HMS Saumarez (1916)

HMS Saumarez was a Parker-class flotilla leader of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Cammell Laird during the First World War, being launched on 14 October 1916 and completing on 21 December that year. Saumarez served with the Grand Fleet for the rest of the war, which she survived. The ship was sold for scrap in January 1931.

HMS Saumarez
History
United Kingdom
Ordered: July 1915
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 2 March 1916
Launched: 14 October 1916
Commissioned: 21 December 1916
Fate: Sold for scrap January 1931
General characteristics
Class and type: Parker-class flotilla leader
Displacement: 1,660–1,673 long tons (1,687–1,700 t)
Length:
  • 325 ft (99.1 m) oa
  • 315 ft (96.0 m) pp
Beam: 31 ft 9 in (9.7 m)
Draught: 12 ft (3.7 m) maximum
Propulsion:
  • 4 × Yarrow boilers,
  • Parsons turbines,
  • 3 shafts
  • 36,000 shaft horsepower (27,000 kW)
Speed: 34 kn (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range: 4,920 nautical miles (9,110 km; 5,660 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement: 116
Armament:

Construction and design

In July 1915, the British Admiralty ordered three Parker-class flotilla leaders (i.e. large destroyers intended to lead flotillas of smaller destroyers in action) under the Sixth Emergency War Construction Programme, Saumarez, Hoste and Seymour, from the Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird. The Parker class[lower-alpha 1] was an improved version of the earlier Marksman-class flotilla leader with the forward two funnels of the Marksman class merged into one and the ships' bridge moved rearwards, allowing an improved gun layout.[2][3][4]

The Parkers were 325 feet (99.1 m) long overall and 315 feet (96.0 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 31 feet 9 inches (9.7 m) and a draught of 12 feet (3.7 m).[1][5] Displacement was between 1,660 long tons (1,687 t) and 1,673 long tons (1,700 t) normal[lower-alpha 2] and about 1,900 long tons (1,930 t) full load.[2] Four Yarrow boilers fed steam to three sets of Parsons steam turbines, rated at 36,000 shaft horsepower (27,000 kW) and giving a speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph). Three funnels were fitted.[2] 515 long tons (523 t) of oil fuel were carried, giving a range of 4,290 nautical miles (7,950 km; 4,940 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[6]

The ship's main gun armament consisted of four QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV guns mounted on the ships centreline, with the forward two guns superfiring so that one could fire over the other, with one gun between the second and third funnel and one aft.[2][6] Two 2-pounder (40 mm) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft guns were fitted, while torpedo armament consisted of two sets of twin 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes.[2] The standard anti-submarine armament for flotilla leaders such as Saumarez from June 1916 onwards was two Type D depth charges on chutes, although the number of depth charges tended to increased as the war progressed and the importance of anti-submarine operations grew.[7] The ship's complement was 116 officers and men.[2][5]

Saumarez, named after James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez,[8] was laid down on 2 March 1916,[9][10] and was launched on 14 October 1916,[9][2][11][lower-alpha 3] and commissioned on 21 December 1916.[9][10]

Service

On commissioning, Saumarez joined the 12th Destroyer Flotilla as leader and flagship of the flotilla's Captain (D).[12][13] On 17 May 1917, the German submarine UC-31 attacked and torpedoed two Swedish merchant ships east of the Orkneys, Viken and Aspen,[lower-alpha 4] sinking Viken with the loss of eight of her crew, and causing Aspen's crew to abandon ship. Saumarez sighted some of Aspen's boats, and ordered the destroyer Michael to investigate. Michael picked up the survivors, and found that Aspen was still afloat. Michael, with the aid of a tug, brought Aspen to safety in Kirkwall, with Saumarez escorting the two ships into harbour.[12][14] In July 1917, the flotilla, including Saumarez, moved to Rosyth.[12] From 15 June 1917 the destroyers and submarines of the Grand Fleet took part in Operation BB, a large scale operation against German submarines, with 53 destroyers and leaders together with 17 submarines deployed on offensive patrols on the transit route for the Germans from the North Sea and around the Orkney and Shetland Islands to the Western Approaches. Saumarez led nine to ten destroyers of the 12th Flotilla on patrol to the west of the Hebrides.[15][16] Two sightings of submarines and one unsuccessful attack on a submarine was carried out in Saumarez's area, while one unescorted merchant ship was sunk by a German submarine in the area.[17] Overall, 61 sightings were made of German submarines were made by the destroyers and submarines of the Grand Fleet until the operation ended on 24 June, of which 12 resulted in attacks on the submarines, but no submarines were sunk or damaged.[16]

On 17 November 1917, the Grand Fleet launched a major sortie on German forces in the North Sea - a force of cruisers and destroyers, supported by battlecruisers, and with a squadron of battleships in distant support, was to attack German minesweepers in the Heligoland Bight. Saumarez formed part of the escort for the covering force of the battleships of the 1st Battle Squadron, sailing a few hours behind the main force.[18][19] The operation resulted in the inconclusive Second Battle of Heligoland Bight.[20][21]

Saumarez remained leader of the 12th Flotilla until the end of the war.[22] The Grand Fleet was broken up after the end of the war, with new destroyer flotillas formed, and in February, Saumarez was listed as being based at HMNB Devonport, but not as part of a flotilla.[23][24] By March, she was leader of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla,[25] but she was reduced to reserve at Devonport on 15 October 1919.[26] Saumarez remained in reserve most of the rest of her career apart from brief commissionings to take part in exercises, serving as a tender to the training school at Keyham. Saumarez was sold to the shipbreakers Thos W Ward on 8 January 1931 for £5,100 and was removed to their works at Briton Ferry for scrapping on 2 February that year.[26]

Pennant numbers
Pennant number[27]FromTo
G3ADecember 1916March 1917
G25March 1917September 1917
G45January 1918April 1918
G25April 1918October 1919
F00November 19191922
H0819221930

Notes
  1. Also known as the improved Marksman class[1]
  2. Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I gives a normal displacement of 1,673 long tons (1,700 t) in 1919.[5]
  3. 14 November 1916 according to English.[10]
  4. The two ships had just been released by British authorities after being detained at Kirkwall.[14]

Citations
  1. Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 69.
  2. Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 80
  3. Friedman 2009, p. 157
  4. English 2019, pp. 10–11
  5. Moore 1990, p. 67
  6. Friedman 2009, p. 149
  7. Friedman 2009, pp. 151–152
  8. Manning & Walker 1959, p. 394
  9. Friedman 2009, p. 307
  10. English 2019, p. 12
  11. Fock 1989, p. 104
  12. English 2019, p. 20
  13. "Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: I.—The Grand Fleet: Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". The Navy List. January 1917. p. 12. Retrieved 11 February 2020 – via National Library of Scotland.
  14. Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, pp. 79–80
  15. Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, pp. 162–164
  16. Newbolt 1931, pp. 54–55
  17. Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, pp. 164–165
  18. Newbolt 1931, pp. 167–169
  19. Marder 2014, pp. 299–301
  20. Newbolt 1931, pp. 169–176
  21. Marder 2014, pp. 301–305
  22. "Admiralty "Pink Lists", 11 November 1918". Ships of the Royal Navy – Location/Action Data, 1914-1918. Naval-history.net. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  23. Manning 1961, p. 27
  24. "Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: X.—Vessels at Home Ports and Other Bases Temporarily: Devonport". The Navy List. February 1919. p. 20. Retrieved 12 February 2020 – via National Library of Scotland.
  25. "Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: I.—The Grand Fleet: Destroyers". The Navy List. March 1919. p. 11. Retrieved 12 February 2020 – via National Library of Scotland.
  26. English 2019, p. 21
  27. English 2019, p. 135

References
  • Dittmar, F. J.; Colledge, J. J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • English, John (2019). Grand Fleet Destroyers: Part I: Flotilla Leaders and 'V/W' Class Destroyers. Windsor, UK: World Ship Society. ISBN 978-0-9650769-8-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) CS1 maint: ignored ISBN errors (link)
  • Fock, Harald (1989). Z-Vor! Internationale Entwicklung und Kriegseinsätze von Zerstörern und Torpedobooten 1914 bis 1939 (in German). Herford, Germany: Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mBH. ISBN 3-7822-0207-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. London: Putnam.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Manning, T. D.; Walker, C. F. (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Marder, Arthur J. (2014). From The Dreadnought to Scapa Flow: Volume IV: 1917: Year of Crisis. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-201-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Monograph No. 35: Home Waters—Part IX: 1st May, 1917, to 31st July, 1917 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). XIX. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1939.
  • Moore, John (1990). Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I. London: Studio. ISBN 1-85170-378-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Newbolt, Henry (1931). Naval Operations: Vol. V. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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