Construction and service
Nomad was ordered under the Third War Programme in November 1914 and built by Alexander Stephen and Sons at their shipyard in Linthouse. The ship was launched on 7 February 1916 and completed in April 1916. [3] She was commissioned under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Paul Whitfield and briefly served in the 13th Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet. [4] [5]
Nomad was part of the 13th Destroyer Flotilla at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. [5] [6] At 16:09 hr, Admiral Jellicoe commander of the Grand Fleet ordered the 13th Flotilla to launch a torpedo attack against German battlecruisers, while at almost the same time, Admiral Hipper, commander of the German battlecruisers, ordered a torpedo attack on British battlecruisers by the German 9th Flotilla. [7] The two destroyer forces became involved in an intense engagement, during which Nomad was disabled by a shell hit in her engine room. Two torpedoes fired by the German destroyers at Nestor failed to strike, passing under the British destroyer. [8] [9] Later that afternoon, Nomad, together with sister ship Nestor, also immobilised in the earlier attack, was engaged by German battleships. Nomad launched all her torpedoes at the German ships, but failed to score a hit, while the German battleships Friedrich der Grosse, Prinzregent Luitpold, Kaiser and Kaiserin fired at Nomad with their secondary armament. She was heavily hit, with the damage forcing her crew to abandon ship, while a final hit caused Nomad's forward magazine to explode, the destroyer sinking at 17:30 hr, with Nestor sinking shortly afterwards. [9] [10] Eight of Nomad's crew were killed while 72 survivors (including Whitfield) were rescued from the sea by German torpedo boats and became prisoners-of-war. [11] [12]
The wreck is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. The wreck of Nomad was found by accident in 2001 by a dive team including marine archaeologist Innes McCartney. The ship's bell can be seen on display at the Jutland shipwreck museum.
HMS Lydiard was a Laforey-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the 1910s.
HMS Ambuscade was an Acasta-class destroyer of the Royal Navy and was launched in 1913. She served throughout the First World War, forming part of the Grand Fleet and taking part at the Battle of Jutland, serving in the Dover Patrol and spending the latter part of the war as a convoy escort. She was sold for scrapping in 1921.
HMS Laforey was the lead ship of her class of destroyer built for the Royal Navy. Launched a year before the First World War began, she was attached to the Dover Patrol. Laforey saw action in several engagements with German torpedo boats, including the Battle off Noordhinder Bank and the action of 17 March 1917. Laforey was sunk in 1917 by a British mine after escorting several freighters to France. She was named for Francis Laforey, captain of HMS Spartiate at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
HMS Shark, was an Acasta-class destroyer built in 1912 for the Royal Navy. Shark was sunk during the Battle of Jutland on the evening of 31 May 1916.
HMS Fortune was an Acasta-class destroyer, and the twenty-first ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name. She was launched in 1913 and was sunk at the Battle of Jutland in 1916.
HMS Nestor, launched on 22 December 1915, was an Admiralty M-class destroyer. She served in the 13th Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet and was sunk on 31 May 1916 at the Battle of Jutland. The Wreck is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986
HMS Turbulent was one of four Talisman-class destroyers ordered for the Ottoman Navy and taken over by the Royal Navy during the First World War.
HMS Nottingham was a Town-class light cruiser built for the Royal Navy just before World War I. She was one of three ships of the Birmingham sub-class and was completed in early 1914. The ship was assigned to the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron (LCS) of the Home and Grand Fleets for her entire career. Nottingham participated in most of the early fleet actions, including the battles of Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank, and Jutland, helping to sink several German ships during the battles. The ship was sunk by the German submarine U-52 during the Action of 19 August 1916.
HMS Ophelia was an Admiralty M-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the First World War, entering service in 1916. The ship served at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May/1 June 1916, and sank a German submarine in 1918. She was sold for scrap in 1921.
HMS Narborough was an Admiralty M-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. She was wrecked after running aground in 1918.
HMS Abdiel was a Marksman-class flotilla leader of the Royal Navy, built by Cammell Laird during the First World War. She was converted to a minelayer during construction, commissioning during 1916, and served at the Battle of Jutland. Following the end of the war, Abdiel served in the Baltic during the Russian Civil War. She was sold for scrap in 1936.
