HMS Valkyrie (1917)

In early 1916, the Director of Naval Construction prepared a design for a destroyer leader suitable to lead the new R-class destroyers. The first two ships of the new class, Malcolm and Montrose were ordered from William Denny and Brothers in April 1916, with three more being ordered from other builders in July that year.{{harvnb|Friedman|2009|pp=160–162}}{{harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=82}} Malcolm{{'}}s keel was laid on 25 May 1916 at Denny's shipyard in Dumbarton, Scotland.{{harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=312}} The five V-class leaders were renamed on 28 September 1916, with Malcolm being renamed Valkyrie and Montrose being renamed {{HMS|Valorous|L00|2}}.{{harvnb|English|2019|pp=43–45}} She was launched on 13 March 1917.

Valkyrie was {{convert|312|ft|m|2}} long overall with a beam of {{convert|29|ft|6|in|m}} and a draught of between {{convert|10|ft|8|in}} and {{convert|11|ft|7+1/2|in|m|2}} depending on load. She had a displacement of {{convert|1188|LT|t|lk=in}} standard and up to {{convert|1473|LT|t}} under full load.{{harvnb|Preston|1971|pp=97–98}}

The ship's machinery was based on that of the R-class destroyers which she was designed to lead.{{harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=160}} Three oil-fed Yarrow boilers raising steam at {{convert|250|psi}} fed Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines which developed {{convert|27,000|shp|kW}}, driving two screws for a maximum designed speed of {{convert|34|kn|lk=in}}. Valkyrie reached {{convert|34.79|kn}} during sea trials, with her engines generating {{convert|29563|shp|kW}}.{{harvnb|Raven|Roberts|1979|pp=2–3}} The ship carried {{convert|367|LT|t}} of oil giving a range of {{convert|3500|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}.

She shipped four Mk V QF (quick fire) 4-inch L/45 guns in four single center-line mounts. These were disposed as two forward and two aft in super imposed firing positions. She also carried one QF 3-inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft gun aft of the second funnel. Aft of the 3-inch gun, she carried four 21-inch Torpedo tubes mounted in pairs on the center-line.

HMS Valkyrie was completed on 16 June 1917 with the pennant number F.83, the first of the V-class leaders to complete. After commissioning Valkyrie joined the 10th Destroyer Flotilla as leader,{{harvnb|Preston|1971|p= 22}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rmg.co.uk/upload/pdf/Warship_Histories_Vessels_iv.pdf|title=NMM, vessel ID 378209|work=Warship Histories, Vol. IV|publisher=National Maritime Museum|access-date=26 July 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014122904/http://www.rmg.co.uk/upload/pdf/Warship_Histories_Vessels_iv.pdf|archive-date=14 October 2013|df=dmy-all}} forming part of the Harwich Force, and carrying out offensive sweeps and convoy escort operations. On 22 December 1917, Valkyrie was part of the escort for a convoy to the Netherlands when she struck a mine. Twelve men were killed, with seven more men dying of wounds in the next few days.{{cite web|last1=Kindell|first1=Don|title=1st – 31st DECEMBER 1917 in date, ship/unit & name order|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1917-12Dec.htm|work=World War 1 - Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies|publisher=naval-history.net|access-date=26 July 2014|date=22 February 2011}} Three more destroyers of the 10th Flotilla, {{HMS|Torrent|1916|2}}, {{HMS|Surprise|1916|2}} and {{HMS|Tornado|1917|2}}, were sunk by mines on the next day. Valkyrie was under repair at Chatham Dockyard until July 1918.{{harvnb|Preston|1971|pp=23–24}}

After repair, Valkyrie joined the 13th Destroyer Flotilla based at Rosyth Dockyard led by the light cruiser {{HMS|Champion|1915|2}}.{{harvnb|Preston|1971|p=24}}{{harvnb|Dittmar |Colledge|1972|p=24}} In November 1918, following the Armistice that ended fighting with Germany, and the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet, the 13th Destroyer Flotilla, including Valkyrie, was sent to the Baltic Sea as part of the British intervention. The 13th Flotilla was relieved in January 1919.{{harvnb|Preston|1971|pp= 27, 30–31}} In 1919 she was reassigned to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla.{{cite journal|title=Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands, &c.|journal=The Navy List |date=July 1919|page=11|url=http://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/pageturner.cfm?id=92499782&mode=fullsize|access-date=7 November 2014}}

In 1921, the destroyer force was again reorganised around smaller flotillas comprising eight destroyers and a leader. Valkyrie was assigned to the 9th Destroyer Flotilla which were laid up at Rosyth Dockyard with skeleton crews.{{harvnb|Manning|1961|p=28}}{{harvnb|Preston|1971|pp=35–36}} After a refit at Chatham, Valkyrie returned to service in August 1923, operating in British waters with the 9th Flotilla until November 1925, when she, along with the rest of the Flotilla, was transferred to the 7th Destroyer Flotilla and laid up at Port Edgar. She returned to more active duty in June 1926 as the emergency destroyer at Rosyth, before being relieved by {{HMS|Verdun|L93|2}} and returning to reserve in November that year.{{harvnb|English|2019|p=44}}

In June 1927, Valkyrie joined the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet as a temporary replacement for {{HMS|Valentine|L69|2}} while Valentine was having her boiler tubes replaced. Valkyrie then went back to reserve at Sheerness, where she remained until February 1927, when she was transferred to Rosyth, remaining in reserve.{{harvnb|English|2019|p=45}}

In 1936 she was stricken and sold to the shipbreaking yard Thos. W. Ward's for scrap as part of a deal in which several laid up warships were traded for the old ocean liner {{RMS|Majestic||6}}, which the Admiralty wanted to convert into a training ship.{{harvnb|Preston|1971|pp=56–57}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{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=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|last1=Gardiner|first1=Robert|last2=Gray|first2=Randal|title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-245-5}}
• {{cite book| last=Manning| first=T.D.|title=The British Destroyer|publisher=Putnam and Co.|date=1961|location=London}}
• {{cite book|last=Preston|first=Antony|title='V & W' Class Destroyers 1917–1945|publisher=Macdonald|location=London|year=1971|oclc=464542895}}
• {{cite book|last1=Raven|first1=Alan|last2=Roberts |first2=John |title='V' and 'W' Class Destroyers|publisher=Arms & Armour|location=London|year=1979|series=Man o' War|volume=2|isbn=0-85368-233-X }}
• {{cite web|title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1919|url=http://www.pbenyon1.plus.com/Janes_1919/Destroyers/Admiralty-V_Post_War.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216190020/http://www.pbenyon1.plus.com/Janes_1919/Destroyers/Admiralty-V_Post_War.html|archive-date=16 February 2012|df=dmy-all}}

• [http://www.worldnavalships.com/valkyrie.htm#HMS%20Valkyrie Valkyrie V Class flotilla leader destroyers]
• [http://www.gwpda.org/naval/s0400000.htm Royal Navy DD pennant numbers]

{{V and W class destroyer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valkyrie (1917)}}

Category:V and W-class destroyers of the Royal Navy

Category:Ships built on the River Clyde

Category:1917 ships

Category:World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom