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| ==History== | | ==History== |
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| | ===Battle of Jutland=== |
| | :{{Main|Thirteenth D.F. at the Battle of Jutland}} |
| Ten destroyers of the Thirteenth under the lead of the {{UK-Champion|f=t}} screened the {{UK-BCS|1}} during the battle, bolstered by two destroyers temporarily detached from the {{UK-DF|10}}. Eight of these vessels delivered a torpedo attack against the enemy battle cruisers at about 4.15pm, after gun and torpedo battle with enemy destroyers who were similarly tasked. | | Ten destroyers of the Thirteenth under the lead of the {{UK-Champion|f=t}} screened the {{UK-BCS|1}} during the battle, bolstered by two destroyers temporarily detached from the {{UK-DF|10}}. Eight of these vessels delivered a torpedo attack against the enemy battle cruisers at about 4.15pm, after gun and torpedo battle with enemy destroyers who were similarly tasked. |
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| At the same time, {{UK-Nepean}} remained in harbour and {{UK-Paladin}}, {{UK-Negro}}, {{UK-Nereus}}, {{UK-Penn}} and {{UK-Penn}} were in dockyard hands.{{UKNavalOpsIII|p. 430}} | | At the same time, {{UK-Nepean}} remained in harbour and {{UK-Paladin}}, {{UK-Negro}}, {{UK-Nereus}}, {{UK-Penn}} and {{UK-Penn}} were in dockyard hands.{{UKNavalOpsIII|p. 430}} |
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| ==Champion==
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| On 3 June, Captain (D) [[James Uchtred Farie|James U. Farie]] issued a report from his flagship.{{UKJutlandOD|pp. 224-225}}
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|
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| <poem>
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|
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| No. 60.
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| ::::::::::H.M.S. "Champion,"
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| :::::::::::::3rd June 1916.
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| SIR,
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| :I HAVE the honour to forward the following report of
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| Proceedings of H.M.S. " Champion " and 13th Destroyer Flotilla
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| during the recent action of the 31st May–lst June 1916.
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| :2. At 2.50 p.m., 31st May, H.M.S. " Onslow "and " Moresby "
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| were detached to join H.M.S. "Engadine," but attacked enemy
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| Battle Cruiser Fleet with remainder of Flotilla, as described in
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| paragraph 5.
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| :3. At commencement of action station was taken up on the
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| starboard bow of .H.M.S. "Lion," Destroyers in company
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| being :—
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| :::" Nestor " - Commander Hon. Edward B. S.
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| ::::::Bingham.
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| :::" Nomad " Lieut. Commander Paul Whitfield.
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| :::" Narborough "- JP Geoffrey Corlett.
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| :::" Obdurate " tt Cecil H. H. Sams.
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| :::" Petard " 13 3/ Evelyn C. O. Thomson.
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| :::" Pelican " 3t Kenneth A. Beattie.
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| :::" Nerissa " Montague C. B. Legge.
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| ::: " Onslow "1 )3 John C. Tovey.
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| :::"Moresby "1 tt PP Roger V. Alison.
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| :::" Nicator " Lieutenant Jack E. A. Mocatta.
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| :::" Termagant " Lieut. Commander Cuthbert P. Blake.
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| :::" Turbulent " - Dudley Stuart.
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| :::(The last two named Destroyers being temporarily attached.)
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| :4. At 4.30 p.m. Enemy's Battle Fleet was sighted by
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| " Champion " and reported to you.
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| :5. At 4.15 p.m. the whole Flotilla was ordered to attack
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| Enemy Battle Cruiser Fleet. This attack was well carried out,
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| and it is thought that at least two Enemy Destroyers were sunk.
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| I regret to state that H.M.S. " Nestor " (Commander Hon.
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| E. B. S. Bingham) and H.M.S. " Nomad " (Lieutenant Commander
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| Paul Whitfield) did not return from this action, and must be
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| considered to have been sunk.
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| :6. At 7.45 p.m. H.M.S. " Onslow " was reported unable to
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| steam, and was taken in tow by H.M.S. "Defender."
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| :7. No further opportunity of attacking Enemy occurred
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| during. the day.
