HMS Medina (1916)

HMS Medina 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 Redmill by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the vessel was renamed before being launched on 8 March 1916. The ship was allocated to the Grand Fleet and spent much of its service in anti-submarine warfare, either escorting convoys or involved in submarine hunting patrols. Although the destroyer attacked a number of German submarines, none were sunk. After the War, Medina was reassigned to a defence flotilla in Portsmouth and was eventually sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Medina and HMS Redmill.
Sistership HMS Oracle
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Medina
Namesake: Medina
Ordered: May 1915
Builder: J. Samuel White, East Cowes
Yard number: 1467
Laid down: 23 September 1915
Launched: 8 March 1916
Completed: 30 June 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

Medina was one of eighteen Admiralty M-class destroyer 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 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 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

Redmill was laid down by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 23 September 1915 with the yard number 1467, and launched on 8 March the folliowing year.[7] The name recalled the Captain Robert Redmill of the Polyphemus.[8] The ship was completed on 30 June 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet.[9] By this time, the ship's name had already been changed to Medina.after the river.[10] The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla based at Scapa Flow.[11]

Still attached to the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla, early in 1917, the destroyer was transferred to Plymouth on and allocated to anti-submarine patrols.[12][13] During March, the ship was moved to Devonport, continuing to hunt for German submarines, although no submarines were sunk.[14] On 23 and 24 April, the destroyer attacked both U-53 and U-61, but scored no hits.[15] Later, on 9 June, the destroyer attacked U-70, but not before the merchant ship SS Appledore had been sunk.[16] Later in the year, the ship was transferred to the Irish coast, serving with the Northern Division based in Buncrana.[17] This service also involved confrontations with submarines, this time while escorting convoys. These were similarly unsuccessful and instead the crew had to watch, for example, the loss of the tanker SS Argalia on 6 August while under escort.[18]

After the war, Medina was transferred to the local defence flotilla at Portsmouth, attached to Fisguard.[19] However, as the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of mobilisation, surplus vessels were culled. On 9 May 1921, Medina was sold to Thos W Ward of Milford Haven and subsequently broken up.[20]

Pennant numbers
Pennant Number Date
G751915[21]
G511917[21]
G521918[21]
D871918[21]

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. Manning & Walker 1959, p. 368.
  9. Williams & Sprake 1993, p. 36.
  10. Manning & Walker 1959, p. 282.
  11. Naval Staff Monograph No. 7 1927, p. 259.
  12. "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". Supplement to the Monthly Navy List: 12. April 1917. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  13. Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 242.
  14. Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 338.
  15. Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, pp. 420, 423.
  16. Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, p. 138.
  17. "Coast of Ireland Station". Supplement to the Monthly Navy List: 17. October 1916. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  18. Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, p. 238.
  19. "Local Defence and Training Establishments", The Navy List, p. 704, October 1919, retrieved 11 November 2020 – via National Library of Scotland
  20. Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 210.
  21. 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 978-1-93514-907-1.
  • 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.
  • Kemp, Paul K. (1956). Destroyer. London: Herbert Jenkins. OCLC 464448265.
  • 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.
  • Monograph No. 34: Home Waters Part VIII: December 1916 to April 1917. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). VIII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1933.
  • Monograph No. 35: Home Waters Part IX: 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). IX. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1939.
  • 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.
  • 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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