HMS Marmion (1915)

HMS Marmion was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Launched in May 1915, the ship served as part of the Grand Fleet on exercises and escort duty. For much of the war, it was commanded by William Leveson-Gower, the future uncle to Elizabeth II. While involved in convoy escort duty off the Shetland Islands on 21 October 1917, the vessel was accidentally struck by Tirade in bad weather and sank. There were no survivors.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Marmion.
HMS Marmion
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Marmion
Namesake: Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field
Ordered: September 1914
Builder: Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend
Yard number: 977
Laid down: 21 October 1914
Launched: 28 May 1915
Commissioned: 3 September 1915
Out of service: 21 October 1917
Fate: Sunk following collusion with Tirade
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: 77
Armament:
  • 3 × QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark IV guns, mounting P Mk. IX
  • 1 × single 2-pounder (40-mm) "pom-pom" Mk. II anti-aircraft gun
  • 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2×2)

Design

Marmion was one of sixteen Admiralty M-class destroyer 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 Laforey class 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 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).[3] Two funnels were fitted, two boilers exhausting through the forward funnel. 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 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.[4] The ship had a complement of 77 officers and ratings.[5]

Construction

Construction by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson was started when the ship's hull was laid down on 28 October 1914 at Wallsend and the ship was launched on 28 May the following year. Initially allocated the pennant number H.C2, the ship became G04 in January 1917.[6]

Service

Commissioned on 3 September 1915, Marmion joined the Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet.[7] Within a month, William Leveson-Gower, who would become uncle to the future Elizabeth II, was appointed as commander. He remained in charge of the vessel until 25 May, 1917.[8]

The vessel was initially deployed as part of the Grand Fleet. On 21 December 1916, while undertaking exercises, the flotilla leader Hoste collided with the destroyer Negro.[9] Marmion quickly pulled alongside the stricken destroyer to tow it to safety but when it was only 225 ft (69 m) away, Negro sunk beneath the waves.[10] Five officers and forty-five ratings lost their lives.[11] The ship then took Hoste in tow, along with fellow M-class destroyer Marvel, but that vessel too had to be abandoned once the crew had been evacuated.[9]

Marmion also undertook escort duties. On 14 April 1917, the destroyer formed part of the escort for RMS Olympic, which transported Arthur Balfour on a mission to the US to procure additional destroyers for the fleet. The mission encountered heavy seas that caused substantial damage, but was a success.[12]

Sinking

In October 1917, Marmion was one of eight destroyers that were escorting convoys between Shetland and Norway.[13] On 20 October, the vessel was sent to escort an outbound convoy heading for Bergen to replace Obedient which was returning for repairs.[14] Another convoy under escort was heading from Bergen at the same time, escorted by the destroyers Sarpedon and Tirade. At 1:30AM on 21 October, Marmion encountered this second convoy rather than the one it was expecting to see, which was at the time some miles north. The ships were passing when Tirade collided with Marmion.[15] The bow of the former vessel was raised by a particularly high swell and sliced Marmion in half.[14] The ship swiftly sank with all hands. Only ten bodies were recovered.[5]

gollark: *destroys watch with orbital laser strike*
gollark: Offense offloading is excellent technology.
gollark: Unacceptable.
gollark: What was that like? I have been investigating this, but they seem to mostly involve worrying quantities of Java and stuff.
gollark: Did you know? This statement is by "gollark".

References

Citations
  1. Friedman 2009, p. 132.
  2. McBride 1991, p. 44.
  3. Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 79.
  4. Friedman 2009, p. 296.
  5. Kemp 1999, p. 58.
  6. Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 68.
  7. Navy List October 1915, p. 12.
  8. ADM 196/45/178, p. 182.
  9. Kemp 1999, p. 45.
  10. Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 19.
  11. Hepper 2006, p. 76.
  12. Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 369.
  13. Newbolt 1928, p. 152.
  14. Hepper 2006, p. 108.
  15. Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 249.

Bibliography
  • "ADM 196/45/178 Leveson-Gower Service Record". The National Archives. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  • 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 1-86176-281-X.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War. Barnsley: 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)
  • Hepper, David J. (2006). British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era, 1860-1919. London: Chatham. ISBN 1-86176-273-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Kemp, Paul (1999). The Admiralty Regrets: British Warship Losses of the 20th Century. Stroud: Sutton Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7509-1567-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555.
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Monograph No. 34: Home Waters Part VIII: December 1916 to April 1917 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). XVIII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1933.
  • "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". Supplement to The Monthly Navy List. October 1915. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  • Newbolt, Henry (1928). Naval Operations: Volume V. London: Longmans, Green and Co.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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