HMS Pellew (1916)

Last updated

HMS Paladin (1916) IWM SP 1403.jpg
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Pellew
Namesake Pellew
OrderedMay 1915
Builder William Beardmore and Company, Dalmuir
Yard number538
Laid down28 June 1915
Launched18 April 1916
Completed30 June 1916
Out of service9 May 1921
FateSold to be broken up
General characteristics
Class and type Admiralty M-class destroyer
Displacement
  • 994 long tons (1,010 t) normal
  • 1,250 long tons (1,270 t) full load
Length273 ft 6 in (83.4 m)
Beam26 ft 9 in (8.2 m)
Draught8 ft 5 in (2.57 m)
Propulsion
Speed34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range3,450  nmi (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement76
Armament

HMS Pellew 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 Lclass, capable of higher speed. Launched on 18 April 1916, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet escorting convoys. The vessel was part of an unsuccessful attempt by the navy to trap the German submarines that had taken such a heavy toll on merchant shipping in December 1917. The action involved an eight-ship convoy consisting of four merchant vessels escorted by two armed trawlers and the sister ships Pellew and Partridge. Instead of submarines, four German destroyers attacked, sinking all but one member of the convoy and disappearing before the light cruisers which were to be the spring in the trap could arrive. Pellew, the sole survivor, took refuge in a Norwegian fjord. After the armistice that ended the war, the destroyer was placed in reserve and subsequently sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

Contents

Design and development

Pellew was one of sixteen Admiralty M-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in May 1915 as part of the Fifth War Construction Programme. [1] The M-class was an improved version of the earlier L-class destroyer destroyers, designed to reach a higher speed in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers, although it transpired these vessels did not exist. [2]

The destroyer was 273 feet 6 inches (83.36 m) long overall, with a beam of 26 feet 9 inches (8.15 m) and a draught of 8 feet 5 inches (2.57 m). [3] Displacement was 994 long tons (1,010  t ) normal and 1,250 long tons (1,270 t) full load. [4] Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding two Brown-Curtis steam turbines rated at 25,000 shaft horsepower (19,000  kW ) and driving two shafts, to give a design speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph). [5] Three funnels were fitted. 296 long tons (301 t) of oil were carried, giving a design range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). [6]

Armament consisted of three 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV QF guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised platform and one between the middle and aft funnels. A single 2-pounder (40 mm) pom-pom anti-aircraft gun was carried, while torpedo armament consisted of two twin mounts for 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes. [7] The ship had a complement of 76 officers and ratings. [6]

Construction and career

Pellew was laid down by William Beardmore and Company of Dalmuir on 28 June 1915 with the yard number 538, launched on 18 May the following year and completed on 30 June. [8] The vessel was the first to be named after the naval officer Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth. [9] The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the newly-formed Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla. [10] [11]

Pellew spent the war escorting convoys, primarily between Britain and Scandinavia. These were often subject to attacks from German submarine. For example. on 16 June 1917 the destroyer was off the coast of Norway escorting a convoy of vessels, including the Danish merchant ship Gunhild, which was sunk by SM U-100 the following day. [12] On 11 December, while escorting a convoy from Lerwick to Marsden as part of lure to attract German submarines so that they could be attacked by larger light cruisers. [13] However, when German naval vessels appeared to attack the convoy, the force consisted of four destroyers rather than submarines. At the head of the convoy when these attackers were sighted, Pellew ordered the convoy to scatter. [14] The destroyer, along with sister ship Partridge engaged the German ships, receiving multiple hits. Partridge was sunk, while Pellew was struck in the engine room and the mechanism to launch the aft torpedoes, which was disabled. The ship was only able to launch a single torpedo before the German vessels turned and targeted the convoy, sinking all six merchant ships and the two armed trawlers that accompanied them. [15] Pellew struggled to Selbjørnsfjorden, taking refuge with the few survivors from the convoy until the arrival of the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron which accompanied the destroyer back to Scapa Flow, arriving on 15 December. [16] The action led to a reappraisal of the support needed to convoy escorts. [17]

After the armistice, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of mobilisation. On 17 October 1919, the destroyer was reduced and placed in the Reserve Fleet. [18] Pellew was sold to be broken up by Thos W Ward on 9 May 1921, arriving at Briton Ferry on 5 January 1923. [19]

Pennant numbers

Pennant number Date
G64September 1915 [20]
H75January 1918 [21]
H98November 1918 [22]

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Trenchant</i> (1916) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Trenchant was a modified Admiralty R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. The vessel was the first of the modified design. Launched in 1916, the ship operated with the Grand Fleet during the First World War. The vessel was involved in escorting convoys and attacking German submarines. After the war, Trenchant was attacked by Republican forces during the Irish War of Independence but suffered little damage. The vessel was retired and sold to be broken up on 15 November 1928. The subsequent S-class are sometimes called Modified Trenchant class.

