1. Description

2. Construction

3. Service
    Sinking 

4. References
    Citations   Bibliography  

Description

The Admiralty M class were improved and faster versions of the preceding {{sclass-|Laforey|destroyer|||1913}}.^[4] They displaced {{convert|971|LT|t|0}}. The ships had an overall length of {{convert|273|ft|4|in|m|1}}, a beam of {{convert|26|ft|8|in|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|9|ft|8|in|m|1}}. They were powered by three Parsons direct-drive steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four Yarrow boilers. The turbines developed a total of {{convert|25000|shp|lk=in}} and gave a maximum speed of {{convert|34|kn|lk=in}}. The ships carried a maximum of {{convert|237|LT|t}} of fuel oil that gave them a range of {{convert|2100|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}. The ships' complement was 76 officers and ratings.^[5]

The ships were armed with three single QF {{convert|4|in|mm|adj=on|0}} Mark IV guns and two QF 1.5-pounder (37 mm) anti-aircraft guns. These latter guns were later replaced by a pair of QF 2-pounder (40 mm) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft guns. The ships were also fitted with two above water twin mounts for {{convert|21|in|adj=on|0}} torpedoes.^[5]

Construction

The outbreak of the First World War meant that the Royal Navy had a requirement for large numbers of extra destroyers to replace expected war losses, and a number of large orders were quickly placed, with existing types such as the M class being favoured to allow rapid construction. Negro was one of ten M-class destroyers ordered as part of the Second War Programme in early November 1914.^[6] She was laid down at Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company's Jarrow shipyard in January 1915, was launched on 8 March 1916 and completed in May 1916.^[7]

Service

On commissioning, Negro joined the 13th Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet.^[8] Having only recently been completed, Negro did not sail with her Flotilla on 30 May 1916 to take part in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June,^[9] although in the aftermath of the battle she did help to escort the damaged battleship {{HMS|Warspite|03|2}} back to Rosyth.^[10] On 18 August 1916, the Grand Fleet sailed in response to a sortie by the German High Seas Fleet. The two fleets failed to meet each other before the Germans withdrew, but as the Grand Fleet was heading for home, the light cruiser {{HMS|Falmouth|1910|2}} was torpedoed twice by the German submarine {{SMU|U-66||2}} at 16:52hr. Negro along with the destroyers {{HMS|Pasley|1916|2}} and {{HMS|Pelican|1916|2}} came to Falmouth{{'}}s aid and after U-66 was driven off by Pelican, escorted the damaged cruiser as she slowly made her way towards the Humber estuary. Despite a strong destroyer escort, which grew to nine destroyers, Falmouth was struck by two more torpedoes from {{SMU|U-63||2}} at noon on 20 August. Falmouth eventually sank at 08:10hr on 21 August near Flamborough Head.^[11][12]

Sinking

On 19 December 1916, the Grand Fleet left Scapa Flow to carry out exercises between the Shetlands and Norway. On the morning of 20 December, the Flotilla leader {{HMS|Hoste|1916|2}} suffered a failure of her steering gear at high speed, almost colliding with several other ships, and was detached to return to Scapa with Negro as escort. At about 01:30 hr on 21 December, in extremely poor weather, with gale force winds and a heavy sea, Hoste{{'}}s rudder jammed again, forcing the ship into a sudden turn to port. Negro, following about {{convert|400|yd|m}} behind, collided with Hoste. The collision knocked two depth charges off Hoste{{'}}s stern which exploded, badly damaging the rear end of Hoste and blowing in the bottom of Negro{{'}}s hull, flooding her engine room.^[13][14] Negro sank quickly, and despite the efforts of the destroyer {{HMS|Marmion|1915|2}} to rescue survivors,^[15] fifty-one officers and men of Negro{{'}}s crew were killed.^[18] Marmion and {{HMS|Marvel|1915|2}} attempted to tow the crippled Hoste back to Scapa, but after three hours, Hoste began to founder. Despite the severe conditions, Marvel went alongside Hoste to rescue the crew of the sinking ship, and when repeatedly forced apart by the heavy seas, repeated the manoeuvre another twelve times. While Marvel sustained damage to her forecastle from repeated impacts between the two ships, she managed to rescue all but four of Hoste{{'}}s crew before Hoste finally sank.^[16][17] Eight officers and 126 men were rescued by Marvel.^[18]

References

Citations

Bibliography

• {{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting|year=1998 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-750-3|ref=harv}}
• {{cite book|last1=Colledge|first1=J. J.|last2=Warlow|first2=Ben|title=Ships of The Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships from the 15th Century to the Present |year=2006|publisher=Chatham Publishing |location=London |isbn=978-1-86176-281-8|ref=harv}}
• {{cite book |last=Coxon|first=Stanley William | authorlink = | title = Dover During the Dark Days|year=2016| publisher = BiblioLife| isbn= 978-1-357-73447-3|ref=harv }}
• {{cite book|last=Dorling|first=Taprell|title=Endless Story: Being an Account of the Work of the Destroyers, Flotilla-Leaders, Torpedo-Boats and Patrol Boats in the Great War|year=1932|publisher=Hodder and Stoughton|location=London|ref=harv}}
• {{cite book |last=Dorling|first=Taprell | authorlink = | title = Endless Story – Being an Account of the Work of the Destroyers, Flotilla-Leaders, Torpedo-Boats and Patrol Boats in the Great War|year=2011| publisher = Read Books| isbn= 978-1-4474-1101-7|ref=harv }}
• {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War|year=2009|location=Barnsley, UK|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|isbn=978-1-84832-049-9|ref=harv}}
• {{cite book |editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert |editor2-last=Gray |editor2-first=Randal|title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985| publisher = Naval Institute Press| isbn=978-0-87021-907-8|ref=harv }}
• {{cite book|last=Jellicoe |first=John |authorlink=John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|title=The Grand Fleet: 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development and Work|year=1919 |publisher =Cassell and Company, Ltd|location=London|ref=harv}}
• {{cite book | last = Manning | first = T.D. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The British Destroyer | publisher = Putnam and Co. | date = 1961 | location = London | url = | doi = | ref=harv | isbn = }}
• {{cite book|title=Monograph No. 33: Home Waters—Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume=XVII|year=1927|publisher=The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVII_opt.pdf|ref={{Harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927}} }}

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