HMS Rapid (1916)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Rapid.

HMS Rapid was a destroyer of the M class that served with the Royal Navy during First World War. Launched by Thornycroft in 1916, the vessel was the one of two similar ships ordered as part of the Fifth War Construction Programme. They differed from the remainder of the M class in having more powerful engines. The design was used as the basis for the subsequent five ships of the R-class also built by the yard. Rapid served in escort and patrol roles, principally providing defence from submarines as part of the Grand Fleet until it was disbanded at the end of the War. After the end of hostilities, the vessel served in minor roles, including briefly as part of the Admiralty Compass Department in 1921 and 1924, but was sold to be scrapped in 1927.

HMS Patriot was an earlier Thornycroft M-class, seen here in 1922
History
United Kingdom
Name	Rapid
Builder	Thornycroft, Woolston, Southampton
Yard number	827
Laid down	12 August 1915
Launched	15 July 1916
Completed	19 September 1916
Decommissioned	20 April 1927
Fate	Broken up at Garston, Liverpool
General characteristics
Class and type	Thornycroft M-class destroyer
Displacement	1,033 long tons (1,050 t) (normal) 1,208 long tons (1,227 t) (full load)
Length	274 ft (83.5 m) (o.a.) 265 ft (80.8 m) (p.p.)
Beam	27 ft 6 in (8.4 m)
Draught	10 ft (3.0 m)
Installed power	3 Yarrow boilers, 26,500 shp (19,800 kW)
Propulsion	Brown-Curtis steam turbines, 3 shafts
Speed	35 kn (40 mph; 65 km/h)
Range	3,450 nmi (6,390 km) at 20 kn (37 km/h)
Complement	82
Electronic warfare & decoys	3 × single QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark IV guns 1 × single 2-pdr 40 mm (2 in) AA gun 2 × twin 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes

Design

Main article: Thornycroft M-class destroyer

Rapid was one of two M-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty from John I. Thornycroft & Company in May 1915 as part of the Fifth War Construction Programme. Rapid and Ready differed from the Admiralty design in having more powerful engines, which gave them a higher potential speed.^[1] The speed increase was to combat a rumoured German design that was capable of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph).^[2] Thornycroft had previously delivered four other M-class destroyers to the Admiralty to slightly different specifications, and together they are considered to be a single class.^[3]

Rapid was 274 feet (83.5 m) long overall and 265 ft (80.8 m) long between perpendiculars, with a beam of 27 ft 6 in (8.4 m) and a draught of 10 ft (3.0 m).^[3] Displacement was 1,033 long tons (1,050 t) normal and 1,208 long tons (1,227 t) full load. Three Yarrow boilers fed steam to Brown-Curtis steam turbines rated at 26,500 shp (19,800 kW) which drove three shafts, giving a design speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph), although the ship reached 35.45 knots (65.65 km/h; 40.80 mph) during trials.^[4][5] Three funnels were fitted, the centre one being wider than the others, a feature shared with the R-class destroyers designed by Thornycroft.^[4] A total of 275 long tons (279 t) of fuel oil was carried, giving a design range of 1,620 nautical miles (3,000 km; 1,860 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).^[6]

Armament consisted of three single QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft and one between the second and third funnels.^[3] Four 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes torpedoes were carried in two twin rotating mounts.^[7] By 1920, the ship was equipped with a single QF 2-pounder 40 mm (2 in) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft gun.^[8] The vessel had a complement of 82 officers and ratings.^[3]

Service

Rapid was laid down on 12 August 1915 and launched on 15 July 1916.^[9] Once completed on 19 September 1916, the ship joined the Grand Fleet, initially with the Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla.^[1][10] Occasionally, the vessel operated alone. On 17 May 1917, the ship rescued the survivors from the British armed merchantman Middlesex, which had been sunk by the German submarine U-30 the previous day. In the process, Rapid was involved in a friendly fire incident when it mistook the British submarine E54, which was simultaneously approaching the lifeboats, for an enemy and subjected it to gunfire and a depth charge attack, albeit without sinking it.^[11]

The flotilla was also employed collectively in larger operations, although these sorties were also not always as successful. For example, during an anti-submarine patrol in the North Sea as part of a convoy run from Lerwick between 15 and 24 June 1917, Rapid launched twelve attacks, none of which led to the destruction of any submarines.^[12] The destroyer was also employed on escort duties and it was during one these operations in the North Sea during August 1917 that Rapid, along with the destroyer Tirade, unsuccessfully attacked a fleeing German submarine.^[13] Rapid continued to serve with the Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla until the end of the war.^[14]

When the Grand Fleet was disbanded, Rapid was kept on "miscellaneous service."^[15][a] In 1921, the ship was seconded to the Compass Department of the Admiralty, which had responsibility for many of the scientific instruments used on board ships of the Navy.^[17] The ship was then transferred to the Reserve Fleet at Portsmouth. During September 1924, the vessel was again seconded for compass trials, before again returning to reserve.^[18] In the interim, however, the Navy decided to scrap many of the older destroyers, up to and including some of the M-class, in preparation for the introduction of newer and larger vessels.^[19] Despite having little over a decade in service, Rapid was retired and sold to G Cohen for breaking up on 20 April 1927.^[9]

Pennant numbers

Pennant Number	Date
G63	September 1915^[20]
G78	January 1917^[20]
G83	January 1918^[20]
G46	November 1919^[21]
H94	January 1922^[22]

Notes

1. Contemporary documents also list a HMS Rapid in Gibraltar but this was an older vessel.^[16]

References

Citations

1. Friedman 2009, p. 308.
2. Friedman 2009, p. 132.
3. Parkes & Prendergast 1969, p. 110.
4. Preston 1985, p. 79.
5. McBride 1991, p. 46.
6. March 1966, p. 143.
7. Preston 1985, p. 80.
8. March 1966, p. 146.
9. Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 331.
10. "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet", The Navy List, p. 12, October 1916, retrieved 12 October 2018 – via National Library of Scotland
11. Naval Staff Monograph No. 35 1939, p. 30.
12. Newbolt 1931, pp. 54–56.
13. Williams 1997, p. 151.
14. "Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". The Navy List: 12. October 1918. Retrieved 12 October 2018 – via National Library of Scotland.
15. "Vessels on Miscellaneous Service". The Navy List: 710. January 1920. Retrieved 12 October 2018 – via National Library of Scotland.
16. Winfield & Lyon 2004, p. 293.
17. "Local Defence and Training Establishments, Patrol Flotillas, Etc", The Navy List, p. 704, January 1921, retrieved 12 October 2018 – via National Library of Scotland
18. "Naval And Military: Compass Trials". The Times. No. 43760. 18 September 1924. p. 7.
19. Friedman 2009, p. 180.
20. Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 68.
21. Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 64.
22. Bush & Warlow 2021, p. 77.

Bibliography

• 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. ISBN 978-1-526793-78-2.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006). Ships of the Royal Navy: A Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy From the 15th Century to the Present. London: Chatham. ISBN 1-93514-907-5.
• Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.
• Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
• March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555.
• 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.
• Monograph No. 35: Home Waters Part IX: 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. IX. Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1939.
• Newbolt, Henry (1931). Naval Operations: Vol. V. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. Retrieved 25 March 2020 – via Archive.org.
• 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. ISBN 978-0-85177-245-5.
• Williams, M. W. (1997). "HMS Tirade and the sinking of UC-55". In Mclean, David; Preston, Antony (eds.). Warship 1997-1998. London: Conway Maritime. ISBN 0-85177-722-8.
• Winfield, Rif; Lyon, David (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-032-9.