HMS Pigeon (1916)
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 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Pigeon |
| Namesake | Pigeon |
| Ordered | September 1914 |
| Builder | Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Hebburn |
| Laid down | 30 July 1915 |
| Launched | 3 March 1916 |
| Completed | 30 June 1916 |
| Out of service | 9 May 1921 |
| Fate | Sold to be broken up |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Admiralty M-class destroyer |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 265 ft (80.8 m) |
| Beam | 26 ft 7 in (8.1 m) |
| Draught | 8 ft 7 in (2.62 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 34 knots (39.1 mph; 63.0 km/h) |
| Range | 3,450 nmi (6,390 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h) |
| Complement | 76 |
| Armament |
|
HMS Pigeon was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. Launched on 3 March 1916 by Hawthorn Leslie on the River Tyne, the vessel served as part of the Grand Fleet. Pigeon was mainly involved in escorting convoys. After an unsuccessful sortie in October 1917 against German cruisers, the destroyer moved to anti-submarine warfare. In this arena, Pigeon had some success in 1918, rescuing the survivors from the sinking troopship Tuscania in February and assisting in the destruction of the German U-boat UB-124 in July. After the Armistice, the destroyer was redeployed to serve as part of the Nore Local Defence flotilla until being decommissioned and sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
Pigeon was one of sixteen Admiralty M-class destroyer destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in May 1915 as part of the Fifth War Construction Programme. The M-class was an improved version of the earlier L-class destroyer destroyers, required to reach a higher speed in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers. It transpired that the German ships did not exist but the greater performance was appreciated by the navy.[1] The vessels ordered as part of the programme differed from earlier members of the class in having a raking stem and are sometimes known as the Repeat M class.[2]
The destroyer was 265 feet (80.77 m) long overall, with a beam of 26 feet 7 inches (8.10 m) and a draught of 8 feet 7 inches (2.62 m). displacement was 994 long tons (1,010 t) normal and 1,028 long tons (1,044 t) full load.[3] Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding two Parsons steam turbines rated at 25,000 shaft horsepower (19,000 kW) and driving two shafts, to give a design speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph).[4] Three funnels were fitted. 296 long tons (301 t) of oil were carried, giving a design range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[5]
Armament consisted of three 4 in (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.[6] The ship had a complement of 76 officers and ratings.[5]
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