HMS Saumarez (1916)

In July 1915, the British Admiralty ordered three {{sclass|Parker|flotilla leader}}s (i.e. large destroyers intended to lead flotillas of smaller destroyers in action) under the Sixth Emergency War Construction Programme, Saumarez, {{HMS|Hoste|1916|2}} and {{HMS|Seymour|1916|2}}, from the Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird. The Parker class{{#tag:ref|Also known as the improved Marksman class{{Harvnb|Dittmar|Colledge|1972|p=69}}.|group=lower-alpha}} was an improved version of the earlier {{sclass|Marksman|flotilla leader|2}} with the forward two funnels of the Marksman class merged into one and the ships' bridge moved rearwards, allowing an improved gun layout.{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=80}}{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=157}}{{Harvnb|English|2019|pp=10–11}}

The Parkers were {{convert|325|ft|m|1}} long overall and {{convert|315|ft|m|1}} between perpendiculars, with a beam of {{convert|31|ft|9|in|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|12|ft|m|1}}.{{Harvnb|Moore|1990|p=67}} Displacement was between {{convert|1660|LT|t|0}} and {{convert|1673|LT|t|0}} normal{{#tag:ref| Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I gives a normal displacement of {{convert|1673|LT|t|0}} in 1919.|group=lower-alpha}} and about {{convert|1900|LT|t|0}} full load. Four Yarrow boilers fed steam to three sets of Parsons steam turbines, rated at {{convert|36000|shp|kW}} and giving a speed of {{convert|34|kn}}. Three funnels were fitted. {{convert|515|LT|t}} of oil fuel were carried, giving a range of {{convert|4290|nmi}} at {{convert|15|kn}}.{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=149}}

The ship's main gun armament consisted of four QF 4 inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII mounted on the ships centreline, with the forward two guns superfiring so that one could fire over the other, with one gun between the second and third funnel and one aft. Two 2-pounder (40 mm) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft guns were fitted, while torpedo armament consisted of two sets of twin 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes. The standard anti-submarine armament for flotilla leaders such as Saumarez from June 1916 onwards was two Type D depth charges on chutes, although the number of depth charges tended to increased as the war progressed and the importance of anti-submarine operations grew.{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|pp=151–152}} The ship's complement was 116 officers and men.

Saumarez, named after James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez,{{Harvnb|Manning|Walker|1959|p=394}} was laid down on 2 March 1916,{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=307}}{{Harvnb|English|2019|p=12}} and was launched on 14 October 1916,{{Harvnb|Fock|1989|p=104}}{{#tag:ref|14 November 1916 according to English.|group=lower-alpha}} and commissioned on 21 December 1916.

On commissioning, Saumarez joined the 12th Destroyer Flotilla as leader and flagship of the flotilla's Captain (D).{{Harvnb|English|2019|p=20}}{{cite magazine |title=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: I.—The Grand Fleet: Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet |journal=The Navy List |date=January 1917 |page=12 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92122874 |via=National Library of Scotland |access-date=11 February 2020}} On 17 May 1917, the German submarine {{SMU|UC-31||2}} attacked and torpedoed two Swedish merchant ships east of the Orkney Islands, {{Ship|SS|Viken|1916|2}} and {{Ship|SS|Aspen|1897|2}},{{#tag:ref|The two ships had just been released by British authorities after being detained at Kirkwall.{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35| 1939|pp=79–80}}|group=lower-alpha}} sinking Viken with the loss of eight of her crew, and causing Aspen{{'}}s crew to abandon ship. Saumarez sighted some of Aspen{{'}}s boats, and ordered the destroyer {{HMS|Michael|1915|2}} to investigate. Michael picked up the survivors, and found that Aspen was still afloat. Michael, with the aid of a tug, brought Aspen to safety in Kirkwall, with Saumarez escorting the two ships into harbour. In July 1917, the flotilla, including Saumarez, moved to Rosyth. From 15 June 1917 the destroyers and submarines of the Grand Fleet took part in Operation BB, a large scale operation against German submarines, with 53 destroyers and leaders together with 17 submarines deployed on offensive patrols on the transit route for the Germans from the North Sea and around the Orkney and Shetland Islands to the Western Approaches. Saumarez led nine to ten destroyers of the 12th Flotilla on patrol to the west of the Hebrides.{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35| 1939|pp=162–164}}{{Harvnb|Newbolt|1931|pp=54–55}} Two sightings of submarines and one unsuccessful attack on a submarine was carried out in Saumarez{{'}}s area, while one unescorted merchant ship was sunk by a German submarine in the area.{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35| 1939|pp=164–165}} Overall, 61 sightings were made of German submarines were made by the destroyers and submarines of the Grand Fleet until the operation ended on 24 June, of which 12 resulted in attacks on the submarines, but no submarines were sunk or damaged.

On 17 November 1917, the Grand Fleet launched a major sortie on German forces in the North Sea - a force of cruisers and destroyers, supported by battlecruisers, and with a squadron of battleships in distant support, was to attack German minesweepers in the Heligoland Bight. Saumarez formed part of the escort for the covering force of the battleships of the 1st Battle Squadron, sailing a few hours behind the main force.{{Harvnb|Newbolt |1931|pp=167–169}}{{Harvnb|Marder|2014|pp=299–301}} The operation resulted in the inconclusive Second Battle of Heligoland Bight.{{Harvnb|Newbolt|1931|pp=169–176}}{{Harvnb|Marder|2014|pp=301–305}}

Saumarez remained leader of the 12th Flotilla until the end of the war.{{cite web|title=Admiralty "Pink Lists", 11 November 1918|work=Ships of the Royal Navy – Location/Action Data, 1914-1918 |publisher=Naval-history.net |date=24 March 2015|url=http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishShips-Locations2PL1811.htm |access-date=12 February 2020}} The Grand Fleet was broken up after the end of the war, with new destroyer flotillas formed, and in February, Saumarez was listed as being based at HMNB Devonport, but not as part of a flotilla.{{Harvnb|Manning|1961|p=27}}{{cite magazine |title=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: X.—Vessels at Home Ports and Other Bases Temporarily: Devonport |magazine=The Navy List |date=February 1919 |page=20 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92395426 |via=National Library of Scotland |access-date=12 February 2020}} By March, she was leader of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla,{{cite magazine |title=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: I.—The Grand Fleet: Destroyers |magazine=The Navy List |date=March 1919 |page=11 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92420162 |via=National Library of Scotland |access-date=12 February 2020}} but she was reduced to reserve at Devonport on 15 October 1919.{{Harvnb|English|2019|p=21}} Saumarez remained in reserve most of the rest of her career apart from brief commissionings to take part in exercises, serving as a tender to the training school at Keyham. Saumarez was sold to the shipbreakers Thos. W. Ward on 8 January 1931 for £5,100 and was removed to their works at Briton Ferry for scrapping on 2 February that year.

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |last1=Dittmar |first1=F. J. |last2=Colledge |first2=J. J. |title=British Warships 1914–1919 |year=1972 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton, UK |isbn=0-7110-0380-7 }}
• {{cite book |last=English |first=John |title=Grand Fleet Destroyers: Part I: Flotilla Leaders and 'V/W' Class Destroyers |year=2019 |location=Windsor, UK |publisher=World Ship Society |isbn=((978-0-9650769-8-4)) }}
• {{cite book |last=Fock |first=Harald |title=Z-Vor! Internationale Entwicklung und Kriegseinsätze von Zerstörern und Torpedobooten 1914 bis 1939 |year=1989 |location=Herford, Germany |publisher=Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mBH |isbn=3-7822-0207-4 |language=German }}
• {{cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |title=British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War |year=2009 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-1-84832-049-9 }}
• {{cite book |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=0-85177-245-5 }}
• {{cite book |last1=Manning |first1=T. D. |title=The British Destroyer |year=1961 |location=London |publisher=Putnam }}
• {{cite book |last1=Manning |first1=T. D. |last2=Walker |first2=C. F. |title=British Warship Names |year=1959 |location=London |publisher=Putnam }}
• {{cite book |last=Marder |first=Arthur J. |title=From The Dreadnought to Scapa Flow: Volume IV: 1917: Year of Crisis |year=2014 |location=Barnsley, UK |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |isbn=978-1-84832-201-1 }}
• {{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=Moore |first=John |title=Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I |year=1990 |publisher=Studio |location=London |isbn=1-85170-378-0 }}
• {{cite book|last=Newbolt |first=Henry |author-link=Henry Newbolt |title=Naval Operations: Vol. V |series=History of the Great War |year=1931 |publisher=Longmans, Green and Co |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations0000corb/page/n5/mode/2up }}

{{Parker class flotilla leaders}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saumarez (1916)}}

Category:Parker-class flotilla leaders

Category:World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom

Category:Ships built on the River Mersey

Category:1916 ships