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| :8. At night station was taken astern of Battle Fleet, course
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| South. About 11.30 p.m. heavy firing was opened on our
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| starboard beam, apparently at some of our Destroyers between
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| the 13th Flotilla and the enemy. I hauled out to the eastward
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| as I was unable to attack with any of our own Flotilla, our own
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| forces being between me and the Enemy. I then resumed course
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| South ; firing was observed at intervals during the night on
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| our starboard beam. Destroyers of the 13th Flotilla, with the
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| exception of H.M.S. " Obdurate " and "Moresby," lost touch
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| with me during the night. H.M.S. " Narborough " as Senior
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| Officer, reports that he took charge IA the remainder, and rejoined
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| the Fleet at 9.45 a.m. on the 1st instant.
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| :H.M.S. " Marksman " and " Maenad " joined me at about
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| 2.30 a.m. At 2.50 a.m. course was altered to North to conform
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| with signal received from the Commander-in-Chief.
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| :9. At 3.25 a.m. four Destroyers, steering southward, were
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| sighted ; owing to the mist I was uncertain at first who they
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| were ; but at 3.30 a.m. I made them out to be the enemy, and
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| opened fire, range about 3,600 yards. Two torpedoes were
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| fired at "Champion," the first one passing under our bows, the
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| second just missing close astern. Enemy passed on opposite
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| course, and when ship had been steadied after avoiding torpedoes,
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| the enemy had disappeared in the mist, and I resumed my same
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| course.
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| :10. At 4.30 a.m. H.M.S. " Obdurate " picked up two
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| survivors, and H.M.S. " Marksman " one survivor, from H.M.S.
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| " Ardent."
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| :At 5 a.m. two rafts were sighted, and H.M.S. " Moresby "
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| rescued seven men, and H.M.S. " Maenad " eleven men, survivors
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| from H.M.S. "Fortune."
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| :11. At about 6 a.m. H.M.S. " Marksman " was detached to
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| examine vessel to westward, which appeared to be a disabled
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| Destroyer, and lost touch with me. Nothing further occurred,
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| and I returned to base, by your orders, arriving at 3.30 p.m.,
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| 2nd June 1910.
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| :12. Letter of Proceedings from H.M.S. " Narborough," the
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| Senior Officer surviving from Destroyer attack, is attached.
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| Reports have been called for from remainder of 13th Flotilla,
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| and an addendum to this letter will be forwarded when the
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| reports have been collected.
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| :13. In addition to loss of H.M.S. " Nestor " and "Nomad,"
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| H.M.S. " Turbulent " '(Lieutenant-Commander Dudley Stuart)
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| is reported by H.M.S. " Narborough " to have been lost sight of
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| at 0.30 a.m. on the 1st instant, and was probably rammed, or
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| sunk by gunfire.
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| Total casualties and names have not yet been ascertained.
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| {{JODSig|J. U. Farie|13th Flotilla|The Vice-Admiral Commanding|Battle Cruiser Fleet, H.M.S. " Lion."}}
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| </poem>
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|
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| On the 7th, Farie forwarded a collection of reports from his flotilla destroyers he'd collected in the previous days, as follows.
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|
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| ==Obdurate==
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|
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| Extract from a report submitted to Farie on 3rd June.{{UKJutlandOD|p. 226}}
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|
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| <poem>
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| :On receiving the signal to carry out torpedo attack on enemy
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| battle cruiser fleet, Obdurate turned towards the enemy
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| and soon became engaged with their destroyers and one light
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| cruiser. Range varied from 6,000 to 3,000 yards, and during the
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| destroyer action one of the enemy's destroyers was blown up
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| and two others badly damaged; probably one of these two sank
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| as the guns firing at her lost sight of her.
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| :The enemy destroyers and light cruiser were driven back to
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| the protection of their big ships, and " Obdurate " was then too
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| far astern to deliver a torpedo attack. " Obdurate " was hit
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| twice by a 4.1 shell, but suffered no casualties.
