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HMS Phoebe (1916) was a repeat M class destroyer that served at Harwich, then Dover from 1916 to late in 1918, taking part in the Zeebrugge Raid, before ending the war with the Grand Fleet.
The Phoebe was ordered under the Fifth War Programme of May 1915. She was laid down at Fairfield, launched on 20 November 1916 and completed in December 1916.
1917
From January 1917 to June 1917 the Phoebe served with the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich
On 22 January the Admiralty learnt that a German destroyer flotilla was about to move from Germany to Zeebrugge. Commodore Tyrwhitt was ordered to intercept with destroyers, while the commanding officer at Dover was ordered to send six destroyers to Harwich. He sent the Nimrod, Moorsom, Phoebe, Morris, Matchless, Manly and Mansfield), which had only recently been sent to Dunkirk. They reached Harwich on the afternoon of the 22nd, and accompanied Tyrwhitt to sea. The Nimrod, Morsoom, Phoebe, Mansfield, Manly, Matchless and Morris were sent to patrol between the Schouwen Banl light vessel and South Banjaard Bank light buoy. The German destroyers ran into a detachment led by the cruiser Centaur and scattered after suffering damage. Commodore Tyrwhitt signalled that contact had been made but issued no orders to the other detachments, causing a great deal of confusion. Some, including the one led by Nimrod, rushed towards the sound of the guns before being ordered back to their patrol area. By the end of the night the British had lost one destroyer, the Simoom, while all of the German destroyers had survived.
On 28 April 1917 the Pheobe caused damage to the western jetty at Immingham Docks.
On 4-5 June the Phoebe was part of the screening force during a naval bombardment of Ostend dockyard.
From July 1917 to August 1918 the Phoebe served with the Sixth Flotilla at Dover
On 17 October 1917 the Phoebe and SS Victous collided in heavy seas at Folkestone.
1918
On 27 January 1918 the Phoebe ran aground.
On 29 March 1918 the Phoebe salvaged the motor vessel Clyde near Ruytingen shoal.
On 14 April 1918 the Phoebe and the collier Sampan collided at Dover.
North Star and Phoebe formed Unit L during the Zeebrugge Raid of 23 April 1918. The Phoebe was commanded by Lt Commander H.E. Gore-Langton during the raid.
During the main part of the raid their role was to support the block ships. This meant that they had to enter the harbour, where they came under heavy fire. The North Star was hit by a salvo of shells and crippled. The Phoebe attempted to take her under tow, but German gunfire kept breaking the tow wires. She then attempted to push the North Star to safety, but without success. After forty-five minutes the commander of the North Star ordered his men to abandon ship. Ninety-nine officers and men from the 120 strong crew reached safety on the Phoebe, and at 2.30am she departed from Zeebrugge on her way home. Three men from the Phoebe were killed in the attack.
On 30 July 1918 the Phoebe and Miranda collided off the South Goodwin Light Vessel.
On 6 September 1918 the Phoebe and Murray collided near the Dyck Light Vessel.
On 7 November 1918 the Phoebe and Miranda collided off Muckle Skerry.
In November-December 1918 the Phoebe served with the Twenty First Flotilla of the Grand Fleet
The 21st Flotilla took part in the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet on 21 November 1918.
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 November 1921.
The Phoebe was awarded battle honours for the Belgian Coast 1917/ 18 and the Zeebrugge Raid.
Service Record
January 1917-June 1917: Tenth Destroyer Flotilla, Harwich
July 1917-August 1918: Sixth Flotilla, Dover
November-December 1918: Twenty First Flotilla, Grand Fleet
Displacement (standard) |
1,025t (Admiralty design) |
Displacement (loaded) |
1,250t |
Top Speed |
34 knots |
Engine |
3-shaft Brown-Curtis or Parsons turbines |
Range |
|
Length |
273ft 4in (Admiralty) |
Width |
26ft 8ft (Admiralty) |
Armaments |
Three 4in/ 45cal QF Mk IV |
Crew complement |
80 |
Laid down |
- |
Launched |
20 November 1916 |
Completed |
December 1916 |
Sold for break up |
November 1921 |
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]
