HMS Moorsom (1914)

Moorsom was one of the initial six {{sclass2|Admiralty M|destroyer|1}}s ordered by the British Admiralty in May 1913 as part of the 1913–14 Naval Programme, one of the last destroyers to be ordered before the outbreak of the First World War.{{sfn|McBride|1991|page=44}} The M-class was an improved version of the earlier {{sclass2|L|destroyer|4||1913}} destroyers, designed to reach a higher speed in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers, although it transpired these vessels did not exist. Although envisioned to have a maximum speed of {{convert|36|kn|lk=in}}, they were eventually designed for a speed {{convert|2|kn}} slower.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|page=132}}

The destroyer was {{convert|273|ft|8|in|m|1}} long overall, with a beam of {{convert|26|ft|9|in|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|16|ft|3|in|m|1}}. Displacement was {{convert|860|LT|t|lk=on}} normal and {{convert|1021|LT|t}} full load.{{sfn|Johnston|2014|page=189}} Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding Brown-Curtis steam turbines rated at {{convert|25000|shp|kW|lk=on}} that drove three shafts to give a design speed of {{convert|34|kn}}.{{sfn|Parkes|Prendergast|1969|page=109}} Three funnels were fitted and {{convert|296|LT}} of oil was carried, giving a design range of {{convert|3450|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|page=296}}

Armament consisted of three single QF 4 inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII 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 QF 2-pounder naval gun anti-aircraft gun was carried, while torpedo armament consisted of two twin mounts for British 21 inch torpedo.{{sfn|Preston|1985|page=79}} The ship had a complement of 76 officers and ratings.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|page=296}}

Moorsom was laid down by John Brown & Company of Clydebank on 27 February 1914 with the yard number 427, was launched on 20 December, started trials on 1 February in the Firth of Clyde the following year and was completed on 17 March.{{sfn|Johnston|2014|page=189}}{{sfn|Johnston|2014|page=65}} The vessel was the first to be named after the naval officer Admiral Sir Robert Moorsom.{{sfn|Manning|Walker|1959|page=304}} Moorsom was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the newly formed Tenth Destroyer Flotilla.{{cite journal | title=Home and Atlantic Waters|journal=The Navy List | date=January 1915 | page=11 | url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/91953738 | via=National Library of Scotland | access-date=5 January 2022}}

The destroyer took part in a wide range of activities during the war, usually alongside other members of the flotilla. For example, the flotilla was involved in escorting ships in 1915. Moorsom was chosen to accompany {{RMS|Mauretania|1906|2}} on 9 and 10 June as the troop ship sailed to join the Gallipoli campaign.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 30|1926|pages=12—13}} On 16 August, the ship formed part of a flotilla of eight destroyers that escorted the minelayer {{HMS|Princess Margaret||2}} on a sortie from Sheerness.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 30|1926|page=146}} One of their number, {{HMS|Mentor|1914|2}}, was torpedoed by the torpedo boats of the German Second Flotilla, but the crew of Moorsom thought the explosion meant that they had entered a minefield and, taking refuge behind the minelayer, escaped without harm.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 30|1926|pages=148-150}} By October, the destroyer, along with the rest of the flotilla, had been transferred to the Harwich Force.{{cite journal | title=Harwich Force|journal=The Navy List | date=October 1915 | page=13 | url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92009826 | via=National Library of Scotland | access-date=5 January 2022}}

At the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916, Moorsom was attached to the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla under the light cruiser {{HMS|Champion|1915|2}}.{{sfn|Brooks|2016|page=156}} The destroyer was transferred from the Harwich Force, along with {{HMS|Morris|1914|2}}, to supplement the Grand Fleet, which had insufficient destroyers to shield both the 1st and 2nd Battlecruiser Squadrons.{{sfn|Brooks|2016|page=157}} The flotilla attacked the battlecruisers of the German High Seas Fleet after the destruction of the {{HMS|Indefatigable|1909|2}} and {{HMS|Queen Mary||2}}.{{sfn|Corbett|1920|page=337}} The vessel became separated from the flotilla and instead joined in a melee with German torpedo boats led by {{SMS|V27||2}}.{{sfn|Corbett|1920|page=339}} Disengaging, the destroyer sighted the departing vessels of the High Seas Fleet and launched four torpedoes, none of which hit.{{sfn|Brooks|2016|page=213}} Moorsom did not return to the battle and instead was forced to return to port with damaged oil tanks.{{sfn|Brooks|2016|page=398}} It is likely the tanks were hit by {{convert|5.9|in|adj=on|abbr=on}} shells from the battleship {{SMS|Grosser Kurfürst|1913|2}}.{{sfn|Campbell|1998|page=58}} On 18 August, the destroyer was briefly, with {{HMS|Milne|1914|2}} and {{HMS|Murray|1914|2}}, again seconded to the Grand Fleet, serving with the 3rd Battle Squadron.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pages=96–97}} By the following day, the ship had returned to the Tenth Flotilla, now based in Dover.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|page=259}} On 28 November, Moorsom once again escorted Princess Margaret on a mission, this time to lay 500 mines {{convert|20|nmi}} west of Borkum.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927|page=220}}

