HMS Petard (1916)

HMS Petard was an Admiralty M class destroyer built by Denny for the Royal Navy, commenced 5 July 1915 and launched on 24 March 1916. She saw service during the First World War. Postwar, she was sold for breaking up on 9 May 1921.

Jutland

Petard was assigned to the 13th destroyer flotilla attached to the battlecruiser squadron of the Grand Fleet during the First World War and was present at the battle of Jutland. The first engagement of the battle was between a squadron of six battlecruisers, four battleships and accompanying destroyers commanded by Admiral Beatty and a German squadron of five battlecruisers plus accompanying destroyers commanded by Admiral Hipper. Twelve British destroyers were formed into three columns of four ships taking station ahead of the battlecruisers, with the light cruiser HMS Champion assigned as lead ship. They were under orders, when an opportunity presented, to approach the enemy ships and attack using torpedoes.

At 4.15pm on 31 May 1916 the attack commenced. Each column in turn was ordered to turn towards the enemy and approach at maximum speed to a point four or five miles away to fire their torpedoes. Petard was in the third column. The German squadron reacted by sending out their own destroyers to meet and attack the approaching British ships. At approximately 6,000 yards the two destroyer squadrons had formed into approximate opposing columns and were close enough to open fire on each other. As the range reduced to 3,000 yards Petard commenced firing torpedoes. The first was directed at opposing destroyers, and an explosion in approximately the right place amongst the enemy suggested that it may have hit. The next torpedo was fired at the line of German battlecruisers, now at 9,000 yards range. Petard then turned roughly parallel to the German battlecruisers but slightly converging, so as to get ahead of the column before once more turning towards the enemy to fire the remaining two torpedoes.

Turning back towards the British ships, Petard passed HMS Nestor, which was also returning but at reduced speed because of damage. It now became apparent that further German ships were approaching, which proved to be the main German High Seas Fleet. Proceeding, Petard approached an oil slick where HMS Laurel was picking up survivors from the battlecruiser HMS Queen Mary, sunk by German gunfire, and picked up one man. Approximately 20 survivors in total were rescued from the 1000 man crew. Petard then returned to her station at the head of the battlecruiser line.^[1]

NB HMS Petard is erroneously identified in some references as the ship which rammed and sank H M Submarine G 9 on the night of 16 September 1917; the ship in question was the destroyer HMS Pasley.

References

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.