HMS Erebus (I02)

During the First World War, the Royal Navy developed several classes of ships which were designed to give close support to troops ashore through the use of naval bombardment.Crossley 2013, c. 1; Buxton 2008, c. 1 Termed monitors, they owed little to the monitors of the 19th century, though they shared the characteristics of poor seaworthiness, shallow draught and heavy armament in turrets. The size of the various monitor classes of the Royal Navy and their armaments varied greatly. The {{sclass|Marshal Ney|monitor|4}} was the United Kingdom's first attempt at a monitor carrying {{convert|15|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns.Crossley 2013, c. 2, para. 24 Following construction of the first two of the Marshall Ney-class, another four were ordered in May 1915, with the Harland and Wolff shipyard at Govan receiving a contract to construct two hulls, which were given yard numbers 492 and 493. However, all four were cancelled in June when it was realised that there were insufficient gun turrets to complete both the battleship, {{HMS|Royal Oak|08|2}}, and the monitors before 1917.Buxton 2008, c. 8.1

By August 1915, {{HMS|Marshal Ney||2}}, the first of her class, had revealed a very poor performance in her sea trials. The monitor's engines would not start reliably and were prone to stalling,Crossley 2013, c. 2, para. 25 making it impossible for the ship to achieve even the minimum standard for the trial of four hours of continuous sailing at full power. The vessel was also difficult to steer.Buxton 2008, c. 4.2, para. 3 Disappointed by the failure, the Admiralty began the design of a replacement class on 6 September, which incorporated lessons learned from all of the previous classes of monitor commissioned during the war. Some of the main modifications were an increase in the power supply to guarantee a speed of {{convert|12|kn}} and a change to the angles and lines of the hull to improve steering. Another significant change was to raise the top of the anti-torpedo bulge above the waterline and reduce its width; both changes would improve the stability and maneuverability of the ship at sea. The bulge was fitted along each side of the ship and was intended to absorb the impact of any explosions. To maintain protection while reducing the bulge's width, its inner compartment was made water tight and filled with 70 steel tubes, rather than leaving the inner compartment open to the sea as in previous designs.Brown 1999, p. 148Buxton 2008, c. 8.2

The new design, which would later be named the Erebus-class, was for a vessel {{convert|405|ft|m|abbr=on|lk=on|1}} long, {{convert|88|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on|1}} wide with a draught of {{convert|11|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on|1}}. It would have {{convert|8,450|LT|t|lk=on|abbr=on}} loaded displacement,Buxton 2008, c. 8.3 para. 2{{efn-lr|Official figures for displacement on completion were not recorded for either vessel of the Erebus-class, leading to historians estimating the true displacement from the completed design and manifest. Buxton suggests a figure of 8,450{{ }}long tons for loaded displacement at completion. An alternative figure of {{convert|7,200|LT|t|abbr=on}} was officially recorded for Terror's 1933 refit, though Buxton reports that this figure appears to be a mistake as it does not align with the ship's recorded loaded displacement for that period.Buxton 2008, c. 8.9}} with a maximum operational speed of {{convert|13|kn|lk=on}} produced by triple-expansion steam engines with two shafts, and a crew of 204. Power would be provided by four Babcock & Wilcox water-tube boilers, which would generate a combined {{convert|6000|ihp|kW|lk=on|abbr=on}}. The monitors would have an operational range of {{cvt|2480|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of 12{{ }}knots.

The ships would be armoured to a similar standard to the {{sclass|Abercrombie|monitor|4}}, which were launched in April 1915. Deck armour would range from {{convert|1|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} on the forecastle, through {{convert|2|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} on the upper deck and {{convert|4|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} over the magazine and belt.Buxton 2008, c. 8.2, para. 4 With the main 15 in guns being originally intended for use on a battleship, the armour for the turret was substantially thicker than elsewhere in the design; with {{convert|13|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} on the front, {{convert|11|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} on the other sides and {{convert|5|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} on the roof. The main gun's barbette would be protected by {{convert|8|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} of armour.Buxton 2008, c. 2.2, para. 1 The conning tower was protected by {{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} of armour on the sides and {{convert|2.5|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} on the roof.Buxton 2008, c. 2.11 Each anti-torpedo bulge was {{convert|13|ft|abbr=on|0}} wide with an outer air-filled compartment {{convert|9|ft|abbr=on}} wide and an inner compartment {{convert|4|ft|abbr=on}} wide containing the steel tubes.

