# Admiralty M-class destroyer

The M class, more properly known as the Admiralty M class, were a class of 85 destroyers built for the Royal Navy of United Kingdom that saw service during World War I. All ships were built to an identical – Admiralty – design, hence the class name. Eighteen other vessels which were officially included within the 'M' class were built to variant designs by three specialist builders – 10 by Yarrow, 6 by Thornycroft (who also built another 6 to the standard Admiralty design), and 2 by Hawthorn Leslie; these are covered in other articles.
The Admiralty design was based on the preceding L class but modified to produce an increase in speed by approximately 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph). All ships built to the Admiralty design had three identical narrow, circular funnels (this did not apply to the 18 ships built by the specialist yards).

## Ships of the pre-war (1913–14) Programme

An original intention to order 20 destroyers in this year's Programme was reduced to 16 vessels. Three destroyers already under construction were purchased from Yarrow, two from Thornycroft and two from Hawthorn Leslie to these builders' individual designs, and these are listed in separate articles. Three further ships had been projected under the Programme – and named Marksman, Menace and Monitor; however these three ships were cancelled before being contracted to any specific builder (although J. Samuel White & Company, at Cowes were the intended builder), in favour of two Marksman-class leaders. Thus just six vessels were built to the Admiralty design under the 1913–14 Naval Programme. These differed from the wartime vessels by being 1,010 tons full load, with slightly smaller dimensions.
| Name | Ship Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| Matchless | Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend on Tyne | 8 November 1913 | 5 October 1914 | December 1914 | Sold for scrapping on 26 October 1921. |
| Murray | Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Hebburn on Tyne | 4 December 1913 | 8 August 1914 | December 1914 | Sold for scrapping on 9 May 1921. |
| Myngs | Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne | 31 December 1913 | 24 September 1914 | February 1915 | Sold for scrapping on 9 May 1921. |
| Milne | John Brown & Company, Clydebank | 18 December 1913 | 5 October 1914 | December 1914 | Sold for scrapping on 22 September 1921. |
| Morris | John Brown, Clydebank | 20 January 1914 | 19 November 1914 | December 1914 | Sold for scrapping on 8 November 1921. |
| Moorsom | John Brown, Clydebank | 15 January 1914 | 21 December 1914 | February 1915 | Sold for scrapping on 8 November 1921. |

## Ships of the Emergency War Construction Programme

All the following vessels were ordered in five batches as part of the War Emergency Programme. Wartime builds omitted the cruising turbines originally specified and carried by the pre-war sub-group. The funnel heights were also raised compared with the pre-war vessels, and the second 4 in gun was mounted on a bandstand, as with the earlier L-class destroyers. Partridge, Norman, Maenad, Ophelia and Observer were later fitted to carry a kite balloon.

### 1st War Programme

Sixteen vessels were ordered in September 1914 (as well as four of the Yarrow M class), but part of their cost was met by the provision in the 1914–15 Programme for ten destroyers.
| Name | Ship Builder | Begun | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| Mons | John Brown | 30 September 1914 | 1 May 1915 | July 1915 | Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921. |
| Marne | John Brown | 30 September 1913 | 29 May 1915 | August 1916 | Sold for breaking up 29 September 1921. |
| Michael | John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston | October 1914 | 19 May 1915 | August 1915 | Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921. |
| Milbrook | Thornycroft | November 1914 | 12 July 1915 | October 1915 | Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921. |
| Minion | Thornycroft | November 1914 | 11 September 1915 | November 1915 | Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921. |
| Munster | Thornycroft | November 1914 | 24 November 1915 | January 1916 | Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921. |
| Mystic | William Denny & Brothers, Dumbarton | 27 October 1914 | 20 June 1915 | 11 November 1915 | Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921. |
| Maenad | Denny | 10 November 1914 | 10 August 1915 | 12 November 1915 | Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921. |
| Magic | J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes | 1 January 1915 | 10 September 1915 | 8 January 1916 | Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921. |
| Moresby | White | 14 January 1915 | 20 November 1915 | 7 April 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Mandate | Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan | | 27 April 1915 | 13 August 1915 | Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921. |
| Manners | Fairfield | | 15 June 1915 | 21 September 1915 | Sold for breaking up 26 October 1921. |
| Marmion | Swan Hunter | | 28 May 1915 | | Sunk after collision with Tirade on 21 October 1917 off Lerwick. |
| Martial | Swan Hunter | October 1914 | 1 July 1915 | October 1915 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Mary Rose | Swan Hunter | | 8 October 1915 | | Sunk on 17 October 1917 by German cruisers SMS Brummer and SMS Bremse off the Norwegian coast. |
| Menace | Swan Hunter | September 1914 | 9 November 1915 | April 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |

