HMS Petard (1916)

HMS Petard (1916) was a repeat M class destroyer that served with the Grand Fleet from 1916-18, fighting at Jutland where she damaged the Seydlitz but also suffered damage herself.

The Petard was ordered under the Fifth War Programme of May 1915. She was laid down at Denny on 5 July 1915, launched on 24 March 1916 and completed on 23 May 1916.

1916

From May 1916 to October 1917 the Petard  served with the 13th Destroyer Flotilla, Grand Fleet

HMS Petard, HMS Norseman, HMS Tristram and HMS Penn

On the eve of Jutland the Petard was with the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla, which contained ten Repeat M class destroyers during the battle. The flotilla was part of Admiral Beatty’s battle cruiser fleet. That fleet put to sea late on 30 May, and moved towards a rendezvous position about seventy miles to the south of the main Grand Fleet

During the advance east across the North Sea the destroyers were used to guard the flanks of the battle cruiser fleet, while the light cruisers advanced ahead of the fleet. At 2.25pm on 31 May, just after the first contact between Beatty’s cruisers and the German cruisers, the destroyers were ordered to form an anti-submarine screen heading S.S.E. He then followed with his capital ships, in the hope of cutting off the retreat of the German cruisers that had been spotted. The German battlecruisers turned south, and retreated towards the main High Seas Fleet.

At about 4pm, during the chase south, Beatty signalled to the Thirteenth Flotilla that ‘it seemed a good opportunity to attack’. The flotilla turned east, and attempted to get into position to fire its torpedoes. While this was happening, the first of the British battlecruisers was lost, when HMS Indefatigable exploded and sank after being hit by the Von der Tann. About half an hour later the battlecruiser Queen Mary was destroyed and the Petard and the Laurel rescued 18 survivors. The Germans picked up the only other two survivors.

The flotilla commander, in the cruiser Champion, gave the order to attack at 4.15. The first five destroyers (Nestor, Nomad, Nicator, Pelican and Narborough) were able to pass in front of the British line at about 4.20 and turned towards the Germans. They were joined by Turbulent, Termagant, Morris and Moorsom from the Ninth and Tenth Flotillas. German destroyers came out at the same time, originally with the aim of attacking the fast battleships of the British Fifth Battle Squadron. The result was a rather confused melee, in which the German destroyers V-27 and V-29 were sunk, but so were the Nomad and Nestor. This destroyer battle ended at 4.43 when Admiral Beatty recalled the destroyers after the German battleships of the High Seas Fleet were sited to the south. Beatty was forced to turn north and begin his own retreat back towards Jellicoe and the Grand Fleet. During this part of the battle a torpedo from the Petard hit the German battlecruiser Seydlitz, blowing a hole 39ft by 13ft in her side. However the German ship was able to keep her place in the line.

The two main fleets finally came together at about 6.30pm on 31 May. By this point the battleships of the German High Seas Fleet were heading north, while the battleships of the Grand Fleet were forming a line running roughly east to west in front of them. For a few minutes the British were able to concentrate their fire on the leading ships of the German line, but the Germans then carried out their famous sixteen point turn, and within a few minutes were heading away south into the North Sea mist. However Admiral Scheer then mis-judged the British movements, and turned back east in the hope that he could pass behind the main British force. Just after 7pm the Germans found themselves steaming straight towards Jelicoe’s battleships, and by 7.15 the bulk of the Grand Fleet was finally able to open fire on the Germans. Once again Scheer was forced to reverse course. During this phase of the battle the destroyer flotillas struggled to keep up with the fast moving battleships and rather disappear from the narrative. After more confused manoeuvres the two fleets came into range of each other for a third time after 8pm, but the Germans turned away for a third time, and disappeared into the mists by 8.35.

Jellicoe was unwilling to risk a night battle, and at 9.17 ordered the fleet into its night cruising formation. The battleships formed up into lines in their divisions, with the destroyers following behind. The entire formation began to move south in an attempt to keep between the Germans and their home bases. By 10pm the destroyer flotillas were in line, with the 12th Flotilla at the eastern (left) end of the line, then the combined 9th and 10th Flotillas, 13th Flotilla, 4th Flotilla and finally the 11th Flotilla at the western (right) end of the line.

