HMS Milne (1914)
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Milne |
Builder | John Brown & Company, Clydebank |
Laid down | 18 November 1913 |
Launched | 5 October 1914 |
Completed | December 1914 |
Fate | Sold for scrap September 1921 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Admiralty M-class destroyer |
Displacement | 1,100 long tons (1,118 t) full load |
Length | 273 ft 4 in (83.31 m) |
Beam | 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m) |
Draught | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) |
Propulsion | 3 shafts, steam turbines, 25,000 shp (18,642 kW) |
Speed | 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph) |
Range | 2,100 nmi (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) |
Complement | 80 |
Armament |
|
HMS Milne was a
Construction and design
The M-class was an improved version of the earlier
Milne was 273 feet 4 inches (83.31 m)
Service
1914–1915
Milne joined the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, part of the Harwich Force,[11][12] which operated in the North Sea and could reinforce the Grand Fleet or forces in the English Channel as required.[13][14]
On 23 January 1915, the German battlecruisers under Admiral
On 31 January 1915, Milne was one of seven destroyers[b] of the Harwich Force dispatched to Sheerness to make part in minelaying operations east of the Straits of Dover to restrict the movements of German U-Boats. They continued escorting the minelayer Paris until 9 February, and after supporting an air raid on the Belgian coast, returned to Harwich on 13 February.[27] On 28 March 1915, four destroyers of the Harwich force (Laurel, Liberty, Leonidas and Lucifer) carried out an anti-submarine sweep off the Dutch coast. When a submarine was sighted, six more destroyers of the Harwich Force, including Milne, were sent to reinforce the patrol, but shortly after the two groups of destroyers met up, the force was recalled as radio intercepts indicated that German battlecruisers were about to sortie.[28]
On 13 June 1915, the 10th Destroyer Flotilla was ordered to
1916
On the morning of 21 February 1916, Milne left Harwich as part of the Harwich Force to cover minesweeping operations in the North Sea. Later that day she collided with the destroyer Murray, with Murray having to be sent to Chatham for repair.[34] (This operation was plagued with accidents – the destroyers Lark and Llewellyn had collided on leaving Harwich on the afternoon of 20 February, while the leader Tipperary had run aground when leaving harbour on the morning of 21 February.)[35] From 24 April 1916, the Dover Patrol carried out a large-scale operation off the Belgian coast to lay mines and nets, in an attempt to limit use of the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge to German U-boats. Milne was one of twelve destroyers of the Harwich Force that took part in escorting the operations. On the afternoon of 24 April, three German torpedo boats[c] attempted to interfere with the drifters laying the nets off Zeebrugge, and Milne, together with Murray, Medea and Melpomene, engaged the three torpedo boats, which retreated towards Zeebrugge with the four British destroyers in pursuit. The British destroyers came under heavy fire from German shore batteries. Murray was hit in the forecastle by a single 150 mm shell that failed to explode, while Melpomene was hit in the engine room and lost power. Milne attempted to take Melpomene under tow, but fouled her port propeller with the tow cable, so Medea went to assist with the tow. The three German torpedo boats then returned to attack the British ships, with Medea hit three times by German shells, but were driven off by 12-inch fire from the monitor Prince Eugene.[37][38][39][40] The minefield probably caused the loss of one U-Boat, UB-13,[41] although at the time it was thought that four or five German submarines had been sunk.[42]