### 2nd War Programme

Nine further vessels were ordered in early November 1914 (as well as one further Yarrow M class).
| Name | Ship Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| Mameluke | John Brown | 23 December 1914 | 14 August 1915 | October 1915 | Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921. |
| Marvel | Denny | 11 January 1915 | 7 October 1915 | 28 December 1915 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Mindful | Fairfield | | 24 August 1915 | 10 November 1915 | Sold for breaking up 22 September 1921. |
| Mischief | Fairfield | | 12 October 1915 | 16 December 1915 | Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921. |
| Nonsuch | Palmers | | 7 December 1915 | February 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Negro | Palmers | | 8 March 1915 | | Sunk after colliding with Hoste in the North Sea on 21 December 1916;depth charges from Hoste exploded and blew out the Negro's hull plating. |
| Nepean | Thornycroft | February 1915 | 22 January 1916 | March 1916 | Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921. |
| Nereus | Thornycroft | March 1915 | 24 February 1916 | May 1916 | Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921. |
| Nessus | Swan Hunter | | 24 August 1915 | | Sunk after colliding with HMS Amphitrite in the North Sea on 8 September 1916. |

### 3rd War Programme

Twenty-two further vessels were ordered in late November 1914.
| Name | Ship Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| Nestor | Swan Hunter | | 22 December 1915 | | Sunk on 31 May 1916 at the Battle of Jutland. |
| Noble | Alexander Stephen & Sons, Linthouse | 6 February 1915 | 22 December 1915 | 15 February 1916 | Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921. |
| Nomad | Stephen | | 7 February 1916 | | Sunk on 31 May 1916 at the Battle of Jutland. |
| Nizam | Stephen | 11 February 1915 | 7 February 1916 | by William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir, 29 June 1916 | Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921. |
| Nonpareil | Stephen | 24 February 1915 | 7 February 1916 | 28 June 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Norman | Palmers | | 20 March 1916 | August 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Northesk | Palmers | | 5 July 1916 | October 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| North Star | Palmers | | 9 November 1916 | | Sunk on 23 April 1918 at Zeebrugge. |
| Nugent | Palmers | | 9 November 1916 | April 1917 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Obedient | Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited, Greenock | | 6 November 1916 | February 1917 | Sold for breaking up 25 November 1921. |
| Obdurate | Scotts | | 21 November 1916 | March 1917 | Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921. |
| Onslaught | Scotts | | 21 November 1916 | | Sold for breaking up 30 October 1921. Some sources claimed that she torpedoed and sank the pre-dreadnought battleship SMS Pommern, while others claimed that Faulknor sank her. |
| Onslow | Fairfield | | 15 February 1916 | 15 April 1916 | Sold for breaking up 26 October 1921. |
| Opal | William Doxford & Sons, Sunderland | | 11 September 1915 | | Wrecked off Scapa Flow with Narborough on 12 January 1918 (one survivor). |
| Ophelia | Doxford | | 13 October 1915 | May 1916 | Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921. |
| Opportune | Doxford | | 20 November 1915 | June 1916 | Sold for breaking up 7 December 1923. |
| Oracle | Doxford | | 23 December 1915 | August 1916 | Sold for breaking up 31 October 1921. |
| Orestes | Doxford | | 21 March 1916 | June 1916 | Sold for breaking up 31 October 1921. |
| Orford | Doxford | | 19 April 1916 | December 1916 | Sold for breaking up 1 November 1921. |
| Orpheus | Doxford | | 17 June 1916 | September 1916 | Sold for breaking up 31 October 1921. |
| Octavia | Doxford | | 21 June 1916 | November 1916 | Sold for breaking up 5 November 1921. |
| Ossory | John Brown | 23 December 1914 | 9 October 1915 | November 1915 | Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921. |