Orders for two vessels of the new design were placed with Harland and Wolff on 29 September with reinstated yard numbers 492 and 493, which were renamed respectively Erebus and {{HMS|Terror|I03|2}} on 13 October. Erebus was laid down at Harland and Wolff's shipyard in Govan on 12 October 1915 and launched on 19 June 1916.Buxton 2008, c. 8.3

The ship's main armament consisted of two BL 15{{ }}in Mk I naval guns in a single forward turret. Erebus's turret was originally a spare for the battlecruiser {{HMS|Furious|47|2}}, which was prepared in case the new BL 18{{ }}in Mk I naval guns intended for the larger vessel were ineffective.Crossley 2013, c. 2, para. 29{{efn-lr|There is some confusion in the sources as to the nature of the turrets installed on the Erebus-class monitors. Jane's Fighting Ships (1919) states that Marshall Ney's turret was fitted to Erebus.Parkes & Prendergast 1919, p. 90 However Buxton (2008) and Crossley (2013) both agree that Ney's turret was fitted to Terror in Belfast while Erebus received at Clydebank a gun originally intended as a spare for {{HMS|Furious|47|2}}.}} Learning from the earlier experience with Ney, the turrets were adjusted to increase elevation to 30 degrees, which would add greater firing range.

Erebus conducted sea trials on 1 September, during which the ship was faster than her sister at {{convert|14.1|kn}} compared to {{convert|13.1|kn}} for Terror. However, under service conditions the maximum speed that could be achieved for both vessels was {{convert|13|kn|abbr=on}} with a clean hull or {{convert|12|kn|abbr=on}} with a fouled hull. Erebus was completed and commissioned on 2 September.Buxton 2008, c. 8.3, para. 3 & c. 8.9

During the First World War, Erebus bombarded German naval forces based at the Belgian ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge.

On 28 October 1917, she was damaged by a remote controlled German FL-boat, and suffered the loss of {{cvt|50|ft|m|0}} of anti-torpedo bulge.

In 1919, Erebus took part in the British Invasion of Russia providing gunfire support in the White Sea and in the Baltic Sea.

In 1921, she took part in gunnery trials against the surrendered German battleship {{SMS|Baden}}. She then served as a gunnery training ship between the two world wars. After a refit completed in August 1939, she was earmarked as guardship at Cape Town, but due to the outbreak of World War II this did not occur.

In the early war years, Erebus served with the Eastern Fleet and the Mediterranean Fleet, where she was used to run supplies to besieged Tobruk and bombard enemy concentrations. She was present at Trincomalee during the Japanese attack on the harbour there, receiving a near-miss hit from Japanese aircraft, suffering casualties.{{cite book |title=BR 1736(9) Battle Summaries |date=1943 |publisher=British Admiralty |pages=14, 23 |url=https://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Battle_Summary_No_15_and_16.pdf |access-date=14 December 2020}} In 1943, she was damaged while bombarding Sicily during the Allied invasion of Sicily.

Erebus was used for coastal bombardment during the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944, firing at the batteries at Barfleur and La Pernelle. She suffered one 15-inch gun destroyed due to a premature explosion of a high explosive round in the bore.[http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_15-42_mk1.htm navweaps.com Accessed 14 January 2008. HMS Roberts suffered in the same way. The fault was traced to defective fuses in some US-built shells]

On 10 August 1944, she was used against the defenders of the harbour at Le Havre. She was damaged by the battery at Clos des Ronces and was out of action for some time. In November 1944, she supported Operation Infatuate, the amphibious assault on Walcheren, Netherlands.

She was scrapped in July 1946. It is believed that one of Erebus{{'}} 15-inch guns was used to equip {{HMS|Vanguard|23|2}}, the Royal Navy's last battleship.[http://battleshiphmsvanguard.homestead.com/15inch.html The 15 inch Guns of HMS Vanguard]

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{{Reflist|30em}}

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• {{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=David K. |year=2012 |orig-year=First published 1999 |title=The Grand Fleet; Warship Design and Development 1906–1922 |location=Barnsley, UK |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |isbn=9781848320857 }}
• {{cite book |last1=Buxton |first1=Ian |title=Big gun Monitors: Design, Construction and Operations 1914–1945 |location=Barnsley, UK |publisher=Pen & Sword |date=2008 |orig-year=First published 1978 |edition=2nd Revised |isbn=978-1-84415-719-8 }}
• {{cite book |last1=Crossley |first1=Jim |title=Monitors of the Royal Navy: How the Fleet Brought the Great Guns to Bear |location=Barnsley, UK |publisher=Pen & Sword |year=2013 |isbn=9781783830046 }}
• {{cite book |year=1969 |orig-year=First published 1919 |editor1-last=Parkes |editor1-first=Oscar |editor2-last=Prendergast |editor2-first=Maurice |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1919 |journal=Fighting Ships |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012202881 |location=New York |publisher=Arco Publishing Co |isbn=9780715347164 |oclc=1902851 |access-date=23 December 2019 }}

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{{Commons category|HMS Erebus (I02)}}

• [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5461.html Uboat.net - HMS Erebus]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081029043202/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/80/a5283380.shtml Personal experiences]
• {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20080228200336/http://www.royal-navy.org/warships/period-8/classes.php?name=9 Royal Navy history]}}

{{Erebus class monitor}}

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Category:Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War

Category:Erebus-class monitors

Category:Naval ships of Operation Neptune

Category:Ships built by Harland and Wolff

Category:Ships built in Govan

Category:1916 ships

Category:World War I monitors of the United Kingdom

Category:World War II monitors of the United Kingdom