The key moment of the night actions came at around 11.30, when the High Seas Fleet finally attempted to pass behind the Grand Fleet and ran into the British destroyers. The Germans would make contact with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, which was towards the right of the British line. There was then a seven mile gap to the 13th Flotilla, with the 9th and 10th Flotilla close by, and the 12th Flotilla to their rear.

In a series of clashes the Germans inflicted heavy damage on the 4th Flotilla, but instead of rushing to their aid, the 13th Flotilla, which was next in line, believed they were the target of the gunfire, and that there were friendly ships between them and the Germans preventing a torpedo attack. The flotilla leader Captain Farie ordered the flotilla to turn away to the east to get out of range, but he failed to signal the move, so only two of the flotilla followed him. His move also forced the 9th and 10th Flotillas and the 12th Flotilla to turn to port to get out of the way. As a result the British destroyers were no longer in the correct place when the High Seas Fleet passed behind the Grand Fleet. As a result the Germans were able to move past almost without being detected and the one clash that did occur was with two cruisers so didn’t cause any alarm. 

By the time this confusion ended the remaining seven boats from the 9th and 10th Flotillas had been joined by one ship from the 4th and five from the 13th. This force of twelve destroyers was led south-west in an attempt to find the German van, but most of his force passed in front of the Germans without spotting them. Two boats from the 13th, the Pelican and Petard did spot the Germans, but the Petard had fired all of her torpedoes, so was unable to take advantage, while the Pelican was out of position for an attack.

The Petard was badly damaged during the confused night battle, when her flotilla found itself in the way of Scheer’s battleships. Nine of her crew were killed in the action, late on 31 May or early on 1 June. Her flotilla commander and two destroyers had become detached from the rest of the force, and the remaining six destroyers found themselves in the path of the escaping Germans. She had already fired her torpedoes, so attempted to escape, but this brought her within range of the Westfalen. Two German battleships opened fire on her, scoring at least six hits before she got away.

During the battle the Petard lost two officers and seven men killed and one officer and five men wounded. She was judged to have been hit by three small projectiles. Her repairs were carried out at Leith and were completed by 27 June.

After Jutland

On 25 September 1916 the Petard ran aground off May Island.

1917

On 18-19 January 1917 the Petard took part in an anti-submarine sweep off the Dogger Bank. The sweep was carried out by two cruisers, four screening destroyers and six destroyers equipped with paravanes. However during the night of 18-19 January the destroyers lost touch with the cruisers, and the sweep was cancelled at daylight on 19 January.

In October 1917 the Germans attacked one of the Scandinavian convoys, sinking the destroyers Mary Rose and Strongbow. The Admiralty had advance notice that the Germans were putting to sea, although didn’t know their intentions, so sent powerful forces to sea to try and intercept them. The Petard was one of four destroyers sent to join the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron at sea, joining them at 6am on 17 October. However none of the British forces were able to intercept the Germans as they returned home after the successful attack.

From November 1917 to August 1918 the Petard  served with the 12th Destroyer Flotilla, Grand Fleet

During the Second battle of Heligoland Bight (17 November 1917) the Petard was at sea with the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron, but her formation never reached the battle.

1918

From November-December 1918 the Petard  served with the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, Grand Fleet

The 3rd Flotilla took part in the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet on 21 November 1918.

Post-war

On 30 April 1919 the Petard and Sabrina collided.

In December 1919 she was in the charge of a Care and Maintenance Party on the Nore.

She was sold to be broken up in May 1921

The Petard was awarded a battle honour for Jutland.

Commander
-May June 1916-: Lt Commander E.C.O. Thomson

Service Record
June 1916-October 1917: 13th Destroyer Flotilla, Grand Fleet
November 1917-August 1918: 12th Destroyer Flotilla, Grand Fleet
November-December 1918: 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, Grand Fleet

British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War, Norman Friedman. A very detailed look at the design of British destroyers from their earliest roots as torpedo boat destroyers, though the First World War and up to the start of the Second World War, supported by vast numbers of plans and well chosen photographs [read full review]

Books on the First World War | Subject Index: First World War

Help - F.A.Q. - Contact Us - Search - Recent - About Us - Privacy