For other ships with the same name, see HMS Oracle.
HMS Oracle was a Repeat Admiralty M-classdestroyer which served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 23 December 1915 and joined the Grand Fleet. Oracle spent much of the war involved in anti-submarine warfare. In August 1916, the destroyer rescued the crew of the light cruiserNottingham, which had been sunk by a German submarine. In August 1917, the destroyer rammed and sank the submarine U-44. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer was transferred to Portsmouth. Initially, the destroyer was part of the local defence flotilla but soon Oracle was placed in reserve, decommissioned and, on 30 October 1921, sold to be broken up.
Oracle was one of twenty-two Repeat Admiralty M-classdestroyer destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in November 1914 as part of the Third War Construction Programme.[1] The M-class was an improved version of the earlier L-classdestroyer destroyers, originally envisaged to reach the higher speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers, although the eventual specification was designed for a more economic 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph).[2] The Repeat M class differed from the prewar vessels in having a raked stem and design improvements based on wartime experience.[3]
The destroyer was active in anti-submarine warfare but with variable results. On 19 August 1916, the destroyer, alongside sister shipPenn, was sent to destroy the German submarine U-52 that had sunk the light cruiserNottingham. The destroyers failed to find the submarine, but did ensure many of the sailors were rescued.[8] 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.[9] On 12 August, the destroyer had greater success. Patrolling with the light cruisers Birkenhead and Yarmouth, Oracle spotted a vessel on the horizon northwest by west.[10] The vessel was the submarine U-44, hastily disguised with a sail. The destroyer sped towards the submarine, which dived, rose and dived again in an attempt to escape.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13]
After the armistice, the Grand Fleet was disbanded and Oracle joined the Defence Flotilla at Portsmouth.[14] 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.[15]Oracle was declared superfluous to operational requirements and, on 1 February 1920 and placed in reserve.[16] 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.[17] The destroyer was decommissioned and, on 30 October 1921, sold to W. & A.T. Burden to be broken up.[18]
Bush, Steve; Warlow, Ben (2021). Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy: A Complete History of the Allocation of Pendant Numbers to Royal Navy Warships & Auxiliaries. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-526793-78-2.
Colledge, J.J.; Warlow, Ben (2006). Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy. London: Chatham Press. ISBN978-1-93514-907-1.
Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN978-0-71100-380-4.
Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-84832-049-9.
Manning, Thomas Davys; Walker, Charles Frederick (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam. OCLC 780274698.
McBride, Keith (1991). "British 'M' Class Destroyers of 1913–14". In Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Warship 1991. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 34–49. ISBN978-0-85177-582-1.
Messimer, Dwight R. (2002). Verschollen: World War I U-boat Losses. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-55750-475-3.
Monograph No. 33: Home Waters Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916(PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XVII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1927.
Monograph No. 34: Home Waters Part VIII: December 1916 to April 1917(PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XVIII. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1933.
Monograph No. 35: Home Waters Part IX: 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917(PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIX. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1939.
Moretz, Joseph (2002). The Royal Navy and the Capital Ship in the Interwar Period. London: Routledge. ISBN978-0-71465-196-5.
Newbolt, Henry (1928). Naval Operations: Volume IV. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC 1049894132.
Parkes, Oscar; Prendergast, Maurice (1969). Jane's Fighting Ships 1919. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. OCLC 907574860.
Preston, Antony (1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 1–104. ISBN978-0-85177-245-5.
May 07, 2024
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For other ships with the same name see HMS Oracle HMS Oracle was a Repeat Admiralty M class destroyer which served in the Royal Navy during the First World War The M class were an improvement on the previous L class capable of higher speed The vessel was launched on 23 December 1915 and joined the Grand Fleet Oracle spent much of the war involved in anti submarine warfare In August 1916 the destroyer rescued the crew of the light cruiser Nottingham which had been sunk by a German submarine In August 1917 the destroyer rammed and sank the submarine U 44 After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War the destroyer was transferred to Portsmouth Initially the destroyer was part of the local defence flotilla but soon Oracle was placed in reserve decommissioned and on 30 October 1921 sold to be broken up OracleHistory United Kingdom NameHMS Oracle NamesakeOracle OrderedNovember 1914 BuilderDoxford Sunderland Launched23 December 1915 CompletedAugust 1916 Out of service30 October 1921 FateSold to be broken up General characteristics Class and typeAdmiralty M class destroyer Displacement950 long tons 970 t normal 1 021 long tons 1 037 t full load Length265 ft 8 in 80 98 m p p Beam26 ft 9 in 8 15 m Draught16 ft 3 in 4 95 m Propulsion3 Yarrow boilers 2 Brown Curtis steam turbines 25 000 shp 19 000 kW Speed34 knots 63 0 km h 39 1 mph Range3 450 nmi 6 390 km 3 970 mi at 15 kn 28 km h 17 mph Complement76 Armament3 QF 4 in 102 mm Mark IV guns 3 1 1 2 pounder 40 mm pom pom Mk II anti aircraft gun 1 1 4 21 in 533 mm torpedo tubes 2 2 Contents 1 Design and development 2 Construction and career 3 Pennant numbers 4 References 4 1 