HMS <i>Sharpshooter</i> (1917) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Sharpshooter was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Launched on 27 February 1917, the ship joined the Harwich Force, undertaking convoy escort duties. The vessel also took part in the Navy’s bombardment of Ostend later that year. On 1 June 1918, the destroyer rescued Captain A. C. Sharwood, one of the first pilots of the Royal Australian Navy, who ditched his Sopwith 2F.1 Camel nearby. After the war, Sharpshooter joined the Navy gunnery training establishment at Plymouth, but did not stay long and was reduced to Reduced Complement on 5 March 1919. The Royal Navy was rationalising its destroyer force and Sharpshooter, deemed superfluous, was sold to be broken up on 29 April 1927.

HMS <i>Sarpedon</i> (1916) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Sarpedon was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. The R class were a development of the preceding M-class, but differed in having geared turbines and other design changes. Launched in June 1916, the vessel escorted convoys that sailed between Scotland and Scandinavia in the First World War. After the war, the ship was allocated to local defence at Nore. However, in 1923, the Navy decided to retire many of the older vessels and Sarpedon was retired and was sold to be broken up on 23 June 1926.

HMS <i>Llewellyn</i> (1913) British L-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Llewellyn was a Laforey-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy. Laid down on 14 December 1912 as HMS Picton, the ship was renamed on 30 September 1913 under an Admiralty order to become one of the first alphabetical class destroyers, being launched on 30 October. On commissioning, the vessel joined the Third Destroyer Flotilla and operated as part of the Harwich Force during the First World War. The destroyer took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, as well as undertaking anti-submarine patrols and escort duties. It was during one of these patrols on 4 December 1916 that the vessel unsuccessfully attacked the German submarine UB-18. On 17 March 1917, the destroyer was struck in the bow by a torpedo launched by a German torpedo boat while rescuing survivors from the sunk destroyer Paragon, but returned to port safely by steaming backwards. With the cessation of hostilities, the ship was placed in reserve. Although subsequently offered for sale to the Finnish Navy, Llewellyn was instead withdrawn from service and sold to be broken up on 18 March 1922.

HMS <i>Portia</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Portia 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 destroyer, capable of higher speed. Launched on 10 August 1916. Portia initially served with the Grand Fleet but was allocated to convoy escort duties in early 1917. The vessel was particularly active in anti-submarine warfare, although Portia never successful sank a submarine. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the ship was placed in reserve before being decommissioned and sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

HMS <i>Pigeon</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Pigeon was an 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 destroyer, capable of higher speed. Launched on 3 March 1916 by Hawthorn Leslie on the River Tyne, the vessel served as part of the Grand Fleet. Pigeon was mainly involved in escorting convoys. After an unsuccessful sortie in October 1917 against German cruisers, the destroyer moved to anti-submarine warfare. In this arena, Pigeon had some success in 1918, rescuing the survivors from the sinking troopship Tuscania in February and assisting in the destruction of the German U-boat UB-124 in July. After the Armistice, the destroyer was redeployed to serve as part of the Nore Local Defence flotilla until being decommissioned and sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

HMS <i>Plucky</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Plucky was an 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. Launched on 21 April 1916 by Scotts of Greenock, the vessel served as part of the Grand Fleet, spending most of the war based out of Plymouth, apart from a brief sojourn working from the Irish port of Buncrana. Plucky was mainly involved in anti-submarine warfare and escorting the merchant ships that made up the convoys travelling to and from England, colliding with one, the collier Mervin in February 1917. The merchant vessel was unharmed, but the subsequent explosion but the destroyer temporarily out of action. After armistice, the destroyer was redeployed to Portsmouth until being decommissioned and sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