Moorsom was one of eight destroyers of the Tenth Flotilla sent with the destroyer leader {{HMS|Nimrod|1915|2}} to Dunkirk on 19 January 1917 to provide reinforcement to the Dover Patrol in the event of German torpedo attacks on the Dover Barrage and shipping in the English Channel.{{sfn|Newbolt|1928|pp=72–73}} On 22 January, an intercepted German radio signal warned the British Admiralty that the German Sixth Torpedo Boat Flotilla was to be sent from the High Seas Fleet to reinforce their forces at Flanders.{{sfn|Karau|2014|page=112}} By 27 January, the destroyer was part of a flotilla, which also included {{HMS|Manly|1914|2}}, {{HMS|Mansfield|1914|2}}, {{HMS|Matchless|1914|2}}, Morris, Nimrod and {{HMS|Phoebe|1916|2}}, that was to patrol east of the Schouwen Bank.{{sfn||Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|page=93}} The force did not see the German ships, but Moorsom was nearly accidentally rammed by {{HMS|Starfish|1916|2}}, which was part of another destroyer division operating in the area, due to the lack of visibility.{{sfn||Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|page=95}} The warship was then given a refit, returning to Dover on 28 February.{{sfn||Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pages=270–271}} Moorsom rejoined the Dover Patrol, which now included thirteen monitors, forming part of the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla.{{cite journal | title=Dover Patrol|journal=The Navy List | date=April 1917 | page=15 | url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92148810 | via=National Library of Scotland | access-date=5 January 2022}} On 11 May, the destroyer was part of the escort for the monitors {{HMS|Erebus|I02|2}}, {{HMS|Marshal Soult||2}}, {{HMS|Sir John Moore|1915|2}} and {{HMS|Terror|I03|2}} in their bombardment of Ostend.{{sfn|Newbolt|1931|page=45}} The operation was deemed a success as the Admiralty gained intelligence that the bombardment led to the German command doubting that Ostend was a safe haven for their warships.{{sfn|Newbolt|1931|page=47}} Moorsom formed part of the support for a similar bombardment on 5 June by Erebus and Terror.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939|pages=123–124}}

The destroyer accompanied a subsequent attack on Zeebrugge by monitors on 23 April 1918, which also included the sinking of blockships to impede the flow of German submarines leaving the port.{{sfn|Newbolt|1931|pages=249, 264}} The ship provided a similar service to the monitors that attacked Ostend on 9 May, which again included Erebus, Sir John Moore and Terror.{{sfn|Newbolt|1931|page=268, 272}} Although this operation did not meet the expectations of the Admiralty and the port remained open, the bombardment was achieved without interference by enemy warships or the loss of any British vessel.{{sfn|Newbolt|1931|page=277}}