Citations 4 2 BibliographyDesign and development editOracle was one of twenty two Repeat Admiralty M class destroyer destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in November 1914 as part of the Third War Construction Programme 1 The M class was an improved version of the earlier L class destroyer destroyers originally envisaged to reach the higher speed of 36 knots 67 km h 41 mph in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers although the eventual specification was designed for a more economic 34 knots 63 km h 39 mph 2 The Repeat M class differed from the prewar vessels in having a raked stem and design improvements based on wartime experience 3 The destroyer was 265 feet 80 77 m long between perpendiculars with a beam of 26 feet 9 inches 8 15 m and a draught of 16 feet 3 inches 4 95 m Displacement was 1 025 long tons 1 041 t normal and 1 250 long tons 1 270 t deep load Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding two Brown Curtis steam turbines rated at 25 000 shaft horsepower 19 000 kW and driving two shafts 3 Three funnels were fitted and 296 long tons 301 t of oil was carried giving a design range of 3 450 nautical miles 6 390 km 3 970 mi at 15 knots 28 km h 17 mph 4 Armament consisted of three 4 inch 102 mm Mk IV QF 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 21 in 533 mm torpedoes 5 The ship had a complement of 76 officers and ratings 4 Construction and career editLaid down by William Doxford amp Sons of Sunderland Oracle was launched on 23 December 1915 and completed during August the following year 3 The destroyer was the first Royal Navy ship to be named after the Oracle a prophet of antiquity 6 The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet joining the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla at Scapa Flow 7 The destroyer was active in anti submarine warfare but with variable results On 19 August 1916 the destroyer alongside sister ship Penn was sent to destroy the German submarine U 52 that had sunk the light cruiser Nottingham The destroyers failed to find the submarine but did ensure many of the sailors were rescued 8 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 9 On 12 August the destroyer had greater success Patrolling with the light cruisers Birkenhead and Yarmouth Oracle spotted a vessel on the horizon northwest by west 10 The vessel was the submarine U 44 hastily disguised with a sail The destroyer sped towards the submarine which dived rose and dived again in an attempt to escape 11 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 12 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 13 After the armistice the Grand Fleet was disbanded and Oracle joined the Defence Flotilla at Portsmouth 14 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 15 Oracle was declared superfluous to operational requirements and on 1 February 1920 and placed in reserve 16 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 17 The destroyer was decommissioned and on 30 October 1921 sold to W amp A T Burden to be broken up 18 Pennant numbers editPennant Number Date G27 September 1915 19 F08 January 1917 20 D46 January 1918 21 F76 January 1919 22 References editCitations edit McBride 1991 p 45 Friedman 2009 p 132 a b c Parkes amp Prendergast 1969 p 109 a b Friedman 2009 p 296 Preston 1985 p 79 Manning amp Walker 1959 p 324 Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet The Navy List 12 October 1916 Retrieved 5 April 2022 Naval Staff Monograph No 33 1927 p 100 Naval Staff Monograph No 34 1933 p 91 Naval Staff Monograph No 35 1939 pp 238 Messimer 2002 p 65 Naval Staff Monograph No 35 1939 pp 239 Newbolt 1928 p 383 III Local Defence and Training Establishments The Navy List p 13 July 1920 retrieved 5 April 2022 via National Library of Scotland Moretz 2002 p 79 639 Oracle The Navy List p 818 October 1920 retrieved 5 April 2022 via National Library of Scotland Preston 1985 p 80 Colledge amp Warlow 2006 p 250 251 Dittmar amp Colledge 1972 p 66 Bush amp Warlow 2021 p 45 Bush amp Warlow 2021 p 37 Bush amp Warlow 2021 p 51 Bibliography edit Bush Steve Warlow Ben 2021 Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy A Complete History of the Allocation of Pendant Numbers to Royal Navy Warships amp Auxiliaries Barnsley Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 526793 78 2 Colledge J J Warlow Ben 2006 Ships of the Royal Navy The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy London Chatham Press ISBN 978 1 93514 907 1 Dittmar F J Colledge J J 1972 British Warships 1914 1919 Shepperton Ian Allan ISBN 978 0 71100 380 4 Friedman Norman 2009 British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the First World War Barnsley Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 84832 049 9 Manning Thomas Davys Walker Charles Frederick 1959 British Warship Names London Putnam OCLC 780274698 McBride Keith 1991 British M Class Destroyers of 1913 14 In Gardiner Robert ed Warship 1991 London Conway Maritime Press pp 34 49 ISBN 978 0 85177 582 1 Messimer Dwight R 2002 Verschollen World War I U boat Losses Annapolis Naval Institute Press ISBN 978 1 55750 475 3 Monograph No 33 Home Waters Part VII From June 1916 to November 1916 PDF Naval Staff Monographs Historical Vol XVII Naval Staff Training and Staff Duties Division 1927 Monograph No 34 Home Waters Part VIII December 1916 to April 1917 PDF Naval Staff Monographs Historical Vol XVIII Naval Staff Training and Staff Duties Division 1933 Monograph No 35 Home Waters Part IX 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917 PDF Naval Staff Monographs Historical Vol XIX Naval Staff Training and Staff Duties Division 1939 Moretz Joseph 2002 The Royal Navy and the Capital Ship in the Interwar Period London Routledge ISBN 978 0 71465 196 5 Newbolt Henry 1928 Naval Operations Volume IV History of the Great War London Longmans Green and Co OCLC 1049894132 Parkes Oscar Prendergast Maurice 1969 Jane s Fighting Ships 1919 Newton Abbott David amp Charles OCLC 907574860 Preston Antony 1985 Great Britain and Empire Forces In Gardiner Robert Gray Randal eds Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1906 1921 London Conway Maritime Press pp 1 104 ISBN 978 0 85177 245 5 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Oracle 1915 amp oldid 1183349270, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
