Thornycroft M-class destroyer

Class overview
HMS Patrician
Name:	Thornycroft M-class
Builders:	Thornycroft
Operators:	Royal Navy Royal Canadian Navy
Built:	1913–1916
In commission:	1914–1929
Completed:	6
General characteristics
Displacement:	985 – 1,070 tons
Length:	274 ft (83.5 m) o/a
Beam:	27 ft 9 in (8.46 m) (Meteor & Mastiff) 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m) (Patrician, Patriot, Rapid & Ready)
Draught:	10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
Propulsion:	Parsons (Meteor & Mastiff) or Brown-Curtis (Patrician, Patriot, Rapid & Ready) steam turbines 26,500 shp 2 shafts
Speed:	35 kn (64.8 km/h)
Range:	255 tons of oil
Complement:	78
Armament:	3 × QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mark IV guns, mounting P Mk.IX 1 × single QF 2-pounder "pom-pom" Mk.II 2 × twin 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes

The Thornycroft M or Mastiff class were a class of six destroyers completed for the Royal Navy during 1914-16 for World War I service. They were quite different from the Admiralty-designed ships of the Admiralty M class class, although based on a basic sketch layout provided by the Admiralty from which J I Thornycroft developed their own design. Like the 'standard' Admiralty M class they had 3 funnels, but the centre funnel was thicker in the Thornycroft ships. The midships 4 in gun was shipped between the 2nd and 3rd funnels. Patriot was fitted to carry a kite balloon.

Ships

Two ships were ordered (contracted) on 1 February 1913, two more on 26 February 1915 and the last two on 15 May 1915.

Meteor - laid down 8 May 1913, launched 24 July 1914, completed 15 September 1914. Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
Mastiff - laid down 10 July 1913, launched 5 September 1914, completed 12 November 1914. Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
Patrician - laid down 3 June 1915, launched 5 June 1916, completed 4 August 1916. Transferred to Royal Canadian Navy in September 1920, subsequently scrapped in 1929 at Esquimalt.
Patriot - laid down 15 July 1915, launched 20 April 1916, completed 27 June 1916. Transferred to Royal Canadian Navy in September 1920, subsequently sold for breaking up in 1929 at Briton Ferry.
Rapid - laid down 12 August 1915, launched 15 July 1916, completed 19 September 1916. Sold for breaking up 20 April 1927.
Ready - laid down 2 September 1915, launched 26 August 1916, completed 31 October 1916. Sold for breaking up 13 July 1926.

Note Thornycroft also built six other 'M' class destroyers for the Royal Navy - Michael, Milbrook, Minion and Munster, all ordered on 20 September 1914, and Nepean and Nereus, both ordered on 20 November 1914; however these were to the Admiralty 'M' design and are included with the article on that large group of destroyers.

Bibliography

Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981, Maurice Cocker, 1983, Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-1075-7
Jane's Fighting Ships, 1919, Jane's Publishing.
The Thornycroft List, 1981 (unpublished compilation of J.I.Thornycroft records).

M-class destroyers

Royal Navy

Admiralty M class	Murray Myngs Matchless Milne Morris Moorsom Negro Mandate Mons Michael Marmion Marne Mystic Martial Milbrook Prince Pylades Maenad Mameluke Mindful Nessus Magic Minion Opal Manners Marvel Mary Rose Ossory Mischief Menace Moresby Opportune Munster Noble Napier Onslaught Nonsuch Nestor Oracle Narwhal Nepean Nicator Nomad Onslow Nereus Narborough Pigeon Plover Partridge Medina Pelican Norman Orestes Petard Paladin Nizam Penn Pasley Medway Orford Plucky Observer Peyton Pellew Nonpareil Peregrine Offa Orpheus Octavia Parthian Northesk Oriole Portia Norseman Osiris Oberon Orcadia Oriana Ophelia Pheasant Obedient North Star Phoebe Obdurate Nugent

Hawthorn M class	Mentor Mansfield

Thornycroft M class	Meteor Mastiff Patriot Patrician Rapid Ready

Yarrow M class	Miranda Minos Manley Moon Morning Star Mounsey Musketeer Nerissa Relentless Rival

Yarrow Later M class	Sabrina Strongbow Surprise Sybille Truculent Tyrant Ulleswater

Royal Canadian Navy

Thornycroft M class	Patriot Patrician

Preceded by: Laforey class
Followed by: R class

List of destroyers of the Royal Navy

British naval ship classes of the First World War

Aircraft/Seaplane carriers	Anne^S^V Argus^S^V Ark Royal^S Ben-my-Chree^S^V Campania^S^V Empress^S^V Engadine^S^V Furious^M Manxman^S^V Nairana^S^V Pegasus^S^V Raven II^S^V Riviera^S^V Vindex^S^V Vindictive^S^V

Dreadnought battleships	Dreadnought^S Bellerophon St Vincent Neptune^S Colossus Orion King George V Erin^S Agincourt^S Iron Duke Canada^S Queen Elizabeth Revenge

Pre-dreadnought battleships	Royal Sovereign Majestic Canopus Formidable Duncan King Edward VII Swiftsure Lord Nelson

Battlecruisers	Invincible Indefatigable Lion Queen Mary^S Tiger^S Renown Courageous Admiral^S^C Incomparable^X

Armoured cruisers	Cressy Drake Monmouth Devonshire Duke of Edinburgh Warrior Minotaur

Heavy cruisers	Hawkins

Light cruisers	Town^G Arethusa C^{G, C} Danae^C Emerald^A

Protected cruisers	Apollo Astraea Eclipse Blake Pearl Edgar Powerful Diadem Arrogant Pelorus Highflyer Challenger Topaze

Scout cruisers	Adventure Forward Pathfinder Sentinel Boadicea Blonde Active

Destroyer flotilla leaders	Swift^S Faulknor Marksman Parker Admiralty (or Scott)^C Thornycroft (or Shakespeare)^C

Destroyers	A^G B^G C^G D^G E^G F Cricket^G G H I K L Admiralty M Hawthorn M Thornycroft M Yarrow M Yarrow Later M R^G S^{G, C} Talisman V and W^{G, C}

Monitors	Marshal Ney Abercrombie Lord Clive Humber Gorgon M15 M29 Erebus

Minesweepers	Flower Racecourse Hunt 24^C

Gunboats	Fly Insect

Submarines	A B C D E F G H^C J K L^C M^C R^C Swordfish^S V

A All completed after the war C One or more completed after the war G Grouping of several classes M converted from Courageous class S Single ship of class V Conversions X Cancelled

Thornycroft M-class destroyer

Ships

See also

Bibliography