HMS Sabrina was the first Yarrow Later M class, or Yarrow R class, destroyer and served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The Later M class was an improvement on those of the preceding Yarrow M class, with a narrower beam. Launched in 1916, Sabrina joined the Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet. The vessel was a participant in anti-submarine patrols as part of the flotilla, but did not engage any enemy warships. The Admiralty increasingly used more successful convoys rather than relying on destroyers finding the enemy on patrol. After the Armistice that ended the war, the destroyer was initially placed in reserve and participated in a naval exercise in 1920, before being sold to be broken up in 1926.
_IWM_SP_1335.jpg) The related Nerissa
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Sabrina |
| Ordered | July 1915 |
| Builder | Yarrow Shipbuilders, Glasgow |
| Laid down | November 1915 |
| Launched | 24 July 1916 |
| Completed | September 1916 |
| Out of service | 5 November 1926 |
| Fate | Sold to be broken up |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Yarrow Later M-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 930 long tons (940 t) (normal) |
| Length | 273 ft 6 in (83.4 m) (o/a) |
| Beam | 25 ft 7.5 in (7.8 m) |
| Draught | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Installed power | 3 Yarrow boilers, 27,000 shp (20,000 kW) |
| Propulsion | Parsons steam turbines, 2 shafts |
| Speed | 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) |
| Range | 1,860 nmi (3,440 km; 2,140 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Complement | 82 |
| Armament |
|
Design and development
editAs the First World War progressed, the Royal Navy required more, and more modern, warships. In July 1915, within the Sixth War Programme, the British Admiralty ordered four vessels from Yarrow Shipbuilders as part of a wider order of R-class destroyers.[1] The R class was generally similar to the preceding M class, but differed, primarily, in having geared steam turbines.[2] The Yarrow-built ships differed in retaining the direct drive turbines of the M class and are therefore often called the Yarrow Later M class.[3] They were similar to the preceding Yarrow M class but distinguished by their greater tonnage, narrower beam and sloping sterns.[4] Sabrina was the lead ship of the Yarrow Later M class, which was also known as the Sabrina group.[1]
The destroyer had a length of 273 ft 6 in (83.4 m) overall, with a beam of 25 ft 7.5 in (7.8 m) and draught of 9 ft (2.7 m). Displacement was 930 long tons (940 t) normal. Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding Parsons direct-drive steam turbines rated at 27,000 shaft horsepower (20,000 kW). The turbines drove two shafts and exhausted through two funnels. Design speed was 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph).[5] In trials, the destroyer achieved 36.97 kn (68.47 km/h; 42.54 mph) at a displacement of 786 long tons (799 t).[6] Between 215 and 260 long tons (218 and 264 t) of oil was carried.[4] Design range was 1,860 nautical miles (3,440 km; 2,140 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).[7] The ship had a complement of 82 officers and ratings.[5]
Sabrina had a main armament consisting of three single QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV guns on the centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft and one between the middle and aft funnels. One single 2-pdr 40 mm (1.6 in) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft gun was carried. Torpedo armament consisted of two twin torpedo tubes for 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes located aft of the funnels.[8] The destroyer was also fitted with racks and storage for depth charges.[9] Initially, only two depth charges were carried but the number increased in service and by 1918, the vessel was carrying between 30 and 50 depth charges.[10]
Construction and career
editSabrina was laid down by Yarrow at their shipyard in Scotstoun, Glasgow, in November 1915, launched on 24 July 1916 and completed during September the same year.[11] The ship was the fifth of the name in service with the Royal Navy.[12] The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla.[13] On 22 November, the flotilla took part in exercises north of the Shetland Islands under the dreadnought Iron Duke that also involved the majority of the First and Third Battle Squadrons.[14]
