RN Destroyers: Admiralty M Class

[Brian James]

Admiralty M Class Destroyer HMS Opal, is prepared for launch at the East Yard of William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, September 1915.
On commissioning, Opal joined the 12th Destroyer Flotilla, based at Scapa Flow as part of the Grand Fleet.Opal took part in the Battle of Jutland where the Twelfth Flotilla supported the Grand Fleet,and both attacked and was attacked during the general action.She also participated in other major fleet sorties during the next two years as well as pursuing her regular duties of Minesweeping, convoy protection and ASW patrols in the North Sea.
On July 24th 1917, Opal and the Destroyer Mounsey were escorting an east-bound convoy on the Scandinavian (Lerwick–Norway) route, when the convoy came under attack by the German submarine U-67, which fired two torpedoes from distance at the convoy, one of which hit and sunk the Swedish merchant ship Viking. In response, Opal followed back the track of the torpedo and dropped a depth charge on the estimated location of the submarine, but U-67 escaped unharmed.
On January 12th 1918, Opal joined her sister ship Narborough and the Light Cruiser Boadicea in a night patrol to hunt German auxiliary warships suspected to be laying mines on the Scottish coast. By 17:30, the weather had deteriorated to such an extreme degree that the Destroyers were in danger of swamping and foundering and visibility was near zero. Fearing that her companions might sink, Boadicea ordered Opal and Narborough back to Scapa Flow while she continued alone. For the next four hours, Opal regularly sent reports indicating her course and intention to return, but at 21:27, a garbled message stating have run aground was received, followed by silence. The weather was so atrocious that no vessels could be despatched until the following morning, and it was two days before Opal was found, battered, broken and empty on the Clett of Crura off the east coast of South Ronaldsay. Narborough was found in a similar position nearby. One survivor — William Sissons — was later located on a small islet, and he related that the ships had been sailing a regular slow course making frequent soundings and radio reports, but had suddenly crashed headlong into the rocks, probably due to a navigation error by Opal's captain. Both wrecks were abandoned and broken up by the sea over the next few weeks taking the bodies of both crews, bar the single survivor, with them.

[ivorthediver]

Thank you for that interesting post Brian , and the tragic storey retold .

Makes you wonder sometimes how these things happen and why when commanded by what seem competent crews .
There again the long standing treachery of mother nature once aroused knows no bounds eh .

[jbryce1437]

Some more of HMS Opal, mostly courtesy of Sunderland Museum

Jim

hms opal after launch.jpg

hms opal on stocks at doxfords sunderland.jpg

hms opal on the stocks.jpg

hms opal engine.jpg

hms opal and ophelia opportune oracle three doxfords sunderland.jpg

hms opal at speed.jpg

hms-opal-scapa.jpg

Opal%20G19-01[1].jpg

I was born ( a lot of years later I should add) about half a mile beyond the large black shed under the bridge. The large crane is at George Clarkes engine works at Southwick, on the opposite side of the river to Doxfords.

opal launch.jpg

[ivorthediver]

Thanks Jim , they were a substantial ship for their class , and THREE props any specs on her please , I can see she had Turbines but that must have been a "shoe horn" job given her profile and can see why she was a swift mover for her time frame , again my thanks

[Culverin]

The loss of Opal and Narborough was most unfortunate, as is the wrong spelling of the latter (not here i might add) where she is too frequently Narbrough, missing the first o. She is without an o in many standard highly regarded reference books and even in the court of enquiry to their loss on that dismal night of 21st January 1918.

Admiral Sir John Narborough, 1640 - 1688, after whom she is named would be somewhat bemused but the number of genuine RN ship name errors is actually quite lengthy.

[Brian James]

Admiralty M Class Destroyer HMS Opal pictured fitting out at William Doxford & Sons Shipyards in Sunderland in 1915.
On January 12th 1918, Opal joined her sister ship HMS Narborough and the Scout Cruiser HMS Boadicea in a night patrol to hunt German auxiliary warships suspected to be laying mines on the Scottish coast. By 17:30, the weather had deteriorated to such an extreme degree that the destroyers were in danger of swamping and foundering and visibility was near zero. Fearing that her companions might sink, Boadicea ordered Opal and Narborough back to Scapa Flow while she continued alone. For the next four hours, Opal regularly sent reports indicating her course and intention to return, but at 21:27, a garbled message stating have run aground was received, followed by silence. The weather was so atrocious that no vessels could be despatched until the following morning, and it was two days before Opal was found, battered, broken and empty on the Clett of Crura off the east coast of South Ronaldsay. Narborough was found in a similar position nearby. One survivor — William Sissons — was later located on a small islet, and he related that the ships had been sailing a regular slow course making frequent soundings and radio reports, but had suddenly crashed headlong into the rocks, probably due to a navigation error by Opal's captain. Both wrecks were abandoned and broken up by the sea over the next few weeks taking the bodies of both crews, bar the single survivor, with them.

[Brian James]

Admiralty M Class Destroyer HMS Opal pictured fitting out at William Doxford & Sons Shipyards in Sunderland in 1915.

[Brian James]

Admiralty M Class Destroyer HMS Orpheus pictured fitting out amongst the grime,smog and steam at William Doxford & Sons Shipbuilding Yards,Tyneside in 1916.

[Brian James]

Admiralty M Class Destroyer HMS Opal pictured fitting out at William Doxford & Sons Shipyards at Sunderland on September 11th 1915.

[Brian James]

Admiralty M-Class Destroyers, HMS Opal, Ophelia, Opportune and Oracle pictured in the fitting out basin at William Doxford & Sons Shipyard at Sunderland near Newcastle-upon Tyne in 1915.