HMS Negro was an Admiralty M-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was built by Palmers and launched 8 March 1916, but was sunk after colliding with HMS Hoste in the North Sea on 21 December 1916; depth charges from Hoste exploded and blew out Negro's hull plating. The ship was the second Royal Navy warship to bear the name Negro with the first being the 1813 Negro, ex-Niger.
HMS Christopher was an Acasta-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Hawthorn Leslie in 1911–1912. She served throughout the First World War, forming part of the Grand Fleet until 1916 and taking part in the Battle of Jutland. Later in the war she served in the English Channel to protect merchant shipping against attacks by German U-boats. Christopher was sold for scrap in May 1921.
HMS Kempenfelt was a Marksman-class flotilla leader of the British Royal Navy. She was built by the Cammell Laird at their Birkenhead shipyard, with construction starting in 1914 and completed in August 1915. She served through the remainder of the First World War. She was sold for scrap in 1921.
HMS Achates was an Acasta -class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was built by the Scottish shipbuilder John Brown and was built between 1912 and 1913. Like all Acasta-class destroyers, Achates was armed with three 4-inch (102 mm) guns and two torpedo tubes, with a specified speed of 29 knots.
HMS Moresby was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. Originally laid down as HMS Marlion by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the vessel was renamed before being launched on 20 November 1915. At the Battle of Jutland, the destroyer was initially cover for the seaplane tender Engadine but soon joined the action as part of a flotilla led by the light cruiser Champion. Moresby attacked the German fleet with torpedoes, initially unsuccessfully targeting the dreadnought battleship Markgraf and, near the end of the battle, unleashing another which narrowly missed the battlecruiser Von der Tann. In March 1918, the destroyer sank U-110 with the destroyer Michael. After the war, the destroyer was placed in reserve and eventually sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Nicator was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. Launched on 3 February 1916, the destroyer fought in the Battle of Jutland between 31 May and 1 June 1916, operating in support of the British battlecruisers in their action against the German High Seas Fleet. Nicator attacked the German battlecruisers and battleships with both shell and torpedo and, although no hits were recorded, the action of the destroyer was crucial to limiting losses to the British battlecruiser fleet. The vessel was subsequently fitted with paravanes for anti-submarine warfare. After the war, the destroyer was placed in reserve and subsequently sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Marvel was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. The vessel, launched on 7 October 1915, joined the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla under the flotilla leader Faulknor. The ship saw action during the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, being hit by a 12 in (300 mm) shell that did not explode and jointly sinking the German torpedo boat SMS V48. In August, the vessel successfully rescued all by four of the crew of the sinking flotilla leader Hoste, despite sustaining substantial damage in the process. In June 1917, the vessel was involved in the sinking of the German merchant ship SS Gamma in Norwegian waters, which led to a diplomatic protest from the Norwegian government. At the end of the war, the vessel was placed in reserve until being sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Moorsom was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. Moorsom, the first ship to enter navy service to be named after Admiral Sir Robert Moorsom, was launched on 20 December 1914, initially serving as part of the Grand Fleet before being transferred to the Harwich Force in 1915. Briefly rejoining the Grand Fleet, the destroyer saw service in the Battle of Jutland supporting the British battlecruisers and received hits from a battleship of the German High Seas Fleet. Moorsom also undertook other duties, including escorting the troop ship Mauretania in June 1915 and the minelayer Princess Margaret in August 1915 and November 1916. Placed within the Dover Patrol, the destroyer formed part of the cover for monitors including Erebus and Terror on attacks on Ostend and Zeebrugge in May and June 1917, and April and May 1918. After the Armistice, the destroyer was placed in reserve and subsequently sold to be broken up on 8 November 1921.
HMS Marne was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. The ship, the first Royal Navy vessel to be named after the River Marne, was launched on 29 May 1915. For much of the war, the destroyer escorted merchant ships in convoys and Royal Navy warships, but was also involved in the rescue of crew from the battleship HMS King Edward VII in 1916. The destroyer also took part in the Battle of Jutland as part of the shield for the British battlecruisers and engaged with the German light cruiser force with torpedoes. After the armistice, Marne was placed in reserve before being decommissioned and, on 31 November 1921, sold to be broken up.
United Kingdom
