HMS Serapis (1918)

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History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Serapis
Namesake Serapis
OrderedJune 1917
Builder Denny, Dumbarton
Yard number1101
Laid down4 December 1917
Launched17 September 1918
Completed21 March 1919
Out of service25 January 1934
FateSold to be broken up
General characteristics
Class and type S-class destroyer
Displacement
  • 1,075 long tons (1,092 t) normal
  • 1,221 long tons (1,241 t) deep load
Length265 ft (80.8 m) p.p.
Beam26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)
Draught9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) mean
Propulsion
Speed36 knots (41.4 mph; 66.7 km/h)
Range2,750  nmi (5,090 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement90
Armament

HMS Serapis was an S-class destroyer, which served with the Royal Navy during the Greco-Turkish and Russian Civil Wars. Launched on 17 September 1918, the vessel was not completed until after the closing of the First World War. The ship joined the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla in the Reserve Fleet at Rosyth. The ship was then commissioned and sent to Constantinople to support refugees escaping from the conflicts in the Black Sea. The destroyer assisted in the evacuation of the Crimea in 1919 and helped rescue about nine hundred people from Smyrna in 1922. In 1929, Serapis was transferred to Hong Kong to serve in China. However, the signing of the London Naval Treaty in 1930 meant that the Royal Navy looked to retire older vessels. Serapis was sold to be broken up on 25 January 1934.

Contents

Design and development

Serapis was one of thirty-three Admiralty Sclass destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in June 1917 as part of the Twelfth War Construction Programme. The design was a development of the Rclass introduced as a cheaper and faster alternative to the V and Wclass. [1] Differences with the R class were minor, such as having the searchlight moved aft. [2]

Serapis had a overall length of 276 ft (84 m) and a length of 265 ft (81 m) between perpendiculars. Beam was 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m) and draught 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m). Displacement was 1,075 long tons (1,092  t ) normal and 1,221 long tons (1,241 t) deep load. Three Yarrow boilers fed steam to two sets of Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines rated at 27,000 shaft horsepower (20,000  kW ) and driving two shafts, giving a design speed of 36 knots (67  km/h ; 41  mph ) at normal loading and 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph) at deep load. Two funnels were fitted. A full load of 301 long tons (306  t ) of fuel oil was carried, which gave a design range of 2,750 nautical miles (5,090 km; 3,160 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). [3]

Armament consisted of three QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline. [4] One was mounted raised on the forecastle, one on a platform between the funnels and one aft. [5] The ship also mounted a single 40-millimetre (1.6 in) 2-pounder pom-pom anti-aircraft gun for air defence. Four 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes were fitted in two twin rotating mounts aft. [4] The ship was designed to mount two additional 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes either side of the superstructure but this required the forecastle plating to be cut away, making the vessel very wet, so they were removed. [2] The weight saved enabled the heavier Mark V 21-inch torpedo to be carried. [1] The ship had a complement of 90 officers and ratings. [6]

Construction and career

Laid down on 4 December 1917 by William Denny and Brothers in Dumbarton with the yard number 1101, Serapis was launched on 17 September 1918 and completed on 21 March 1919. [7] The vessel was the fourth that served in the Royal Navy to be named after Serapis, the Egyptian god of healing. [8] With the First World War closing, the destroyer saw no action before the Armistice. Instead, Serapis was commissioned into the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Reserve Fleet at Rosyth. [9]

However, Serapis did not remain there long. Although the war had ended, fighting then started between Greece and Turkey and, in Russia, the civil war continued. The United Kingdom decided to send units of the Royal Navy to the front line. Serapis was one of the ships chosen, and was commissioned and sailed to Constantinople. [10] On 16 January 1920, Serapis, along with sister ships Somme and Steadfast, sailed into the Black Sea to assist in the evacuation of Russian officers' families. [11] The destroyer arrived in Sevastopol in February. [12] The evacuation of the Crimea continued until November. [13] Meanwhile, the city of Smyrna had been occupied by the Greeks since 15 May 1919, but was retaken by the Turkish Army on 9 September 1922. The destroyer was called upon to support the evacuation of refugees from the city, which was complete by 30 September. [14] Overall, the ship helped to evacuate about nine hundred people. [15]

