HMS Oracle (1915)

Oracle was one of twenty-two Repeat {{sclass2|Admiralty M|destroyer}} destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in November 1914 as part of the Third War Construction Programme.{{sfn|McBride|1991|page=45}} The M-class was an improved version of the earlier {{sclass2|L|destroyer|||1913}} destroyers, originally envisaged to reach the higher speed of {{convert|36|kn}} in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers, although the eventual specification was designed for a more economic {{convert|34|kn}}.{{sfn|Friedman|2009|page=132}} The Repeat M class differed from the prewar vessels in having a raked stem and design improvements based on wartime experience.{{sfn|Parkes|Prendergast|1969|page=109}}

The destroyer was {{convert|265|ft|m|2}} long between perpendiculars, with a beam of {{convert|26|ft|9|in|m|2}} and a draught of {{convert|16|ft|3|in|m|2}}. Displacement was {{convert|1025|LT|t|lk=on}} normal and {{convert|1250|LT|t}} deep load. Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding two Brown-Curtis steam turbines rated at {{convert|25000|shp|kW|lk=on}} and driving two shafts.{{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 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 2-pounder (40 mm) pom-pom 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}}

Laid down by William Doxford & Sons of Sunderland, Oracle was launched on 23 December 1915 and completed during August the following year{{sfn|Parkes|Prendergast|1969|page=109}} The destroyer was the first Royal Navy ship to be named after the Oracle, a prophet of antiquity.{{sfn|Manning|Walker|1959|page=324}} The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla at Scapa Flow.{{cite journal | title=Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet|journal=The Navy List | date=October 1916 | page=12 | url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92098750 | access-date=5 April 2022}}

The destroyer was active in anti-submarine warfare but with variable results. On 19 August 1916, the destroyer, alongside sister ship {{HMS|Penn|1916|2}}, was sent to destroy the German submarine {{SMU|U-52||2}} that had sunk the light cruiser {{HMS|Nottingham|1913|2}}. The destroyers failed to find the submarine, but did ensure many of the sailors were rescued.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927|page=100}} On 18 January 1917, the destroyer was one of six destroyers that undertook patrols termed "high speed sweeps" in the North Sea using paravanes. No submarines were sighted.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|page=91}} On 12 August, the destroyer had greater success. Patrolling with the light cruisers {{HMS|Birkenhead|1915|2}} and {{HMS|Yarmouth|1911|2}}, Oracle spotted a vessel on the horizon northwest by west.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939|pages=238}} The vessel was the submarine {{SMU|U-44||2}}, hastily disguised with a sail. The destroyer sped towards the submarine, which dived, rose and dived again in an attempt to escape.{{sfn|Messimer|2002|page=65}} The destroyer discharged four rounds of gunfire, which missed, and then rammed the submarine between the conning tower and stern. The submarine sank with no survivors.{{sfn|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939|pages=239}} This was a rare success and soon afterwards, the Admiralty withdrew the destroyers like Oracle from patrols and reallocated them to be escorts for convoys, which proved more effective at preventing losses from submarines.{{sfn|Newbolt|1928|page=383}}

After the armistice, the Grand Fleet was disbanded and Oracle joined the Defence Flotilla at Portsmouth.{{citation | title=III Local Defence and Training Establishments| work=The Navy List | date=July 1920 | page=13 | url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92499806 | via=National Library of Scotland | access-date=5 April 2022}} However, the end of the war meant that the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of mobilisation and both the number of ships and the amount of staff needed to be reduced to save money.{{sfn|Moretz|2002|page=79}} Oracle was declared superfluous to operational requirements and, on 1 February 1920 and placed in reserve.{{citation | title=639 Oracle | work=The Navy List | date=October 1920 | page=818 | url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/94453564 | via=National Library of Scotland | access-date=5 April 2022}} However, that situation did not last long. The harsh conditions of wartime operations, exacerbated by the fact that the hull was not galvanised, meant that the ship was soon worn out.{{sfn|Preston|1985|page=80}} The destroyer was decommissioned and, on 30 October 1921, sold to W. & A.T. Burden to be broken up.{{sfn|Colledge|Warlow|2006|page=250–251}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{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 | first1=J.J. | last1=Colledge | 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 | 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 | 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 | last=Messimer | first=Dwight R. |title=Verschollen: World War I U-boat Losses | location=Annapolis | publisher=Naval Institute Press | year=2002 | isbn=978-1-55750-475-3}}
• {{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 | publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division | url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVII_opt.pdf |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=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=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 | 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 | author-link=Antony Preston | 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:Oracle (1915)}}

Category:1915 ships

Category:Admiralty M-class destroyers

Category:Ships built on the River Wear

Category:World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom