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HMS Saumarez (1916)

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History
United Kingdom
OrderedJuly 1915
BuilderCammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down2 March 1916
Launched14 October 1916
Commissioned21 December 1916
FateSold for scrap January 1931
General characteristics
Class and typeTemplate:Sclass-
Displacement1,660–1,673 long tons (1,687–1,700 t)
Length
  • 325 ft (99.1 m) oa
  • 315 ft (96.0 m) pp
Beam31 ft 9 in (9.7 m)
Draught12 ft (3.7 m) maximum
Propulsion
  • 4 × Yarrow boilers,
  • Parsons turbines,
  • 3 shafts
  • 36,000 shaft horsepower (27,000 kW)
Speed34 kn (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range4,920 nautical miles (9,110 km; 5,660 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement116
Armament

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.

Construction and design

In July 1915, the British Admiralty ordered three Template:Sclass-s (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[a] was an improved version of the earlier Template:Sclass- 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[b] 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][c] 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,[d] 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]<refname="mon35p79-0"/>

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.<refname="mon35p79-0">Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, pp. 79–80</ref>

Citations

  1. ^ a b Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 69.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 80
  3. ^ Friedman 2009, p. 157
  4. ^ English 2019, pp. 10–11
  5. ^ a b c Moore 1990, p. 67
  6. ^ a b Friedman 2009, p. 149
  7. ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 151–152
  8. ^ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 394
  9. ^ a b c Friedman 2009, p. 307
  10. ^ a b c English 2019, p. 12
  11. ^ Fock 1989, p. 104
  12. ^ a b 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.

References

  • Dittmar, F. J.; Colledge, J. J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • 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. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |ignore-isbn-error= ignored (|isbn= suggested) (help)
  • 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. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • 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. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. London: Putnam. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Manning, T. D.; Walker, C. F. (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Monograph No. 35: Home Waters—Part IX: 1st May, 1917, to 31st July, 1917 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. 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. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Newbolt, Henry (1931). Naval Operations: Vol. V. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
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