On 27 January 1927, the destroyer joined the Eighth Destroyer Flotilla to operate under the Commander-in-Chief, China, and was transferred to Hong Kong. Serapis was recommissioned in Hong Kong on 1 October 1929. [16] However, the posting did not last long. On 22 April 1930, the United Kingdom signed the London Naval Treaty, which limited the total destroyer tonnage that the navy could operate. [17] The S class was deemed out of date and ripe to be replaced with more modern ships. Serapis returned to the United Kingdom and, on 25 January 1934, the destroyer was sold to Rees of Llanelly to be broken up. [18]

Pennant number

Penant number
Pennant number Date
F21September 1919 [19]
D581922 [20]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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HMS <i>Speedy</i> (1918)

HMS Speedy was an S-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War, Russian Civil War and the Greco-Turkish War. Speedy was one of a pair of destroyers ordered from Thornycroft with more powerful geared turbines and design changes like a raised forecastle that improved seakeeping. Launched on 1 June 1918, the vessel operated as part of the 12th Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet for the last months the War. After the Armistice, the vessel joined the Mediterranean Fleet and took part in actions in the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara. It was during action there that the ship struck a tug on 24 September 1922. The collision sank the destroyer, killing ten sailors.

HMS <i>Tobago</i> (1918)

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HMS <i>Tourmaline</i> (1919) British S-class destroyer

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

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HMS <i>Lochinvar</i> (1915) British L-Class destroyer

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

HMS Peyton 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 2 May 1916, the vessel served in anti-submarine and escort duties based at Cobh in Ireland. The destroyer attacked the German submarine SM UB-23 and rescued crews from friendly merchant ships that had been sunk. After the end of the war, Peyton was placed in reserve and subsequently broken up on 9 May 1921.

HMS <i>Tara</i> (1918) S class destroyerI

HMS Tara was an S-class destroyer, which served with the Royal Navy. Launched on 7 August 1918, the vessel entered service at the closing of the First World War. The ship joined the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet but was placed in Reserve at Nore in 1919. Tara deteriorated over the following years and was sold to be broken up on 17 December 1931 after the signing of the London Naval Treaty that limited the amount of destroyer tonnage the Navy could retain.

HMS <i>Swallow</i> (1918) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

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HMS <i>Tribune</i> (1918) Royal Navy S class destroyer

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HMS <i>Trojan</i> Royal Navy S class destroyer

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HMS <i>Trinidad</i> (1918) Royal Navy S class destroyer

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HMS <i>Sepoy</i> (1918) Royal Navy S class destroyer

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HMS <i>Senator</i> (1918) Royal Navy S class destroyer

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HMS <i>Seraph</i> (1918) Royal Navy S class destroyer

HMS Seraph was an S-class destroyer, which served with the Royal Navy during the Russian Civil War. The S class were a development of the previous R class, with minor differences, constructed at the end of the First World War. Seraph had a career as an evacuation vessel more than as a warship. Launched on 2 April 1918 by Denny, Seraph was originally destined for the Grand Fleet but, after the Armistice, the destroyer transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet based at Malta. The destroyer was sent into the Black Sea to support the White Russian forces in their fight against the Communists. The role involved supporting the movement of troops rather than firing at the enemy. Ultimately, the Communists won and Seraph helped the evacuation of White Russian troops from Crimea, returning to Malta in February 1921. In January 1927, the ship was sent to Hong Kong to serve under the Commander-in-Chief, China. In December 1929, the vessel was once again called to evacuate, this time Christian missionaries from the Chinese Red Army. Once again, the evacuation took place without bloodshed. With the introduction of more modern destroyers, the Royal Navy started retiring the S class and, on 7 May 1934, Seraph was 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.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 85.
  2. 1 2 March 1966, p. 221.
  3. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 297.
  4. 1 2 Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 84.
  5. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 163.
  6. ↑ Parkes & Prendergast 1969, p. 103.
  7. ↑ Lyon 1975, p. 719.
  8. ↑ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 401.
  9. ↑ "V Vessels in Reserve at Home Ports and Other Bases". The Navy List: 18. July 1919. Retrieved 5 October 2021– via National Library of Scotland.
  10. ↑ Halpern 2019, p. 141.
  11. ↑ Halpern 2019, p. 137.
  12. ↑ Snook 1989, p. 352.
  13. ↑ Halpern 2019, p. 284.
  14. ↑ Halpern 2019, p. 295.
  15. ↑ Dobkin 1988, p. 175.
  16. ↑ "Serapis". The Navy List: 269. July 1931.
  17. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 211.
  18. ↑ Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 317.
  19. ↑ Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 74.
  20. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 312.

Bibliography

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