Английская Википедия:HMS Orestes (1916)
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Other ships Шаблон:EngvarB Шаблон:Use dmy dates
Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship careerШаблон:Infobox ship characteristicsHMS Orestes was a Repeat Шаблон:Sclass2 which served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous Шаблон:Sclass2, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 21 March 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet. Orestes was involved in seeking submarines in the North Sea, patrolling both independently and as part of large operations. The destroyer did not report any submarines destroyed, but did rescue the survivors from Q-ship Шаблон:HMS after that vessel had successfully sunk the submarine Шаблон:SMU in a duel in March 1917. Later in the war, the focus was turned to escorting merchant ships and the destroyer helped secure convoys that crossed the Atlantic Ocean. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer was placed into reserve until being, on 30 January 1921, decommissioned and sold to be broken up.
Design and development
Orestes was one of twenty-two Repeat Шаблон:Sclass2 destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in November 1914 as part of the Third War Construction Programme.Шаблон:Sfn The M-class was an improved version of the earlier Шаблон:Sclass2 destroyers, required to reach a higher speed in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers. The design was to achieve a speed of Шаблон:Convert, 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.Шаблон:Sfn The Repeat M class differed from the prewar vessels in having a raked stem and design improvements based on wartime experience.Шаблон:Sfn
The destroyer had a length of Шаблон:Convert between perpendiculars and Шаблон:Convert overall, with a beam of Шаблон:Convert and a draught of Шаблон:Convert at deep load. Displacement was Шаблон:Convert normal and Шаблон:Convert deep load.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding Brown-Curtis steam turbines rated at Шаблон:Convert and driving three shafts, to give a design speed of Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn Three funnels were fitted and Шаблон:Convert of oil was carried, giving a design range of Шаблон:Convert at Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn
Armament consisted of three single [[QF 4-inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII|QF Шаблон:Convert Mk IV]] 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 on a bandstand. A single [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|QF 2-pounder Шаблон:Convert "pom-pom"]] anti-aircraft gun was carried, while torpedo armament consisted of two twin mounts for [[British 21 inch torpedo|Шаблон:Convert torpedoes]].Шаблон:Sfn The ship had a complement of 80 officers and ratings.Шаблон:Sfn
Construction and career
Laid down by William Doxford & Sons of Sunderland in the River Wear, Orestes was launched on 21 March 1916 and completed during October that year.Шаблон:Sfn The destroyer was the sixth Royal Navy ship to be named after Orestes, the son of Clytemnestra, husband of Hermione, and king of Argos in Greek mythology.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla based at Scapa Flow[1] Orestes was soon in action and, on 10 November 1916, joined sister ship Шаблон:HMS and light cruiser Шаблон:HMS in a search for the German merchant ship SS Brandenburg.Шаблон:Sfn
The destroyer was subsequently deployed in anti-submarine warfare based at the naval base in Portsmouth. On 1 February 1917, Orestes started to patrol off the coast of Cornwall in response to a sighting of the submarine Шаблон:SMU, which was deemed a threat to shipping. Fifteen days later, the destroyer attacked the submarine Шаблон:SMU, but the enemy boat escaped unscathed.Шаблон:Sfn Patrols continued in the English Channel into the next month, but no further contact with submarines was made.Шаблон:Sfn On 12 March, the destroyer rescued survivors from Шаблон:HMS after the Q-ship had duelled with Шаблон:SMU and both had been fatally damaged. The destroyer attempted to tow the stricken ship but was unsuccessful and Privet sank off Plymouth Sound.Шаблон:Sfn
Increasingly, patrols had not provided the security needed to shipping and the Admiralty redeployed the destroyers of the Grand Fleet to focus on the more effective convoy model.Шаблон:Sfn By 29 March, Orestes was one of only three left patrolling the North Sea seeking submarines.Шаблон:Sfn On 15 June, the vessel, along with the rest of the flotilla, was involved in a large sweep of the area west of the Shetland Islands searching for submarines, although Orestes was attached to the Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla. The destroyer did not sight any submarines.Шаблон:Sfn Shortly afterwards, the destroyer was transferred to the Northern Division of the Coast of Ireland Station at Buncrana.[2] This allowed the destroyer to support the convoys travelling across the Atlantic Ocean from the American industrial complex at Hampton Roads.Шаблон:Sfn The harsh conditions of wartime operations, particularly the combination of high speed and the poor weather that is typical of the North Sea, exacerbated by the fact that the hull was not galvanised, meant that the destroyer soon worn out from such service.Шаблон:Sfn
After the armistice, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of service and Orestes was declared superfluous to operational requirements. The destroyer was initially transferred back to Portsmouth on 17 October 1919 and placed in reserve.[3] However, this did not last long as the navy needed to reduce both the number of ships and the amount of staff to save money.Шаблон:Sfn Orestes was decommissioned and, on 30 January 1921, sold to W. & A.T. Burdon to be broken up.Шаблон:Sfn
Pennant numbers
| Pennant Number | Date |
|---|---|
| G33 | September 1915Шаблон:Sfn |
| G61 | January 1917Шаблон:Sfn |
| G60 | January 1918Шаблон:Sfn |
| D56 | November 1918Шаблон:Sfn |
| H74 | January 1919Шаблон:Sfn |
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