On the night of 22 July 1916, two light cruisers and eight destroyers of the Harwich Force set out on a patrol to prevent German torpedo boats based in Flanders from interfering with shipping traffic between Britain and the Netherlands. One group, consisting of the light cruiser Carysfort and four destroyers, was to patrol off the Mass estuary, while the second group, led by the cruiser Canterbury and including Milne, was to patrol off the North Hinder light vessel.[43][44] Eight German destroyers of II Flotilla had set out from Zeebrugge on a mission to lay lines near the North Hinder light vessel, and at 00:15 on 23 July, Carysfort's group sighted the German force, which turned away and escaped under the cover of a smoke screen and a rain storm. The Canterbury group, including Milne, was ordered to proceed to the Schouwen Bank to intercept the Germans. They encountered the Germans at about 01:45, and set off in pursuit. Matchless could not keep up with the chase and lagged behind, while Milne kept station with the lagging Matchless, leaving the chase to Morris and Melpomene. The German destroyers managed to reach the safety of minefields and coastal defences near Zeebrugge, and the British broke off the chase.[45][46][47]
1917–1918
On 22 January 1917, the German Sixth Torpedo Boat Flotilla, consisting of 11 torpedo boats (equivalent in size and armament to British destroyers) set out from Helgoland to Flanders to reinforce the German torpedo boat forces based in the Belgian ports.[48] Decoding of German radio signals by Room 40 warned the British of the German intentions and the Harwich Force was deployed to intercept the German ships on the night of 22/23 January. The British set six light cruisers, two flotilla leaders and sixteen destroyers to intercept the eleven German ships, deploying them in several groups to make sure that all possible routes were covered. Milne was one of four destroyers[d] patrolling to the west of the Schouwen Bank. The German destroyers ran into a cruiser division, with the destroyers V69 and G41 heavily damaged, but the Germans managed to escape, and passed Surprise's group of destroyers unobserved before reaching Zeebrugge. One German straggler, S50 encountered Milne's group. An exchange of fire followed, in which S50 was hit several times by British shells, but S50 managed to torpedo the British destroyer Simoom, which later sank, before escaping and returning to Germany.[50][51][52] On 29 January 1917, the British were warned by radio intercepts of a potential sortie by German Forces, and the Harwich Force, including Milne was ordered out to intercept any German torpedo boats between Harwich and Lowestoft. Nothing was seen, with German forces staying close to home.[53] On 28 February 1917, Milne was one of five destroyers escorting shipping from the Netherlands to Britain when she sighted a periscope and was missed by a torpedo. Milne retaliated with a depth charge, but there was no apparent effect.[54]
On 30 April 1917, Milne joined the
Milne was still part of the 6th Flotilla in August 1918,[61] but by the end of the war was in the process of transferring to the 21st Destroyer Flotilla, part of the Grand Fleet.[62][63] By February 1919, however, she was listed as having returned to the Sixth Flotilla.[64]
Disposal
By this time the M-class destroyers were worn-out,[1] and by May 1919, Milne was in reserve at the Nore.[65] She was sold on 22 September 1921 and scrapped in Germany.[66]
Pennant numbers
Pennant number[66] | Dates |
---|---|
H8A | 1914–January 1918 |
H80 | January 1918–September 1918 |
D12 | September 1918 – |
Notes
- ^ It was originally planned to fit 1-pounder pom-poms, but when built the ships were fitted with 11⁄2-pounder (37-mm) pom-poms which were later replaced by 2-pounder (40-mm) guns.[10]
- ^ Miranda, Manly, Morris, Minos, Matchless, Milne and Murray[26]
- ^ V47, V67 and V68.[36]
- ^ Milne, Starfish, Surprise and Simoom.[49]
- ^ 00:50 hr according to the Naval Staff Monograph[56] and at dawn according to Kemp and Dorling.[57][58]
References
- ^ a b Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 77
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 132
- ^ Gardiner & Gray 1985, pp. 76–77
- ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 134–135
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 308
- ^ McBride 1991, p. 44
- ^ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 298.
- ^ a b c d e Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 76
- ^ a b c d Friedman 2009, p. 296
- ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 134, 146–147, 296
- ^ "Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: Flotillas". The Navy List. March 1915. p. 14. Retrieved 7 October 2019 – via National Library of Scotland.