Between 15 and 24 June 1917, the flotilla took part in anti-submarine patrols east of the Shetland Islands.[15] Sabrina claimed to have spotted a submarine on the surface on 24 June but was unable to mount a successful attack. More successful was the use of convoys. After a convoy of 13 ships had been attacked by the German submarine U-19, Sabrina, along with fellow-destroyer Trenchant, managed to corral the dispersed ships, which then avoided any more losses. Overall, out of the 117 ships that sailed the route to and from Scandinavia during the operation, only four were sunk.[16] The Admiralty increasingly redeployed the destroyers of the Grand Fleet to escorting.[17] Nonetheless, on 15 October, Sabrina formed part of a large-scale operation, involving 30 cruisers and 54 destroyers deployed in eight groups across the North Sea in an attempt to stop a suspected sortie by German naval forces.[18] Despite these measures, the German light cruisers Bremse and Brummer managed to attack the regular convoy between Norway and Britain two days later, sinking two destroyers, Mary Rose and Strongbow, and nine merchant ships before returning safely to Germany.[19]
After the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the war, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and the amount of personnel in service needed to be reduced to save money.[20] Sabrina' was placed in reserve at the Nore.[21] On 5 July 1920, the vessel participated in a exercise for the reserve led by the flotilla leader Abdiel.[22] In July 1923, the Navy decided to scrap many of the older destroyers in preparation for the introduction of newer and larger vessels.[23] On 22 September 1925, Sabrina was one of 22 destroyers that were chosen to be scrapped.[24] On 5 November 1926, the warship was retired and sold to Cashmore to be broken up at Newport.[25]
Pennant numbers
edit| Pennant number | Date |
|---|---|
| G79 | January 1917[26] |
| G92 | January 1918[27] |
| F15 | January 1919[28] |
| H47 | January 1922[29] |
References
editCitations
edit- ^ a b Friedman 2009, p. 157.
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 326.
- ^ Parkes & Prendergast 1969, p. 106.
- ^ a b Cocker 1981, p. 39.
- ^ a b Preston 1985, p. 76.
- ^ March 1966, p. 153.
- ^ March 1966, p. 151.
- ^ Preston 1985, pp. 81.
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 151.
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 152.
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 310.
- ^ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 386.
- ^ "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet", Supplement to The Monthly Navy List, p. 12, October 1916, retrieved 4 December 2024 – via National Library of Scotland
- ^ Newbolt 1928, p. 383.
- ^ Newbolt 1931, p. 151.
- ^ Newbolt 1931, pp. 153–157.
- ^ Moretz 2002, p. 79.
- ^ "V.—Vessels in Reserve at Home Ports and Other Bases", Supplement to the Monthly Naval List, p. 16, July 1919, retrieved 4 December 2024 – via National Library of Scotland
- ^ "Fleet Reserve Exercises". The Times. No. 42454. 5 September 1920. p. 20.
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 180.
- ^ "More Destroyers to the be Scrapped". The Times. No. 44073. 22 September 1925. p. 7.
- ^ Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 303.
- ^ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 67.
- ^ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 68.
- ^ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 46.
- ^ Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 73.
Bibliography
edit- Bush, Steve; Warlow, Ben (2021). Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy: A Complete History of the Allocation of Pendant Numbers to Royal Navy Warships & Auxiliaries. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-526793-78-2.
- Cocker, Maurice (1981). Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893–1981. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-71101-075-8.
- Colledge, James Joseph; 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.
- Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
- Manning, Thomas Davys; Walker, Charles Frederick (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam. OCLC 780274698.
- 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.
- Monograph No. 33: Home Waters: Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XVII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1927.
- 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.
- Moretz, Joseph (2002). The Royal Navy and the Capital Ship in the Interwar Period. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-71465-196-5.
- Newbolt, Henry (1928). Naval Operations: Volume IV. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC 1049894132.
- Newbolt, Henry (1931). Naval Operations: Volume V. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC 220475309.
- Parkes, Oscar; Prendergast, Maurice (1969). Jane's Fighting Ships 1919. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. OCLC 907574860.
- Preston, Antony (1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 1–104. ISBN 978-0-85177-245-5.