HMS <i>Obdurate</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Obdurate was an 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. Launched on 21 January 1916 by Scotts of Greenock, the vessel served as part of the Grand Fleet in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. The destroyer formed part of the cover for the British battlecruisers and was involved in attacks on German battleships and destroyers, but recorded no hits. The destroyer was also part of attack by Zeppelin L 43 on Sydney and the distant cover for the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight, but received only minor damage from the German airship. After the armistice, Obdurate was assigned to the Local Defence Force at Nore and sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

HMS <i>Pelican</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Pelican 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 18 March 1916, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet, taking part in significant actions on 19 August 1916 and 4 May 1917, as well as the fight between the British and German battlecruisers in the Battle of Jutland. The destroyer also undertook the other more general roles were typical of the type, including anti-submarine sweeps and escort duties for convoys. The destroyer had success driving away German submarines but did not sink any. After the end of the war, Pelican initially joined a Local Defence Flotilla but within a year had been placed in reserve and was subsequently sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

HMS <i>Penn</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Penn 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 was named after William Penn, the father of the founder of Pennsylvania. Launched on 8 April 1916, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet forming part of the screen for the dreadnought battleships of the 1st Battle Squadron and escorting the aircraft carrier Furious in battle. The destroyer participated in the Actions of 19 August 1916 and 16 October 1917, as well as forming part of the distant support during the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. Penn was also instrumental in rescuing the survivors from the light cruiser Nottingham, sunk by a German submarine. After the Armistice that ended the war, the destroyer was placed in reserve and subsequently sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

HMS <i>Moorsom</i> (1914) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

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 <i>Morris</i> British M-Class destroyer

HMS Morris was an 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 only vessel to be named Morris to serve with the Royal Navy, was launched on 19 November 1914. Joining the Grand Fleet as part of a new flotilla, the destroyer was soon in action, serving as part of a destroyer screen during the Battle of Dogger Bank in January 1915 and an escort to the minelayer Princess Margaret during a skirmish with German torpedo boats eight months later. At the Battle of Jutland in 1916, the destroyer was a crucial part of the flotilla that drove the German torpedo boats away from the British battlecruisers. Morris received no hits during these confrontations. The destroyer assisted in the rescue of survivors from the R-class destroyer Simoom and the recovery of the damaged flotilla leader Botha in 1917. The ship also undertook general duties including escorting merchant ships, minelayers, monitors, and the seaplane carrier Vindex. After the armistice that ended the war, the destroyer was considered superfluous to requirements, Initially placed in reserve, Morris was decommissioned and, on 8 November 1921, sold to be broken up.

HMS <i>Marne</i> (1915) British M-Class destroyer, WW1

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.

HMS <i>Napier</i> (1915) British M-Class destroyer

HMS Napier 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 previous L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 27 November 1915 and joined the Grand Fleet. Napier had a varied war career, acting as part of the destroyer screen for the First Battle Squadron during the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight and searching for the survivors of losses like the armoured cruiser HMS Hampshire. The vessel was usually based at Scapa Flow but spent a brief time seconded to the Harwich Force in 1917. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, Napier was placed in reserve before being decommissioned and sold to be broken up on 8 November 1921.

HMS <i>Stork</i> (1916) British R-Class destroyer

HMS Stork was an R-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The R class were an improvement on the previous M class with geared steam turbines to improve efficiency. Launched by Hawthorn Leslie at Hebburn on 25 November 1917, Stork joined the Harwich Force. The destroyer saw service escorting convoys in the English Channel and encountered both German submarines and torpedo boats but did not record any hits on the enemy. The vessel also supported attacks on German forces on the coast of Western Europe by Coastal Motor Boats, flying boats and monitors, including the Zeebrugge Raid of 1918. After the Armistice that ended the war, the destroyer was transferred to the Gunnery School at Nore in 1919. However, in 1923, the Navy decided to retire many of the older vessels. On 7 October 1927, Stork was sold to be broken up.

HMS <i>Orestes</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer

HMS Orestes 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 previous L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 21 March 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet. Orestes was involved in seeking submarines in the North Sea, patrolling both independently and as part of large operations. The destroyer did not report any submarines destroyed, but did rescue the survivors from Privet after the Q-ship had successfully sunk the submarine U-85 after a duel in March 1917. Later in the war, the focus was turned to escorting convoys and destroyer helped secure convoys that crossed the Atlantic Ocean. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer was placed into reserve until being, on 30 January 1921, decommissioned and sold to be broken up.

