 1916 in the North Sea after a collision with the HMS Hoste , in which the Hoste's depth charges exploded and tore a hole in the Negro's hull .
3.E	HMS Norman	1915	03/20/1916	08.1916	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
3.E	HMS Northesk	1915	5.07.1916	10.1916	Sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
3.E	HMS North Star	1915	11/9/1916	1917	Sunk in Zeebrugge on April 23, 1918
3.E	HMS Nugent	1915	01/23/1917	04.1917	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
4.E	HMS Oriole	1915	07/31/1916	11/30/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
4.E	HMS Osiris	1915	09/28/1916	02/14/1917	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921

Nine boats built at Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson in Wallsend :

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
VK	HMS Matchless	November 8, 1913	October 5, 1914	12.1914	sold for demolition on October 26, 1921
1.E	HMS Marmion	10/21/1914	May 28, 1915	September 3, 1915	before on 21 October 1917 Lerwick after collision with HMS tirade dropped
1.E	HMS Martial	10/23/1914	07/01/1915	October 15, 1915	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
1.E	HMS Mary Rose	11/14/1914	October 8, 1915	5.03.1916	near the Norwegian coast by the German cruiser on October 17, 1917 SMS Brummer and SMS brake sunk
1.E	HMS Menace	11/27/1914	11/9/1915	April 2, 1916	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
2.E	HMS Nessus	4.03.1915	08/24/1915	11/12/1915	September 8, 1918 in the North Sea after collision with the old cruiser HMS Amphitrite dropped
3.E	HMS Nestor	May 15, 1915	12/22/1915	04/29/1916	in the May 31, 1916 Battle of Jutland dropped
4.E	HMS Partridge	07/20/1915	4.03.1916	06/25/1916	Repeat M ; sunk on December 12, 1917 off the Norwegian coast by the German torpedo boats G 101, G 103, G 104 and V 100 in an artillery battle
4.E	HMS Pasley	07/21/1915	04/15/1916	07/31/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921

Eleven boats built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank :

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
VK	HMS Milne	1913	October 5, 1914	12.1914	sold for demolition on September 22, 1921
VK	HMS Morris	1913	11/19/1914	12.1914	sold for demolition on November 8, 1921
VK	HMS Moorsom	1913	December 20, 1914	02.1915	sold for demolition on November 8, 1921
1.E	HMS Mons	09/30/1914	May 1, 1915	07.1915	sold for demolition on November 8, 1921
1.E	HMS Marne	09/30/1914	05/29/1915	08.1915	sold for demolition on September 29, 1921
2.E	HMS Mameluke	December 23, 1914	08/14/1915	10.1915	sold for demolition on September 22, 1921
3.E	HMS Ossory	December 23, 1914	10/9/1915	11.1915	sold for demolition on November 8, 1921
4.E	HMS Napier	March 24, 1915	11/27/1915	01.1916	sold for demolition on November 8, 1921
4.E	HMS Narborough	1915	2.03.1916	04.1916	Accumulated on January 12, 1918 with the HMS Opal near Scapa Flow , no survivors
5.E	HMS Penn	June 9, 1915	April 8, 1916	05.1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on October 31, 1921
5.E	HMS Peregrine	June 9, 1915	05/29/1916	07.1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on November 15, 1921

Twelve boats built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Govan :

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
1.E	HMS mandates	1914	04/27/1915	08/13/1915	sold for demolition on September 22, 1921
1.E	HMS Manners	1914	06/15/1915	09/21/1915	sold for demolition on October 26, 1921
2.E	HMS Mindful	1914	08/24/1915	11/10/1915	sold for demolition on September 22, 1921
2.E	HMS Mischief	1914	October 12, 1915	December 16, 1915	sold for demolition on November 8, 1921
3.E	HMS Onslaught	1915	December 4, 1915	3.03.1916	According to some sources, she is said to have sunk the liner SMS Pommern in the Battle of the Skagerrak. Sold for demolition on October 30, 1921
3.E	HMS Onslow	1915	02/15/1916	04/15/1916	sold for demolition on October 26, 1921
4.E	HMS Observer	1915	May 1, 1916	06/15/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on October 30, 1921
4.E	HMS Offa	1915	June 7, 1916	07/31/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on October 30, 1921
4.E	HMS Orcadia	1915	07/26/1916	09/29/1916	sold for demolition on October 31, 1921
4.E	HMS Oriana	1915	09/23/1916	November 4, 1916	sold for demolition on October 31, 1921
5.E	HMS Pheasant	10.1915	10/23/1916	11.1916	Sank off the Orkney Islands after being hit by a mine on March 1, 1917 . Repeat M .
5.E	HMS Phoebe	1915	11/20/1916	12/28/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on November 15, 1921.

Six at John I. Thornycroft & Company in Woolston built boats:

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
1.E	HMS Michael	09.1914	May 19, 1915	08.1915	sold for demolition on September 22, 1921
1.E	HMS Milbrook	11.1914	07/12/1915	10.1915	sold for demolition on September 22, 1921
1.E	HMS Minion	11.1914	09/11/1915	11.1915	sold for demolition on November 8, 1921
1.E	HMS Munster	11.1914	11/24/1915	01.1916	sold for demolition on November 15, 1921
2.E	HMS Nepean	02.1915	01/22/1916	03.1916	sold for demolition on November 15, 1921
2.E	HMS Nereus	03.1915	02/24/1916	05.1916	sold for demolition on November 15, 1921

Seven boats built at William Denny & Brothers in Dumbarton :

