HMS Truculent (1917)

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Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameTruculent
OrderedMarch 1916
Builder Yarrow Shipbuilders, Glasgow
Laid downMarch 1916
Launched24 March 1917
CompletedMay 1917
Out of service29 April 1927
FateSold to be broken up
General characteristics
Class and type Yarrow Later M-class destroyer
Displacement930 long tons (940 t) (normal)
Length273 ft 6 in (83.4 m) (o/a)
Beam25 ft 7.5 in (7.8 m)
Draught9 ft (2.7 m)
Installed power3 Yarrow boilers, 27,800  shp (20,700  kW)
Propulsion Parsons steam turbines, 2 shafts
Speed36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range1,860  nmi (3,440 km; 2,140 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement82
Armament

HMS Truculent was the a Yarrow Later M-class destroyer, or Yarrow R-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The Later M class was an improvement on those of the preceding Yarrow M class, with a narrower beam. Launched in 1917, Truculent joined the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Harwich Force. The flotilla escorted convoys across the North Sea. The destroyer also escorted the monitors Erebus and Terror in their bombardment of Ostend in 1917 and of Zeebrugge in 1918, both times without casualties. After the Armistice that ended the war, the destroyer was briefly sent to Hamburg in 1919 before being placed in reserve, eventually being sold to be broken up in 1926.

Contents

Design and development

As the First World War progressed, the Royal Navy required more, and more modern, warships. In March 1916, within the Eighth War Programme, the British Admiralty ordered three vessels from Yarrow Shipbuilders as part of a wider order of R-class destroyers. [1] The R class was generally similar to the preceding M class, but differed in, primarily, in having geared steam turbines. [2] The Yarrow-built ships differed in retaining the direct drive turbines of the M class and are therefore often called the Yarrow Later M class. [3] They were similar to the preceding Yarrow M class but distinguished by their greater tonnage, narrower beam and sloping sterns. [4] Truculent was the first of the three to be launched. [5]

Truculent had a length of 273 ft 6 in (83.4 m) overall, with a beam of 25 ft 7.5 in (7.8 m) and draught of 9 ft (2.7 m). Displacement was 930 long tons (940  t ) normal. Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding Parsons direct-drive steam turbines rated at 27,000 shaft horsepower (20,000  kW ). The turbines drove two shafts and exhausted through two funnels. Design speed was 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). [6] In trials, the destroyer achieved 39,117 kn (72,445 km/h; 45,015 mph) at a displacement of 780 long tons (790 t). [7] Between 215 and 260 long tons (218 and 264 t) of oil was carried. [4] Design range was 1,860 nautical miles (3,440 km; 2,140 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). [8] The ship had a complement of 82 officers and ratings. [6]

Truculent had a main armament consisting of three single QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV guns on the centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft and one between the middle and aft funnels. Torpedo armament consisted of two twin torpedo tubes for 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes located aft of the funnels. A 2-pounder 40 mm (1.6 in) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft gun was carried. [9] The destroyer was also fitted with racks and storage for depth charges. [10] Initially, only two depth charges were carried but the number increased in service and by 1918, the vessel was carrying between 30 and 50 depth charges. [11]

Construction and career

Truculent was laid down by Yarrow at their shipyard in Scotstoun, Glasgow, in March 1916, launched on 24 March 1917 and completed in May that year. [5] The ship was the first of the name in service with the navy. [12] The vessel was deployed as part of the Harwich Force, joining the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla. [13] The flotilla was involved in supporting the convoys that crossed the North Sea. [14]

On 4 June 1917, the destroyer formed part of the escort for the monitors Erebus and Terror in their bombardment of Ostend. [15] Out of the 115 shells fired, 20 hit the dockyard or nearby. This was to be the last such attack for many months. [16] Between 16 and 17 October, the destroyer was called upon to be part of a large force of 84 warships sent out to search for a German fleet based around a minelayer, although Truculent saw no action. [17] After an aborted attempt on 11 April 1918, the vessel escorted Erebus and Terror on an attack on Zeebrugge on 18 April. [18] The plan included the sinking of blockships to impede the flow of German submarines leaving the port. Although the operation did not meet the expectations of the Admiralty and the port remained open, the bombardment was achieved without interference by enemy warships or the loss of any British vessels. [19] On 1 October, as part of the Harwich Force, the ship was sent to intercept retreating German forces, but did not find any. This was one of the final voyages undertaken by the Harwich Force during the war. [20]

On 2 February 1919, Truculent sailed into the Elbe and, on 4 February, arrived in Hamburg. The city was in a state of turmoil as food supplies were being held by the Hamburg Workers and Soldiers Council. [21] The council was a radical element that had arisen partly in response to food shortages in the city. Election on 16 March brought some calm, but ultimately the lack of food led to riots in June that year, [22] Meanwhile, as the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength following the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the war, both the number of ships and the amount of personnel in service needed to be reduced to save money. [23] On 10 May 1919 Truculent was placed in reserve at Portsmouth. [24] In July 1923, the Navy decided to scrap many of the older destroyers in preparation for the introduction of newer and larger vessels. [25] On 22 September 1925, Truculent was one of 22 destroyers that were chosen to be scrapped. [26] On 5 November 1926, the warship was retired and sold to Cashmore to be broken up at Newport. [27]