HMS <i>Northesk</i> British M-Class destroyer

HMS Northesk 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 previous L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 6 July 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet. Northesk was involved in escorting convoys, including the first southbound convoy on the coastal route between Lerwick andImmingham in 1917. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer joined the Mediterranean Fleet and operated in the area around Sevastopol, including assisting in the evacuation of the Crimea in 1919. Soon afterwards, on 9 May 1921, Northesk was decommissioned and sold to be broken up.

HMS <i>Orpheus</i> (1916) British M-Class destroyer

HMS Orpheus 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 previous L-class, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 17 June 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet. Orpheus spent much of the war undertaking anti-submarine warfare patrols in the North Sea and escorting convoys across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1917, the destroyer was involved in a friendly fire incident with the British submarine J1. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer joined the Home Fleet. However, this role did not last long and the destroyer was deemed superfluous to requirements. Soon after, Orpheus was placed in reserve, decommissioned and, on 1 November 1921, sold to be broken up.

HMS <i>Oracle</i> (1915) British M-Class destroyer

HMS Oracle 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 previous L-class, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 23 December 1915 and joined the Grand Fleet. Oracle spent much of the war involved in anti-submarine warfare. In August 1916, the destroyer rescued the crew of the light cruiser Nottingham, which had been sunk by a German submarine. In August 1917, the destroyer rammed and sank the submarine U-44. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer was transferred to Portsmouth. Initially, the destroyer was part of the local defence flotilla but soon Oracle was placed in reserve, decommissioned and, on 30 October 1921, sold to be broken up.

HMS <i>Orford</i> (1916)

HMS Orford 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 previous L-class, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 19 April 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet. Orford spent much of the war undertaking anti-submarine warfare patrols and escorting convoys across the Atlantic Ocean. Although based at Scapa Flow, the destroyer ranged far, often operating off the coast of Cornwall and even having a temporary transfer to Buncrana in Ireland in 1917. In 1918, the destroyer took part in one of the final sorties of the Grand Fleet, but saw no action. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, Orford was placed in reserve, decommissioned and, on 31 October 1921, sold to be broken up.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ McBride 1991, p. 34.
  2. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 132.
  3. ↑ Johnston 1993, p. 166.
  4. ↑ Johnston 1993, p. 41.
  5. ↑ Parkes & Prendergast 1969, p. 109.
  6. 1 2 Friedman 2009, p. 296.
  7. ↑ Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 79.
  8. ↑ Johnston 1993, p. 154.
  9. ↑ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 336.
  10. ↑ "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". Supplement to the Monthly Navy List: 12. July 1916. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  11. ↑ Corbett 1920, p. 430.
  12. ↑ Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, p. 167.
  13. ↑ Newbolt 1931, p. 185.
  14. ↑ Newbolt 1931, p. 189.
  15. ↑ Newbolt 1931, p. 190-191.
  16. ↑ Newbolt 1931, p. 193.
  17. ↑ Newbolt 1931, p. 194.
  18. ↑ "Pellew", The Navy List, p. 823, July 1920, retrieved 15 December 2021– via National Library of Scotland
  19. ↑ Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 263.
  20. ↑ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 66.
  21. ↑ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 75.
  22. ↑ Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 67.

Bibliography

  • 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.
  • Colledge, J.J.; Warlow, Ben (2006). Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy. London: Chatham Press. ISBN   978-1-93514-907-1.
  • Corbett, Julian S. (1920). Naval Operations: Volume III. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC   1049894619.
  • 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 First World War. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN   978-1-84832-049-9.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   978-0-85177-245-5.
  • Johnston, Ian (1993). Beardmore Built: The Rise and Fall of a Clydeside Shipyard. Clydebank: Clydebank District Libraries & Museums Department. ISBN   978-0-90693-805-8.
  • Manning, Thomas Davys; Walker, Charles Frederick (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam. OCLC   780274698.
  • McBride, Keith (1991). "British 'M' Class Destroyers of 1913–14". In Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Warship 1991. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 34–49. ISBN   978-0-85177-582-1.
  • Monograph No. 35: Home Waters Part IX: 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIX. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1939.
  • Newbolt, Henry (1928). Naval Operations: Volume IV. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC   1049894132.
  • Newbolt, Henry (1931). Naval Operations: Volume V. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC   220475309.
  • Parkes, Oscar; Prendergast, Maurice (1969). Jane's Fighting Ships 1919. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. OCLC   907574860.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.