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
1.E	HMS Mystic	10/27/1914	06/20/1915	11/11/1915	sold for demolition on November 8, 1921
1.E	HMS Maenad	11/10/1914	08/10/1915	11/12/1915	sold for demolition on September 22, 1921
2.E	HMS Marvel	01/11/1915	October 7, 1915	12/28/1915	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
4.E	HMS Narwhal	04/21/1915	12/30/1915	3.03.1916	Demolished in Devonport Dockyard in 1920 after collision in 1919.
4.E	HMS Nicator	04/21/1915	3.03.1916	04/15/1916	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
5.E	HMS Petard	5.07.1915	March 24, 1916	05/23/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
5.E	HMS Peyton	07/12/1915	2.05.1916	06/29/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921

Four boats built at J. Samuel White & Company in Cowes :

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
1.E	HMS Magic	01/01/1915	09/10/1915	January 8, 1916	sold for demolition on September 22, 1921
1.E	HMS Moresby	01/14/1915	11/20/1915	April 7, 1916	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
5.E	HMS Medina	09/23/1915	March 8, 1916	06/30/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
5.E	HMS Medway	November 2nd, 1915	04/19/1916	08/02/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921

Ten boats built by William Doxford & Sons in Sunderland :

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
3.E	HMS opal	1915	09/11/1915	04.1916	Accumulated and destroyed on January 12, 1918 near Scapa Flow with the HMS Narborough , a survivor
3.E	HMS Ophelia	1915	10/13/1915	05.1916	sold for demolition on November 8, 1921
3.E	HMS Opportune	1915	11/20/1915	06.1916	sold for demolition on December 7, 1923
3.E	HMS Oracle	1915	December 23, 1915	08.1916	sold for demolition on October 31, 1921
3.E	HMS Orestes	1915	03/21/1916	06.1916	sold for demolition on October 31, 1921
3.E	HMS Orford	1915	04/19/1916	12.1916	sold for demolition on November 1, 1921
3.E	HMS Orpheus	1915	06/19/1916	09.1916	sold for demolition on October 31, 1921
3.E	HMS Octavia	1915	06/21/1916	11.1916	sold for demolition on November 5, 1921
4.E	HMS Norseman	1915	08/15/1916	11.1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
4.E	HMS Oberon	1915	09/29/1916	12.1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921

Six boats built by Alexander Stephen & Sons in Linthouse :

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
3.E	HMS Noble	February 6, 1915	11/25/1915	02/15/1916	sold for demolition on November 8, 1921
3.E	HMS Nomad	1915	February 7, 1916	03.1916	Sunk in the Battle of the Skagerrak on May 31, 1916.
3.E	HMS Nizam	02/11/1915	April 6, 1916		Completed by Beardmore by June 29, 1916.
3.E	HMS Nonpareil	02/24/1915	May 16, 1916	06/28/1916	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921.
5.E	HMS Prince	07/27/1915	07/26/1916	09/21/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921.
5.E	HMS Pylades	07/27/1915	09/28/1916		Repeat M ; Completed by Beardmore by December 30, 1916

Six boats built at Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited in Greenock :

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
3.E	HMS Obedient	1915	11/6/1915	02.1916	sold for demolition on November 25, 1921
3.E	HMS Obdurate	1915	11/21/1915	03.1916	sold for demolition on November 15, 1921
4.E	HMS Paladin	1915	03/27/1916	05.1916	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
4.E	HMS Parthian	1915	July 3, 1916	09.1916	sold for demolition on November 8, 1921
5.E	HMS Plucky	1915	04/21/1916	07.1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921
5.E	HMS Portia	1915	08/10/1916	10.1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921

Two boats built by William Beardmore & Company in Dalmuir , where two boats built by Stephen were also completed:

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
5.E	HMS Pelican	06/25/1915	03/18/1916	May 1, 1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921.
5.E	HMS Pellew	06/28/1915	May 8, 1916	06/30/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921.
	HMS Nizam	at Stephen	April 6, 1916	06/29/1916	sold for demolition on May 9, 1921.
	HMS Pylades	at Stephen	09/28/1916	12/30/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921.

Two boats built by Hawthorn, Leslie & Company in Hebburn upon Tyne:

Come on	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	in service	comment
5.E	HMS Pigeon	07/14/1915	3.03.1916	2.06.1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921.
5.E	HMS Plover	07/30/1915	3.03.1916	06/30/1916	Repeat M ; sold for demolition on May 9, 1921.

Use of the boats

The first combat use of the M-class boats took place within the Harwich Force during the battle on the Dogger Bank , with the Thornycroft "specials" Meteor and Mastiff , the Yarrow "specials" Miranda and Minos , the Hawthorn "special" mentor and that of John Brown delivered Admiralty-type Milne and Morris . The destroyer Meteor , leading the M-boats, was hit by a 21 cm projectile at 12:20 in the forward boiler room while attempting to torpedo the heavily damaged and fallen back armored cruiser SMS Blücher . Four of the Meteor's men died and the destroyer was immobilized. The HMS Liberty of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla towed the Meteor into the Humber.

In the Battle of the Skagerrak , 40 M-class destroyers were used, especially in the 11th , 12th and 13th Destroyer Flotilla . With Nestor and Nomad , the first ships of the class were also lost, almost all of whose crews were taken up by the Germans. By the end of the war, nine Admiralty M-Class ships were lost. In the post-war period, the ships were hardly used anymore, as more modern and larger ships with the destroyers of the V and W classes were available and even the ships with less stress in the war of the R and S classes were hardly ever used were sold for demolition in 1921.

literature

• Maurice Cocker: Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981. Ian Allan, 1983, ISBN 0-7110-1075-7
• Fred Dittmar, Jim Colledge: British Warships 1914-1919. Ian Allen, 1972, ISBN 0-7110-0380-7 .

Web links

Commons : Admiralty M-Class Destroyer  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• Admiralty M-Class Jane's 1919