Pennant numbers

Pennant number Date
F70January 1917 [28]
F82January 1918 [29]
F12January 1919 [30]
H45January 1922 [31]

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HMS <i>Mansfield</i> (1914) British M-Class destroyer

HMS Mansfield was a Hawthorn Leslie M-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class was an improvement on those of the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. Built by the Tyneside shipbuilder Hawthorn Leslie, the destroyer was launched in 1915 and joined the Harwich Force as an anti-submarine escort for merchant ships in the Southwest Approaches and English Channel. In between that service, in 1916, Mansfield accompanied the seaplane carrier Vindex on a seaplane raid on German Zeppelin sheds during which the destroyer assisted in the sinking of two German patrol boats. In 1918, the vessel supported attacks by British monitors and submarines against Zeebrugge and escorted Vindictive to Ostend where the retired protected cruiser was sunk as a blockship. After the Armistice, Mansfield was placed in reserve before being sold to be broken up in 1921.

HMS <i>Tetrarch</i> (1917) British R-Class destroyer

HMS Tetrarch 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 in 1917, Tetrarch served with the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Harwich Force. The destroyer took part in the First Ostend Raid in 1918 alongside the monitors Erebus and Terror. Later that year, the vessel escorted five destroyers each towing an aircraft on a lighter to attack German shipping off Heligoland. After the Armistice, the ship was initially placed in reserve at Devonport but soon joined the Atlantic Fleet, with a particular role as an escort to the aircraft carriers Courageous and Furious. As well as exercises with the fleet in the Mediterranean Sea and off the coast of Scotland, the ship undertook visits to seaside resorts in England and Wales. Following a decision to replace older destroyers in the Royal Navy, Tetrarch was retired in 1934 and sold to be broken up.

HMS <i>Sabrina</i> (1916) British Yarrow Later M-Class destroyer

HMS Sabrina was the first Yarrow Later M class, or Yarrow R class, destroyer and served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The Later M class was an improvement on those of the preceding Yarrow M class, with a narrower beam. Launched in 1916, Sabrina joined the Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet. The vessel was a participant in anti-submarine patrols as part of the flotilla, but did not engage any enemy warships. The Admiralty increasingly used more successful convoys rather than relying on destroyers finding the enemy on patrol. After the Armistice that ended the war, the destroyer was initially placed in reserve and participated in a naval exercise in 1920, before being sold to be broken up in 1926.

HMS <i>Sybille</i> (1917) British Yarrow Later M-Class destroyer

HMS Sybille was a Yarrow Later M-class, or Yarrow R-class, destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The Later M class was an improvement on those of the preceding Yarrow M class, with a narrower beam. Launched in 1917, Sybille joined the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Harwich Force. The flotilla was tasked with escorting convoys across the North Sea. The destroyer also escorted the monitors Erebus and Terror in their bombardment of Ostend in 1917 and took part in a sortie in 1917 led by the destroyer leader Montrose. After the Armistice that ended the war in 1918, the destroyer was placed in reserve. After participating in a naval review in 1924, Sybille was sold to be broken up in 1926.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 158.
  2. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 326.
  3. ↑ Parkes & Prendergast 1969, p. 106.
  4. 1 2 Cocker 1981, p. 39.
  5. 1 2 Friedman 2009, p. 310.
  6. 1 2 Preston 1985, p. 76.
  7. ↑ March 1966, p. 153.
  8. ↑ March 1966, p. 151.
  9. ↑ Preston 1985, pp. 81.
  10. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 151.
  11. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 152.
  12. ↑ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 452.
  13. ↑ "II— Harwich Force", Supplement to The Monthly Navy List, p. 13, April 1917, retrieved 26 December 2024– via National Library of Scotland
  14. ↑ Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, p. 4.
  15. ↑ Newbolt 1931, p. 45.
  16. ↑ Newbolt 1931, p. 47.
  17. ↑ Newbolt 1931, pp. 151–152.
  18. ↑ Newbolt 1931, pp. 249, 251, 252.
  19. ↑ Newbolt 1931, p. 277.
  20. ↑ Newbolt 1931, pp. 362–363.
  21. ↑ "British Warships in Hamburg". The Times. No. 42016. 5 February 1919. p. 7.
  22. ↑ Strupp 2014, p. 208–209.
  23. ↑ Moretz 2002, p. 79.
  24. ↑ "893 Truculent", The Navy List, p. 878, April 1920, retrieved 26 December 2024– via National Library of Scotland
  25. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 180.
  26. ↑ "Naval and Military: More Destroyers to be Scrapped". The Times. No. 44073. 22 September 1925. p. 7.
  27. ↑ Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 361.
  28. ↑ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 51.
  29. ↑ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 52.
  30. ↑ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 46.
  31. ↑ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 73.

Bibliography

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