After the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the war, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and personnel needed to be reduced to save money.{{sfn|Moretz|2002|page=79}} Moorsom was declared superfluous to operational requirements. On 15 October 1919, the destroyer was given a reduced complement and placed in reserve at Devonport.{{cite journal | title=Moorsom | journal=The Navy List | date=July 1920 | page=814 | url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/94426196 | via=National Library of Scotland | access-date=5 January 2022}} However, this did not last long and, on 8 November 1921, Moorsom was sold to Slough TC to be broken up in Germany.{{sfn|Colledge|Warlow|2006|page=233}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book | last=Brooks | first=John | title=The Battle of Jutland | location=Cambridge | publisher=Cambridge University Press | year=2016 | isbn=978-1-107-15014-0}}
• {{cite book | last1=Bush | first1=Steve | last2=Warlow | first2=Ben | title=Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy: A Complete History of the Allocation of Pendant Numbers to Royal Navy Warships & Auxiliaries | location=Barnsley | publisher=Seaforth Publishing | year=2021 | isbn=978-1-526793-78-2}}
• {{cite book | last=Campbell | first=John | title=Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting | location=London | publisher=Conway Maritime Press | year=1998 | isbn=978-0-85177-750-4}}
• {{cite book | last1=Colledge | first1=J.J. | first2=Ben | last2=Warlow | title=Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy | location=London | publisher=Chatham Press | year=2006 | isbn=978-1-93514-907-1}}
• {{cite book | last=Corbett | first=Julian S. | title=Naval Operations: Volume III | series=History of the Great War | location=London | publisher=Longmans, Green and Co | year=1920 | url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations03corb/ | oclc=1049894619}}
• {{cite book | last1=Dittmar | first1=F.J. | last2=Colledge | first2=J.J. | title=British Warships 1914–1919 | year=1972 | publisher=Ian Allan | location=Shepperton |isbn=978-0-71100-380-4}}
• {{cite book | last=Friedman | first=Norman| title=British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War | year=2009 | publisher=Seaforth Publishing | location=Barnsley | isbn=978-1-84832-049-9}}
• {{cite book | last=Johnston | first=Ian | title=A Shipyard at War: Unseen Photographs of John Brown & Co. Ltd, Clydebank, 1914–18 | location=Annapolis | publisher=Naval Institute Press | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-59114-189-1}}
• {{cite book | last=Karau | first=Mark D. | title=The Naval Flank of the Western Front: The German MarineKorps Flandern 1914–1918 | location=Barnsley | publisher=Seaforth Publishing | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-84832-231-8}}
• {{cite book | last1=Manning | first1=Thomas Davys | last2=Walker | first2=Charles Frederick |title=British Warship Names | location=London | publisher=Putnam | year=1959 | oclc=780274698}}
• {{cite book | last=McBride | first=Keith | chapter=British 'M' Class Destroyers of 1913–14 | pages=34–49 | editor-last=Gardiner | editor-first=Robert | title=Warship 1991 | year=1991 | publisher=Conway Maritime Press | place=London | isbn=978-0-85177-582-1}}
• {{cite book | title=Monograph No. 30: Home Waters Part V: From July to October 1915 | series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) | volume= XIV | year=1926 | publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division | url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XIV_opt.pdf | ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 30|1926}}}}
• {{cite book | title=Monograph No. 33: Home Waters: Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) | volume= XVII|year=1927| url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVII_opt.pdf | publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division | ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927}}}}
• {{cite book | title=Monograph No. 34: Home Waters—Part VIII: December 1916 to April 1917 | series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) | volume=XVIII | year=1933 | publisher=The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division| url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVIII_opt.pdf | ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933}}}}
• {{cite book | title=Monograph No. 35: Home Waters—Part IX.: 1st May, 1917 to 31st July, 1917|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) | volume=XIX | year=1939 | publisher=The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division | url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XIX_opt.pdf | ref={{Harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939}}}}
• {{cite book | last=Moretz | first=Joseph | title=The Royal Navy and the Capital Ship in the Interwar Period | location=London | publisher=Routledge| year=2002 | isbn=978-0-71465-196-5}}
• {{cite book |last=Newbolt |first=Henry |title=Naval Operations: Volume IV |series=History of the Great War |location=London |publisher=Longmans, Green and Co |year=1928 |url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations04corb |oclc=1049894132}}
• {{cite book | last=Newbolt | first=Henry | title=Naval Operations: Volume V | series=History of the Great War | location=London | publisher=Longmans, Green and Co | year=1931 | url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations0000corb | oclc=220475309}}
• {{cite book |last1=Parkes |first1=Oscar |last2=Prendergast |first2=Maurice |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1919 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbott |year=1969 |oclc=907574860}}
• {{cite book | last=Preston | first=Antony | chapter=Great Britain and Empire Forces | pages=1–104 | editor1-last=Gardiner | editor1-first=Robert | editor2-last=Gray | editor2-first=Randal | title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 | publisher=Conway Maritime Press | location=London | year=1985 | isbn=978-0-85177-245-5}}

{{refend}}

{{M class destroyers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moorsom (1914}}

Category:1914 ships

Category:Admiralty M-class destroyers

Category:Ships built on the River Clyde

Category:World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom