HMS Magic (1915)

HMS Magic was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Originally laid down as HMS Marigold by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the vessel was renamed before being launched on 10 September 1915. The ship served during the War as part of the Grand Fleet, mainly on anti-submarine and convoy escort duties from the port of Queenstown. In 1917, the destroyer took part in the Battle of Jutland and was one of a small number of British vessels that attacked the German fleet with torpedoes, although both torpedoes missed. In 1918, the ship struck a mine of the coast of Ireland and, although the damage was repaired, 25 lives were lost. After the War, the destroyer was placed in reserve and decommissioned, being sold to be broken up on 21 September 1921.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Magic and HMS Marigold.
Sistership HMS Marmion
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Magic
Ordered: September 1914
Builder: J. Samuel White, East Cowes
Yard number: 977
Laid down: 1 January 1915
Launched: 10 September 1915
Commissioned: 8 January 1916
Out of service: 22 September 1921
General characteristics
Class and type: Admiralty M-class destroyer
Displacement:
Length: 265 ft (80.8 m)
Beam: 26 ft 7 in (8.1 m)
Draught: 8 ft 7 in (2.62 m)
Propulsion:
Speed: 34 knots (39.1 mph; 63.0 km/h)
Range: 3,450 nmi (6,390 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement: 76
Armament:

Design and development

Magic was one of sixteen Admiralty M-class destroyer destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in September 1914 as part of the First War Construction Programme. The M-class was an improved version of the earlier L-class destroyer destroyers, required to reach the higher speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers.[1]

The destroyer was 265 feet (80.77 m) long overall, with a beam of 26 ft 7 in (8.10 m) and a draught of 8 ft 7 in (2.62 m). Displacement was 994 long tons (1,010 t) normal and 1,028 long tons (1,044 t) full load.[2] Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding two Parsons 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).[3] 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 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph).[4]

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 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.[4] The ship had a complement of 76 officers and ratings.[4]

Construction and career

Marigold was laid down by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 1 January 1915 with the yard number 1455, and launched on 10 September.[5] The ship was completed on 8 January 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet.[6] By this time, the ship's name had already been changed to Magic.[7]

The vessel was initially deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla.[8] In February 1917, increasing U-boat activity threatened shipping sailing south of Ireland to Britain. A new flotilla of four destroyers, Magic, Narwal, Parthian and Peyton were allocated to Queenstown in response to provide escort and anti-submarine duties.[9] On 16 February, it was proposed that the flotilla move to Milford Haven in response to threats in the Bristol Channel, but the need did not transpire and so they remained at Queenstown.[10] Another move to the Channel was attempted on 1 March, this time only with Magic and Narwal, but again, the destroyers soon returned to Queenstown.[11] The destroyer then escorted convoys across the Irish Sea, including one of four merchant ships that was redirected from Liverpool to Milford Haven on 28 March due to mines.[12] Other duties including towing damaged ships, including the steamer Dykland, which had been attacked by SM U-50, on 23 April.[13] On the following day, the vessel picked up the survivors from liner Abosso which had been sunk by the German submarine SM U-43, subsequently picking up survivors from the schooner Ehrglis and tanker Hektoria over the next week.[14]

By 30 May, the destroyer had rejoined the Eleventh Flotilla and sailed with the Grand Fleet to confront the German High Seas Fleet in what would be the Battle of Jutland.[15] Magic was one of fourteen M-class destroyers that were allocated to form part of the screen to protect the battleships of the Fleet.[16][17] In the ensuing battle, the destroyer fired two torpedoes at the German light cruisers SMS Elbing and SMS Hamburg, one of only two destroyers to use torpedoes in the melee.[18] Both missed.[19]

On 10 April 1918, the destroyer hit a mine that had been laid by the minelaying submarine SM UC-31 off the Irish coast near to Lough Swilly. 25 lives were lost, but the ship was successfully repaired and returned to service.[20] After the war, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of mobilisation, and surplus vessels were culled. Magic was initially placed in reserve at Devonport.[21] On 22 September 1921, the vessel was sold and broken up for scrap.[22]

Pennant numbers
Pennant Number Date
G011917[23]
G0A1918[23]

References

Citations
  1. Friedman 2009, p. 132.
  2. McBride 1991, p. 44.
  3. Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 79.
  4. Friedman 2009, p. 296.
  5. Williams & Sprake 1993, p. 86.
  6. Williams & Sprake 1993, p. 36.
  7. Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 245.
  8. "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. October 1915. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  9. Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 182.
  10. Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 247.
  11. Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 337.
  12. Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 347.
  13. Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 417.
  14. Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 415.
  15. Brooks 2016, pp. 155.
  16. Campbell 1998, pp. 23.
  17. Jutland: Official Despatches 1920, p. 533.
  18. Campbell 1998, p. 280.
  19. Brooks 2016, pp. 387.
  20. "Explosion on HMS MAGIC 10 April 1918. Casualties". The National Archives. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  21. "Vessels in Reserve at Home Ports and Other Bases", The Navy List, p. 708, October 1919, retrieved 6 June 2020 – via National Library of Scotland
  22. Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 246.
  23. Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 65.

Bibliography
  • Battle of Jutland, 30 May to 1 June 1916: Official Despatches with Appendices. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1920.
  • Brooks, John (2016). The Battle of Jutland. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-15014-0.
  • Campbell, John (1998). Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-750-4.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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. 34: Home Waters Part VIII: December 1916 to April 1917 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). XVIII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1933.
  • Williams, David L.; Sprake, Raymond F. (1993). White's of Cowes : "White's-built, well-built!". Peterborough: Silver Link. ISBN 978-1-85794-011-4.
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