HMS Marvel (1915)

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HMS Oracle (1915) IWM SP 1411.jpg
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Marvel
OrderedNovember 1914
BuilderWilliam Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton
Yard number1031
Laid down11 January 1915
Launched7 October 1915
Completed28 December 1915
Out of service9 May 1921
FateSold to be broken up
General characteristics
Class and typeAdmiralty M-class destroyer
Displacement
Length265 ft (80.8 m)
Beam26 ft 7 in (8.1 m)
Draught8 ft 7 in (2.62 m)
Propulsion
Speed34 knots (39.1 mph; 63.0 km/h)
Range3,450 nmi (6,390 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement76
Armament
  • 3 × QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark IV guns (3×1)
  • 1 × single 2-pounder (40-mm) "pom-pom" Mk. II anti-aircraft gun (1×1)
  • 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2×2)

HMS Marvel 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, capable of higher speed. The vessel, launched on 7 October 1915, joined the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla under the flotilla leader Faulknor. The ship saw action during the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, being hit by a 12 in (300 mm) shell that did not explode and jointly sinking the German torpedo boat SMS V48. In August, the vessel successfully rescued all by four of the crew of the sinking flotilla leader Hoste, despite sustaining substantial damage in the process. In June 1917, the vessel was involved in the sinking of the German merchant ship SS Gamma in Norwegian waters, which led to a diplomatic protest from the Norwegian government. At the end of the war, the vessel was placed in reserve until being sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

Design and development[]

Marvel was one of nine Admiralty M-class destroyer destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in November 1914 as part of the Second War Construction Programme.[1] The M-class was an improved version of the earlier L-class destroyers, designed to reach a higher speed in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers, although it transpired these vessels did not exist.[2]

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 1,025 long tons (1,041 t) full load.[3] 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).[4] 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).[5]

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.[6] The ship had a complement of 76 officers and ratings.[5]

Initially, the vessel carried no fire control system but during 1916 was equipped with a single Dumaresq and a Vickers range clock.[7]

Construction and career[]

Marvel was laid down by William Denny and Brothers of Dumbarton on 11 January 1915 with the yard number 1031, launched on 7 October and completed on 28 December.[3] This was the first time the name had been used in the Royal Navy.[8] The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla under the flotilla leader Faulknor.[9]

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.[10] The destroyer formed part of the First Division of the Flotilla, led by Faulknor and also including sister ships , and .[11] The destroyer was deployed in action against the German light cruisers.[12] At 6:29 PM, the destroyer was hit by a 12 in (300 mm) shell, but it did not explode.[13] Shortly afterwards, the division saw the approaching line of the German Third Torpedo Boat Flotilla and attacked. The destroyer, along with the rest of the flotilla, sank the torpedo boatV48, previously disabled by Shark.[14] As the battle closed, the Flotilla spotted the retreating German line. The First Division was ordered to attack, and, using their superior speed, the destroyers sped ahead of the German ships.[15] At about 2:00 AM, Marvel swung round and, finding a good position to target the battleships, launched four torpedoes. They all missed.[16]

On 18 August, the destroyer was escorting the dreadnought battleship and flagship of the Grand Fleet Iron Duke along with sister ship Onslaught to intercept the High Seas Fleet on their attack on Sunderland.[17] On 21 December, the destroyer was called to assist the flotilla leader Hoste, which had collided and sank Negro. Along with sister ship Marmion, Marvel attempted to tow the damaged ship back to Scapa, but after three hours, Hoste began to founder. Disregarding the severe conditions, Marvel went alongside to rescue the crew of the sinking ship. Despite repeatedly being forced apart by the heavy seas and repeatedly sustaining damage to the forecastle, the destroyer returned twelve times and successfully rescued all but four of the ship's crew before the flotilla leader eventually sank.[18]

On 2 June 1917, Marvel was involved in the sinking of the German steamship, SS Gamma. The destroyer was patrolling off the Norwegian coast along with the light cruiser Cambrian and sister ship Mindful when the merchantman was spotted. A warning shot was fired and Gamma turned to the Norwegian shore. The British vessels pursued and sank the ship. The Norwegian government protested the violation of their neutrality and presented the UK government with a bill of 3,406,124 marks, given to them by the German government, which the British government ignored. The cruise also led to protests from five other vessels, sailing under Norwegian and Swedish flags, four of which the Royal Navy admitted were stopped in neutral waters.[19]

After the Armistice, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of mobilisation, and surplus vessels were culled. Initially, Marvel was placed in reserve at Devonport.[20] On 9 May 1921, the vessel was sold to be Ward of Hayle and broken up.[21]

Pennant numbers[]

Pennant Number Date
G28 1917[22]
GA3 1918[22]

References[]

Citations[]

  1. ^ McBride 1991, p. 34.
  2. ^ Friedman 2009, p. 132.
  3. ^ a b Lyon 1975, p. 690.
  4. ^ Parkes & Prendergast 1969, p. 109.
  5. ^ a b Friedman 2009, p. 296.
  6. ^ Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 79.
  7. ^ "Fire Control in H.M. Ships". The Technical History and Index: Alteration in Armaments of H.M. Ships During the War. 3 (23): 32. 1919.
  8. ^ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 289.
  9. ^ "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". Supplement to the Monthly Navy List: 12. January 1916. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  10. ^ Brooks 2016, pp. 155.
  11. ^ Brooks 2016, p. 337.
  12. ^ Brooks 2016, p. 421.
  13. ^ Campbell 1998, p. 161.
  14. ^ Jutland: Official Despatches 1920, pp. 331–332.
  15. ^ Corbett 1920, p. 408.
  16. ^ Campbell 1998, pp. 299–300.
  17. ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 33 1927, pp. 98–99.
  18. ^ Dorling 1932, pp. 226–227.
  19. ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, p. 119–120.
  20. ^ "Vessels in Reserve at Home Ports and Other Bases", The Navy List, p. 17, July 1919, retrieved 3 June 2021 – via National Library of Scotland
  21. ^ Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 218.
  22. ^ a b 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.
  • 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.
  • Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
  • Dorling, Taprell (1932). Endless Story: Being an Account of the Work of the Destroyers, Flotilla-Leaders, Torpedo-Boats and Patrol Boats in the Great War. London: Hodder and Stoughton. OCLC 361818.
  • 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.
  • Lyon, David John (1975). The Denny List: Ship numbers 769-1273. London: National Maritime Museum. OCLC 256517657.
  • 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.
  • Monograph No. 33: Home Waters Part VII: June 1916 to November 1916. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). XVII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1927.
  • Monograph No. 35: Home Waters Part IX: 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). XIX. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1939.
  • Parkes, Oscar; Prendergast, Maurice (1969). Jane's Fighting Ships 1919. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. OCLC 907574860.
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