### 4th War Programme

Sixteen further vessels were ordered in February 1915 (as well as two more of the Thornycroft M class). The eight last-named below of these were of the Repeat M subgroup with raking stems compared with the straight stems of the previous sub-group, and the bows were more flared to improve seakeeping qualities.
| Name | Ship Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| Napier | John Brown | 24 March 1915 | 27 November 1915 | January 1916 | Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921. |
| Narborough | John Brown | May 1915 | 2 March 1916 | | Wrecked off Scapa Flow (with Opal) on 12 January 1918 (no survivors). |
| Narwhal | Denny | 21 April 1915 | 3 February 1916 | 3 March 1916 | Collided with another vessel in 1919 and broken up in 1920 at Devonport Dockyard. |
| Nicator | Denny | 21 April 1915 | 3 February 1916 | 15 April 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Norseman | Doxford | | 15 August 1916 | November 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Oberon | Doxford | | 29 September 1916 | December 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Observer | Fairfield | 1 June 1915 | 1 May 1916 | 15 June 1916 | Sold for breaking up 30 October 1921. |
| Offa | Fairfield | 6 July 1915 | 7 June 1916 | 31 July 1916 | Sold for breaking up 30 October 1921. |
| Orcadia | Fairfield | 24 June 1915 | 26 July 1916 | 29 September 1916 | Sold for breaking up 31 October 1921. |
| Oriole | Palmers | | 31 July 1916 | November 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Osiris | Palmers | | 28 September 1916 | December 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Paladin | Scotts | May 1915 | 27 March 1916 | May 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Parthian | Scotts | July 1915 | 3 July 1916 | September 1916 | Sold for breaking up 8 November 1921. |
| Partridge | Swan Hunter | July 1915 | 4 March 1916 | December 1916 | Sunk on 12 December 1917 by gunfire from the German destroyers G 101, G 103, G 104, and V 100 off Norwegian coast. |
| Pasley | Swan Hunter | July 1915 | 15 April 1916 | July 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |

### 5th War Programme

Eighteen final vessels were ordered in May 1915 (as well as two of the Thornycroft M class and two of the Yarrow M class). However, two of the eighteen were fitted with geared turbines and became the prototypes for the Admiralty R class destroyers (these were the Radstock and Raider, and are listed with the R class). The other sixteen were all to the Admiralty design were of the Repeat M subgroup with raking stems apart from the two ships ordered from White as Redmill and Redwing, which were completed to the earlier 'M' Class design and were renamed Medina and Medway while building.
| Name | Ship Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| Medina (ex-Redmill) | White | 23 September 1915 | 8 March 1916 | 30 June 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Medway (ex-Medora, ex-Redwing) | White | 2 November 1915 | 19 April 1916 | 2 August 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Pelican | William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir | 25 June 1915 | 18 March 1916 | 1 May 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Pellew | Beardmore | 28 June 1915 | 8 May 1916 | 30 June 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Penn | John Brown | 9 June 1915 | 8 April 1916 | May 1916 | Sold for breaking up 31 October 1921. |
| Peregrine | John Brown | 9 June 1915 | 29 May 1916 | July 1916 | Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921. |
| Petard | Denny | 5 July 1915 | 24 March 1916 | 23 May 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Peyton | Denny | 12 July 1915 | 2 May 1916 | 29 June 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Pheasant | Fairfield | | 23 October 1916 | | Mined on 1 March 1917 off the Orkney Islands. |
| Phoebe | Fairfield | 20 November 1916 | | 28 December 1916 | Sold for breaking up 15 November 1921. |
| Pigeon | Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn | 14 July 1915 | 3 March 1916 | 2 June 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Plover | Hawthorn Leslie | 30 July 1915 | 3 March 1916 | 30 June 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Plucky | Scotts | 21 April 1916 | | July 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Portia | Scotts | 10 August 1916 | | October 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Prince | Stephen | 27 July 1915 | 26 July 1916 | 21 September 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |
| Pylades | Stephen | 27 July 1915 | 28 September 1916 | by Beardmore 30 December 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. |