HMS Simoom (1916)

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HMS SIMOOM 1916.jpg
HMS Simoom in 1916
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Simoom
Namesake Simoom
OrderedDecember 1915
Builder John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Yard number455
Laid down23 May 1916
Launched30 October 1916
Commissioned22 December 1916
Out of service23 January 1917
FateTorpedoed by SMS S50 and sunk
General characteristics
Class and type R-class destroyer
Displacement
  • 975 long tons (991 t) normal
  • 1,173 long tons (1,192 t) deep load
Length276 ft (84.1 m) p.p.
Beam26 ft 9 in (8.15 m)
Draught9 ft (2.7 m) mean
Propulsion
Speed36 knots (41.4 mph; 66.7 km/h)
Range3,450  nmi (6,390 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement90
Armament

HMS Simoom (sometimes incorrectly spelled Simoon) was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Launched on 30 October 1916, the vessel operated as part of the Harwich Force until torpedoed by the German destroyer S50 on 23 January 1917. The ship's magazine exploded and 47 lives were lost. The name was reused by the first S-classdestroyer, Simoom, launched on 26 January 1918.

Contents

Design and development

Simoom was one of eight R-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty on 21 December 1915 as part of the Seventh War Construction Programme. [1] [2] The design was generally similar to the preceding M class, but differed in having geared turbines, the central gun mounted on a bandstand and minor changes to improve seakeeping. [3] The ship was named after the simoom, a dry wind that sweeps across the Arabian peninsula. [4]

The destroyer was 276 feet (84.12 m) long overall, with a beam of 26 feet 9 inches (8.15 m) and a draught of 9 feet (2.74 m). [1] Displacement was 1,173 long tons (1,192 t). Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding two Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines rated at 27,000 shaft horsepower (20,000 kW). Each turbine drove a single shaft to give a design speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). [1] Two funnels were fitted, two boilers exhausting through the forward funnel. A total of 296 long tons (301 t) of fuel oil was carried, giving a design range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). [3]

Armament consisted of three 4 in (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 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. [1] The ship had a complement of 90 officers and ratings. [5]

Construction and career

Construction was very swift, with the keel laid down by John Brown & Company at Clydebank in May 1916, launching taking place in October and fitting out completed in December. [6] [7] The build took a very impressive 214 days, faster than any of the rest of the class. [8] The vessel started preliminary trials on 16 December, completing trials in six days. [5] On commissioning, Simoom joined the 10th Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Harwich Force under the flotilla leader Nimrod. [9] The destroyer was allocated the pennant number F57. [10]

The vessel formed part of the force led by Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt that put out to intercept a flotilla of eleven destroyers of the Imperial German Navy, led by the flotilla leader V69, in the North Sea on 22 January 1917. [11] Alongside fellow destroyers Milne, Starfish and Surprise, Simoom was allocated to patrol the Schouwen Bank. During a confused night battle, the destroyer S50 became separated from the rest of the German fleet. [12] The lone destroyer surprised Simoom, which was leading the line of British vessels, in the early hours of the following day. Gunfire was exchanged, then S50 managed to unleash a torpedo which hit a magazine and a huge explosion engulfed Simoom. [13] [14] There were 47 casualties, the 43 survivors being rescued by Morris, and the remains of the vessel were sunk by gunfire by Nimrod. [15] [16]

When the first S-classdestroyer, Simoom, was launched on 26 January 1918, the name was reused in honour of this vessel. [17]

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

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

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

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

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

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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>Tancred</i> (1917) British R-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Tancred was an R-class destroyer which served with 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 Beardmore of Dalmuir on 30 June 1917, Tancred initially joined the Grand Fleet, serving as part of a flotilla that took part in one of the last naval actions of the war, although in this case the British vessels did not engage with the German High Seas Fleet. After the signing of the Armistice that ended the war and the dissolution of the Grand Fleet, the destroyer was initially transferred to the Home Fleet. However, within a year, Tancred had been allocated to the local defence flotilla at Firth of Forth. Despite being at a reduced complement as an economy measure, further reductions in fleet costs meant that the destroyer was retired. On 17 May 1928, Tancred was sold to be broken up.

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 in 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. In 1922, the warship carried representatives to the unveiling of war memorials in Dunkirk and Ostend. However, the Navy decided to retire many of the older vessels as new destroyers were introduced. In 1927, Stork was sold to be broken up.

References

Citations

Bibliography

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