HMS Medway (1916)

HMS Medway 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 Laforey-class, capable of higher speed. Originally laid down as HMS Redwing by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the vessel was renamed before being launched on 8 March 1916. The vessel was allocated to the Grand Fleet and served in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight in support of the First Light Cruiser Squadron in their action against German light cruisers and minesweepers. During the action, the ship did not record any hits. After the War, the destroyer was placed in reserve and subsequently sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Medway and HMS Redwing.
Sistership HMS Oracle
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Medway
Namesake: River Medway
Ordered: May 1915
Builder: J. Samuel White, East Cowes
Yard number: November 1915
Launched: 19 April 1916
Completed: 2 August 1916
Out of service: 9 May 1921
Fate: Broken up
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

Medway was one of eighteen Admiralty M-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in May 1915 as part of the Fifth War Construction Programme. The M-class was an improved version of the earlier Laforey-class, required to reach the higher speed in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers.[1]

The destroyer was 265 feet (80.77 m) long overall, with a beam of 26 feet 7 inches (8.10 m) and a draught of 8 feet 7 inches (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 White-Forster 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 knots (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.[5] Fire control included a Vickers range clock and a Waymouth-Cooke rangefinder.[6] The ship had a complement of 76 officers and ratings.[4]

Construction and career

Redwing was laid down by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 2 November 1915 with the yard number 1468, and launched on 19 April 1916.[7] The ship was completed on 30 June 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet.[8] By this time, the ship's name had already been changed twice, initially to Medora and then subsequently Medway.[9] The final name was in honour of the river in South East England.[10] The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla based at Scapa Flow.[11]

At the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight on 17 November 1917, the destroyer was one of two, the other being the more modern Vendetta, screening the First Light Cruiser Squadron as they sought to destroy a flotilla of German minesweepers.[12] The Squadron engaged with the German light cruisers Frankfurt, Königsberg, Nürnberg and Pillau, but the destroyer scored no hits.[13] This proved to be the last involvement by the class in a major battle during the conflict.[14] The vessel was transferred to Buncrana with the Second Destroyer Flotilla during the last year of the war.[15]

After the armistice, Medway was transferred Portsmouth.[16] However, this was a temporary post and during the following year, the destroyer was moved to the local defence flotilla at Portland, operating with a reserve complement.[17] As the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of mobilisation, surplus vessels were culled, and so, on 9 May 1921, Medway was sold to Thos W Ward of Milford Haven and subsequently broken up.[9]

Pennant numbers
Pennant Number Date
G761915[18]
F011917[18]
GA21918[18]

References

Citations
  1. Friedman 2009, p. 132.
  2. McBride 1991, p. 44.
  3. Parkes & Prendergast 1969, p. 109.
  4. Friedman 2009, p. 296.
  5. Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 79.
  6. "Fire Control in H.M. Ships". The Technical History and Index: Alteration in Armaments of H.M. Ships During the War. 3 (23): 35. 1919.
  7. Williams & Sprake 1993, p. 86.
  8. Williams & Sprake 1993, p. 36.
  9. Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 211.
  10. Manning & Walker 1959, p. 292.
  11. Naval Staff Monograph No. 7 1927, p. 259.
  12. Newbolt 1931, p. 169.
  13. Newbolt 1931, p. 171,176.
  14. McBride 1991, p. 49.
  15. "Coast of Ireland Station", Supplement to the Monthly Navy List, p. 17, January 1918, retrieved 7 November 2020 – via National Library of Scotland
  16. "Vessels at Home Ports Temporarily", Supplement to the Monthly Navy List, p. 20, January 1919, retrieved 7 November 2020 – via National Library of Scotland
  17. "Local Defence and Training Establishments", The Navy List, p. 705, October 1919, retrieved 7 November 2020 – via National Library of Scotland
  18. Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 67.

Bibliography
  • 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 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • 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.
  • Manning, Thomas Davys; Walker, Charles Frederick (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam. OCLC 780274698.
  • Monograph No. 7: Home Waters Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). XVII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1927.
  • McBride, Keith (1991). "British 'M' Class Destroyers of 1913–14". In Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Warship 1991. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 34–49. ISBN 0-85177-582-9.
  • Newbolt, Henry (1931). Naval Operations: Vol. V. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green & Co.
  • Parkes, Oscar; Prendergast, Maurice (1969). Jane's Fighting Ships 1919. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. OCLC 907574860.
  • 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.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.