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| </poem>
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|
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| ==Petard==
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|
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| Extract from a report submitted to Farie on 2nd June.{{UKJutlandOD|pp. 226, 227}}
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|
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| <poem>
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| :On receiving the signal to attack with torpedoes, I attacked
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| with H.M.S. "Turbulent." The first torpedo fired was set for
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| high speed, six feet deep, and was aimed at the bead of the
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| German destroyer flotilla, which was crossing over to meet our
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| attack. The track was closely followed, and tube's crew state
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| that they undoubtedly saw it hit a German Destroyer about
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| amidships and explode. I opened fire with my gun on this
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| destroyer a few minutes later, and she was then lying stopped,
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| with her upper deck awash and obviously sinking.
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| :" Petard " then took part in the general engagement with
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| the German Destroyers, and the three remaining torpedoes were
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| fired at a range of about 7,000 yards on the bow of the German
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| Battle Cruiser Fleet. All these torpedoes must have crossed
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| the track of the German line.
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| :At 12.15 a.m. course was altered to S.W. by W., and ten
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| minutes later the line crossed ahead of a division of German
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| Battleships. I sighted the leading battleship about six points
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| on my starboard bow steering S.E. at about 400 or 500 yards.
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| This ship switched on recognition lights, consisting of two red
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| over one white light and, as some destroyer ahead of me in the
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| line then switched on her "fighting lights," I think the Germans
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| at once knew we were enemy. As " Petard " had no torpedoes
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| left I could not attack, so I increased to full speed, and altered
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| course slightly to port to avoid being rammed. I passed about
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| 200 yards ahead of the German ship, who appeared to be one
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| of the " Wittelsbach " class. As soon as we were clear of her
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| stem, she illuminated us with searchlights, and we came under
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| a heavy fire from her and the next ship in the line. Two salvoes
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| seemed to strike us, and, in all, I think, we received six hits.
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| :I regret that I never saw " {{UK-1Turbulent}}," who was in station
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| astern of " Petard," after passing the German Squadron ;
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| according to the evidence of some of my Ship's Company, I
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| am afraid she must have been rammed and sunk.
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| </poem>
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|
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| ==Pelican==
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|
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| Extract from a report submitted to Farie on 4th June.{{UKJutlandOD|p. 227}}
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|
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| <poem>
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| :" Pelican " was unable to fire torpedoes owing to the other
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| two divisions being engaged by enemy torpedo craft between
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| the fleets, and by a division of the 9th Flotilla, who were coming
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| up in the opposite direction.
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| :At about 10.35 p.m. there was heavy firing in N. Westerly
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| direction, and destroyers were seen in the searchlight rays of
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| attacking ships. Shortly afterwards there was a huge explosion
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| in that direction. At 0.40, June 1st, when on a course S.W.,
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| speed 30 knots, I observed two ships on starboard quarter,
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| which were at first taken to be our Light Cruisers. They switched
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| on three vertical lights, the upper two being red and lower green,
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| at the same time " Pelican's " stem was lit up by a searchlight
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| which was immediately transferred to " Petard" and " Turbu-
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| lent," who were astern. When sighted position was unfavourable
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| for attack.
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| </poem>
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|
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| ==Nerissa==
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|
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| Extract from a report submitted to Farie on 5th June.{{UKJutlandOD|p. 227}}
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|
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| <poem>
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| :4.30 p.m., commenced attack on a northerly course, owing
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| to enemy turning 16 points, this attack had eventually to be
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| carried out on a southerly course, which I did in company with
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| " {{UK-Termagant}}," but firing two torpedoes, range 7,000 yards.
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| Just previous to this attack " {{UK-Nomad}} " was observed quite
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| close, stopped and apparently badly damaged in the engine
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| room. One torpedo apparently took effect on rear ship.
