HMS Moresby

HMS Moresby 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 L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. Originally laid down as HMS Marlion by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the vessel was renamed before being launched on 20 November 1915. At the Battle of Jutland, the destroyer was initially cover for the seaplane tender Engadine but soon joined the action as part of a flotilla led by the light cruiser Champion. Moresby attacked the German fleet with torpedoes, initially unsuccessfully targeting the dreadnought battleship Markgraf and, near the end of the battle, unleashing another which narrowly missed the battlecruiser Von der Tann. In March 1918, the destroyer sank U-110 with the destroyer Michael. After the war, the destroyer was placed in reserve and eventually sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

Sistership HMS Marmion
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Moresby
Namesake: Fairfax Moresby
Ordered: September 1914
Builder: J. Samuel White, East Cowes
Yard number: 1456
Laid down: 1 January 1915
Launched: 20 November 1915
Completed: 7 April 1916
Out of service: 9 May 1921
Fate: Sold to be 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

Moresby was one of sixteen Admiralty M-class 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 destroyers, envisaged to reach the higher speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers, although ultimately the design did not quite meet this.[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]The ship had a complement of 76 officers and ratings.[4]

Construction and career

Marlion was laid down by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 1 January 1915 with the yard number 1456, and launched on 20 November.[6] The ship was completed on 7 April 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet.[7] By this time, the ship's name had already been changed to Moresby.[8] The new name honoured Admiral Fairfax Moresby.[9] The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla.[10]

On 30 May 1916, the destroyer sailed with the Grand Fleet to confront the German High Seas Fleet in what would be the Battle of Jutland.[11] Moresby was one of fourteen M-class destroyers that were allocated to form part of the screen to protect the battlecruisers of the Fleet.[12][13] However, along with sistership Onslow, the destroyer was detached to cover the seaplane tender Engadine.[14] After the reconnaissance seaplane had been recovered, Lieutenant commander Jack Tovey, who commanded Onslow, led the two destroyers back into the action.[15]

Moresby rejoined the Flotilla and, led by the light cruiser Champion, steamed towards the German High Seas Fleet. The two fleets met and Moresby was soon in the centre of the action. The destroyer attacked the German battlecruisers, and shortly after 1710 on 31 May, launched a torpedo at the dreadnought battleship Markgraf.[16] The destroyer also narrowly escaped an attack from the light cruiser Wiesbaden, two torpedoes streaking past, one ahead and the other astern.[17] As the battlesfleets broke apart, Champion sped away in pursuit of the German fleet, leaving the majority of the destroyers behind, with only Moresby and Obdurate able to keep up.[18]

The small flotilla sought for the main German fleet, and at 2:15 turned westwards towards gunfire.[19] They saw four German cruisers with their attendant destroyers.[20] However, through the mist, Moresby saw what were initially taken to be four pre-dreadnought battleships.[21] The destroyer sped off and launched a torpedo at a range of 3,700 yards (3,400 m) at the third ship in the line. The destroyer reported a hit and then withdrew. In fact, two of the vessels were German battlecruisers, and the torpedo narrowly missed Von der Tann.[22] Instead, the torpedo hit the torpedo boat V4.[23] Returning to the British lines, the three ships were spotted by the German torpedo boats G40 and V45, which launched torpedoes, but both sides escaped without recording a hit.[24]

The destroyer was transferred to Buncrana with the Second Destroyer Flotilla during the latter part of 1917.[25] The vessel served as a convoy escort, and on 2 October 1917, was also involved in the ultimately unsuccessful efforts to save the armoured cruiser Drake.[26] On 15 March the following year, the destroyer was patrolling with sistership Michael when they surprised U-110 shortly after the submarine had sunk the ocean liner Amazon. The submarine dived but was brought back to the surface when the destroyers attacked with depth charges and was finished by gunfire. Six of the crew were rescued.[27]

After the war, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of mobilisation, and surplus vessels were culled. Moresby was initially placed alongside fifty-two other destroyers in reserve at Nore.[28] On 9 May 1921, the vessel was sold to Thos W Ward of Grays and was broken up in 1923.[8]

Pennant numbers
Pennant Number Date
HC11914[29]
F021917[29]
H271918[29]

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. Williams & Sprake 1993, p. 86.
  7. Williams & Sprake 1993, p. 36.
  8. Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 219.
  9. Manning & Walker 1959, p. 305.
  10. "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". Supplement to the Monthly Navy List: 12. October 1916. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  11. Brooks 2016, pp. 155.
  12. Campbell 1998, pp. 23.
  13. Jutland: Official Despatches 1920, p. 533.
  14. Kemp 1956, p. 70.
  15. Kemp 1956, p. 78.
  16. Campbell 1998, p. 101.
  17. Campbell 1998, p. 215.
  18. Brooks 2016, p. 399.
  19. Corbett 1920, p. 408.
  20. Brookes 1962, p. 66.
  21. Corbett 1920, p. 410.
  22. Campbell 1998, p. 301.
  23. Corbett 1920, p. 411.
  24. Brooks 2016, p. 425.
  25. "Coast of Ireland Station", Supplement to the Monthly Navy List, p. 17, October 1917, retrieved 3 November 2020 – via National Library of Scotland
  26. Newbolt 1931, p. 162.
  27. Gibson & Prendergast 1931, p. 292.
  28. "Vessels in Reserve at Home Ports and Other Bases", The Navy List, p. 707, October 1919, retrieved 3 November 2020 – via National Library of Scotland
  29. 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.
  • Brookes, Ewart (1962). Destroyer. London: Jarrolds. OCLC 464408994.
  • 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.
  • Corbett, Julian S. (1920). Naval Operations: Volume III. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC 1049894619.
  • Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-71100-380-4.
  • Dunn, Steve (2008). Bayly's War: The Battle for the Western Approaches in the First World War. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-52670-123-7.
  • 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.
  • Gibson, R.H.; Prendergast, Maurice (1931). The German Submarine War 1914-1918. London: Constable & Co. OCLC 560671595.
  • Kemp, Paul K. (1956). Destroyer. London: Herbert Jenkins. OCLC 464448265.
  • Manning, Thomas Davys; Walker, Charles Frederick (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam. OCLC 780274698.
  • 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.
  • Newbolt, Henry (1931). Naval Operations: Vol. V. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC 861238073.
  • 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.
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