HMS Obdurate (1916)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Obdurate.

HMS Obdurate was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. Launched on 21 January 1916 by Scotts of Greenock, the vessel served as part of the Grand Fleet in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. The destroyer formed part of the cover for the British battlecruisers and was involved in attacks on German battleships and destroyers, but recorded no hits. The destroyer was also part of attack by Zeppelin L 43 on Sydney and the distant cover for the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight, but received only minor damage from the German airship. After the armistice, Obdurate was assigned to the Local Defence Force at Nore and sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.

Sister ship Pasley
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Obdurate
Ordered	November 1914
Builder	Scotts of Greenock
Yard number	465
Laid down	May 1915
Launched	21 January 1916
Completed	23 March 1916
Out of service	15 November 1921
Fate	Sold to be broken up
General characteristics
Class and type	Admiralty M-class destroyer
Displacement	994 long tons (1,010 t) normal 1,025 long tons (1,041 t) full load
Length	265 ft (80.8 m)
Beam	26 ft 8 in (8.1 m)
Draught	9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
Propulsion	3 Yarrow boilers 2 Brown-Curtis steam turbines, 25,000 shp (19,000 kW)
Speed	34 knots (39.1 mph; 63.0 km/h)
Range	3,450 nmi (6,390 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement	76
Armament	3 × QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark IV guns (3×1) 1 × single 2-pounder (40-mm) "pom-pom" Mk. II anti-aircraft gun (1×1) 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2×2)

Design and development

Obdurate was one of twenty-two Admiralty M-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in November 1914 as part of the Third War Construction Programme.^[1] The M-class was an improved version of the earlier L-class destroyers, required to reach a higher speed in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers. The design was to achieve a speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph), although the destroyers did not achieve this in service. It transpired that the German ships did not exist but the greater performance was appreciated by the navy.^[2]

The destroyer was 265 feet (80.8 m) long overall, with a beam of 26 ft 8 in (8.1 m) and a draught of 9 ft 3 in (2.8 m). Displacement was 994 long tons (1,010 t) normal and 1,025 long tons (1,041 t) full load. Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding two Brown-Curtis steam turbines rated at 25,000 shaft horsepower (19,000 kW) and driving two shafts, to give a design speed of 34 kn (63 km/h; 39 mph).^[3] Three funnels were fitted. A fuel load of 296 long tons (301 t) of oil was 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] The ship had a complement of 76 officers and ratings.^[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 middle and aft funnels. A single 2-pounder (40 mm) pom-pom anti-aircraft gun was carried, while torpedo armament consisted of two rotating twin mounts for 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes.^[5]

Construction and career

Obdurate was laid down by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Greenock with the yard number 465 in May 1915, launched on 21 January the following year and completed on 23 March.^[6] The ship was the first of the name to serve with the navy.^[7] The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla.^[8]

On 30 May 1916, the destroyer sailed with the Grand Fleet to confront the German High Seas Fleet in what would be the Battle of Jutland.^[9] Obdurate was one of fourteen M-class destroyers that were allocated to form part of the screen to protect the battlecruisers of the Fleet.^[10][11] Led by the light cruiser Champion, Obdurate and sister ship Moresby took part in the attack of the German fleet that led to the destruction of the battleship Pommern.^[12] As the warships broke apart, Champion sped away in pursuit of the German fleet, leaving the majority of the destroyers behind, with only Moresby and Obdurate able to keep up.^[13]

The small flotilla sought for the main German fleet, and at 2:15 turned westwards towards gunfire.^[14] They saw four German cruisers with their attendant destroyers but did not engage as the enemy ships sped away, later narrowly missing attacking four destroyers before they disappeared into the haze.^[15] Returning to the British lines, the three ships were spotted by the German torpedo boats G40 and V45, which launched torpedoes, but both sides escaped without recording a hit.^[16] In the aftermath of the battle, Obdurate rescued two sailors from the destroyer Ardent, which had been sunk in the action.^[17]

On 4 May 1917, Obdurate was escorting the light cruisers Dublin and Sydney when the flotilla came under attack from submarines and airships. The destroyer attacked what was thought to be a submarine periscope and received minor damage when a bomb dropped by Zeppelin L 43 narrowly missed but was otherwise unharmed.^[18] On 16 November that year, Obdurate was part of the destroyer screen for the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron, led by Lion, that provided distant cover at the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight but did not engage with the enemy.^[19] The vessel was also involved in escorting merchant ships in the convoys that crossed the Atlantic Ocean.^[20]

After the armistice, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of service, and surplus vessels were culled. Obdurate was initially allocated to the Local Defence Force at Nore.^[21] On 15 November 1921, the vessel was sold to Cashmore of Newport, Wales, and was broken up from the following May.^[22] It was announced that the ship's bell was to be sold on 31 March 1928.^[23]

Pennant numbers

Pennant Number	Date
F06	January 1917[24]
F07	January 1918[24]
H50	June 1918[25]
G26	September 1915[26]
F83	January 1919[27]
HA2	January 1922[28]

References

Citations

1. McBride 1991, p. 34.
2. Friedman 2009, p. 132.
3. Parkes & Prendergast 1969, p. 109.
4. Friedman 2009, p. 296.
5. Preston 1985, p. 79.
6. Kemble 1961, p. 103.
7. Manning & Walker 1959, p. 342.
8. "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". Supplement to The Monthly Navy List: 12. April 1916. Retrieved 2 September 2021 – via National Library of Scotland.
9. Brooks 2016, pp. 155.
10. Corbett 1920, pp. 408.
11. Jutland: Official Despatches 1920, p. 533.
12. Corbett 1920, pp. 408–409.
13. Brooks 2016, p. 399.
14. Corbett 1920, p. 410.
15. Brookes 1962, p. 66.
16. Brooks 2016, p. 425.
17. Corbett 1920, p. 422.
18. Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, pp. 2–3.
19. Newbolt 1931, p. 169.
20. Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, p. 232.
21. "Local Defence and Training Establishments", The Navy List, p. 704, October 1919, retrieved 2 September 2021 – via National Library of Scotland
22. Colledge & Warlow 2010, p. 228.
23. "Warships' Bells". The Times. No. 44907. 31 March 1928. p. 11.
24. Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 45.
25. Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 68.
26. Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 63.
27. Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 52.
28. Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 78.

Bibliography

• Battle of Jutland, 30 May to 1 June 1916: Official Despatches with Appendices. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1920.
• Brookes, Ewart (1962). Destroyer. London: Jarrolds. OCLC 464408994.
• Brooks, John (2016). The Battle of Jutland. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-15014-0.
• 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.
• Colledge, J.J.; Warlow, Ben (2010). Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy. Haverhill: Casemate. ISBN 978-1-93514-907-1.
• Corbett, Julian S. (1920). Naval Operations: Volume III. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC 1049894619.
• Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-71100-380-4.
• Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
• Kemble, John Haskell (1961). Two Hundred & Fifty Years of Shipbuilding by the Scotts at Greenock. Glasgow: James Jack Advertising. OCLC 776430979.
• Manning, Thomas Davys; Walker, Charles Frederick (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam. OCLC 780274698.
• McBride, Keith (1991). "British 'M' Class Destroyers of 1913–14". In Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Warship 1991. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 34–49. ISBN 978-0-85177-582-1.
• Monograph No. 35: Home Waters Part IX: 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIX. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1939.
• 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.