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| </poem>
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|
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| ==Onslow==
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|
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| Extract from a report submitted to Farie on 2nd June.{{UKJutlandOD|pp. 227-8}}
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|
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| <poem>
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| :At about 6.5 p.m., sighting an enemy Light Cruiser, class
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| uncertain, with 3 funnels, with topgallant forecastle only about
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| 6,000 yards from 1st B.C.S., I decided to attack her. All guns
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| engaged enemy Light Cruiser, and 58 rounds were fired at a
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| range of 2,000 to 4,000 yards ; undoubtedly a large number of
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| hits were scored, as they were easily spotted at this range. I
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| then gave orders for all torpedoes to be fired. I saw the first
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| torpedo leave the ship, and immediately was struck by a big
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| shell amidships the starboard side. There was a big escape of
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| steam, completely enveloping both torpedo tubes. Sub-Lieu-
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| tenant Moore, Leading Signalman Cassin, also several other
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| ratings and myself saw the torpedo hit Light Cruiser below
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| conning tower, and explode.
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| :Owing to two shells having exploded in No. 2 Boiler room,
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| and badly damaged main feed tank and all the water in the
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| reserve feed tank being now used, at 7.0 p.m. ship stopped and
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| electric current was lost. At 7.15 p.m. " Defender " closed
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| " Onslow " and asked if assistance was required. On learning
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| " Defender " could only steam 10 knots, I asked to be taken in
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| tow whilst endeavouring to effect repairs; this " {{UK-Defender}} "
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| did under very trying circumstances, and with large enemy
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| ships rapidly approaching. In tow of " {{UK-Defender}} " I then
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| proceeded W. by N. Using salt-water feed, Engineer Lieutenant
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| Commander Foulkes raised speed for slow speed to enable me
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| to use steering engine, and when weather got worse to lessen
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| strain on towing hawser. Owing to ship's condition I decided
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| to make for the nearest port—Aberdeen—arriving there about
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| 1.0 p.m. the 2nd June.
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| </poem>
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|
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| ==Moresby==
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|
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| Extract from a report submitted to Farie on 3rd June.{{UKJutlandOD|p. 228}}
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|
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| <poem>
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| :At 5.0 p.m. an enemy Dreadnought squadron then observed
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| steering Northward was attacked. At 5.10 p.m., being two
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| points before the beam of the leading ship 6-8,000 yards, a long
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| range torpedo was fired at the third ship. About 8 minutes later
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| I observed an upheaval due to a torpedo, and am informed it
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| was on the 6th ship. This agrees with the director setting.
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| The enemy were then straddling frequently ; my smoke was
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| bad; I therefore turned towards the enemy and ran between
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| the lines, in order to clear the range from smoke nuisance.
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| :At about 2.35 a.m., four " Deutschland " class ships were
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| seen bearing West, 4,000 yards. I hauled out to port, firing a
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| U.S. torpedo at 2.37 G.M.T. No more could be fired as left
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| tube was empty, and the fore director was pointed skywards
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| when the sight bore of that tube. Mist and smoke prevented
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| the enemy being seen again.
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| </poem>
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|
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| ==Nicator==
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|
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| Extract from a report submitted to Farie on 4th June.{{UKJutlandOD|pp. 228-9}}
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|
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| <poem>
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| :At 4.15 p.m. torpedo attack was carried out. Two torpedoes
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| were fired at a range of about 6,000 yards. During this attack
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| enemy's Destroyers were continually engaged with gunfire, and
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| were observed to be retiring, leaving at least two in a disabled
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| condition. A third torpedo was fired at second ship of enemy's
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| Battle Fleet at a range of about 3,000 yards. " Nestor " and
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| " Nicator " continued to close until within about 2,500 yards,
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| when " Nestor " was hit in the region of No. 1 Boiler Room;
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| she immediately altered course 8 points to starboard, and
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| " Nicator " was obliged to alter inside her to avoid collision,
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| thereby failing to fire a 4th torpedo.
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| :At 3.30 p.m., June 1st, in Lat. 55.50 N., Long. 0.55 W., a
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| torpedo fired by a hostile submarine was observed approaching
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| from abaft the starboard beam at an angle of 30 degrees, running
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| on the surface; helm was at once put hard a starboard and
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| telegraphs to full speed. Torpedo passed ahead. On resuming
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| course a submerged explosion was very distinctly felt all over
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| the ship, but no damage could be found. Submarine was not
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| sighted.
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| </poem>
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|
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| ===July, 1918=== | | ===July, 1918=== |