- ^ Manning 1961, pp. 25–26
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 23 1924, p. 10
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 138
- ^ Massie 2007, pp. 375–380
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 12 1921, p. 223
- ^ Massie 2007, p. 385
- ^ Massie 2007, pp. 389–390
- ^ Massie 2007, pp. 401–402
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 12 1921, p. 225
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 29 1925, p. 36
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 29 1925, pp. 35–37
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 29 1925, p. 217
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 29 1925, pp. 263–265
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 30 1926, p. 19
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 30 1926, p. 97
- ^ Corbett 1923, pp. 149–150
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 31 1926, pp. 45–46, 218
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 31 1926, pp. 81–82
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 31 1926, p. 82
- ^ Karau 2014, pp. 50–51, 59
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 31 1926, pp. 141–142
- ^ Bacon Vol. I 1919, pp. 152–158
- ^ Karau 2014, p. 59
- ^ Dorling 1932, pp. 139–147
- ^ Grant 1964, p. 33
- ^ Bacon Vol. I 1919, pp. 159–160
- ^ Newbolt 1928, pp. 23, 27
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 33 1927, p. 62
- ^ Karau 2014, pp. 67–69
- ^ Newbolt 1928, pp. 28–29
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 33 1927, pp. 64–65
- ^ Karau 2014, p. 81
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 93
- ^ Karau 2014, pp. 113–114
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, pp. 92–99
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, pp. 105–106
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 34 1933, p. 259
- ^ Bacon Vol. II 1919, p. 629
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, p. 52
- ^ a b Kemp 1997, p. 27
- ^ Dorling 1932, p. 270
- ^ Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, pp. 52–53
- ^ Burt 1986, p. 40
- ^ "Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: IV.—The Dover Patrol". The Navy List. August 1918. p. 14. Retrieved 19 October 2019 – via National Library of Scotland.
- ^ "Ships of the Royal Navy - Location/Action Date, 1914–1918: Part 2 - Admiralty "Pink Lists", 11 November 1918". Naval-History.net. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
- ^ "Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". The Navy List. December 1918. p. 12. Retrieved 19 October 2019 – via National Library of Scotland.
- ^ "Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: III.—Dover Patrol". The Navy List. February 1919. p. 14. Retrieved 19 October 2019 – via National Library of Scotland.
- ^ "Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: IV.—Vessels in Reserve at Home Ports and Other Bases". The Navy List. May 1919. p. 16. Retrieved 19 October 2019 – via National Library of Scotland.
- ^ a b Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 64
Sources
- Bacon, Reginald (1919). The Dover Patrol 1915–1917: Volume I. London: Hutchinson & Co. OCLC 252062093.
- Bacon, Reginald (1919). The Dover Patrol 1915–1917: Volume II. London: Hutchinson & Co. OCLC 867981501.
- Burt, R. A. (1986). Warships Illustrated No 7: British Destroyers in World War One. London: Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-753-6.
- Corbett, Julian S. (1921). Naval Operations: Vol II. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co.
- Corbett, Julian S. (1923). Naval Operations: Volume III. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co.
- Dittmar, F.G; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.
- Dorling, Taprell (1932). Endless Story: Being an Account of the Work of the Destroyers, Flotilla Leaders, Torpedo-Boats and Patrol Boats in the Great War. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
- Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
- 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.
- Grant, Robert M. (1964). U-Boats Destroyed: The Effect of Anti-Submarine Warfare 1914–1918. London: Putnam. OCLC 4093996.
- Karau, Mark D. (2014). The Naval Flank of the Western Front: The German MarineKorps Flandern 1914–1918. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-231-8.
- Kemp, Paul (1997). U-Boats Destroyed: German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-321-5.
- Manning, Thomas Davys (1961). The British Destroyer. London: Putnam.
- Manning, Thomas Davys; Walker, Charles Frederick (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam. OCLC 780274698.
- Massie, Robert K. (2007). Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the War at Sea. London: Vintage Books. ISBN 978-0-099-52378-9.
- 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.
- Monograph No. 12: The Action of Dogger Bank, January 24th, 1915 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. III. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1921. pp. 209–226.
- Monograph No. 23: Home Waters Part I: From the Outbreak of War to 27 August 1914 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. X. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1924.
- Monograph No. 29: Home Waters—Part IV.: From February to July 1915 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIII. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1925.
- Monograph No. 30: Home Waters Part V: From July to October 1915 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIV. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1926.
- Monograph No. 31: Home Waters Part VI: From October 1915 to May 1916 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XV. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1926.
- 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. 34: Home Waters—Part VIII: December 1916 to April 1917 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XVIII. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1933.
- Monograph No. 35: Home Waters—Part IX: 1 May 1917 to 31st July 1917 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIX. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1939.
- Newbolt, Henry (1928). Naval Operations: Volume IV. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co.