HMS Marshal Ney

HMS "Marshal Ney" was a Royal Navy Marshal Ney class monitor constructed in the opening years of the First World War. Laid down as HMS "M13", she was named for the French general of the Napoleonic Wars Marshal Michel Ney.

Designed for inshore operations along the sandbank strewn Belgian coastline, HMS "Marshal Soult" was equipped with two massive 15" naval guns. Originally, these guns were to have been stripped from one of the battlecruisers HMS "Renown" and HMS "Repulse" after they were redesigned. However the guns were not ready, and guns intended for the battleship HMS "Ramillies were used in lieu.

The diesel engines used by the ships were a constant source of technical difficulty, restricting their use. "Marshal Ney" in particular was, in the words of Jane's Fighting Ships, "practically a failure", on account of her MAN diesel engines being so unreliable.

In 1916, her 15" barbette was stripped off and given to HMS "Erebus", which was launched in the same year. HMS "Marshal Ney" was then rearmed with a single 9.2 inch gun and four 6 inch guns, for service as a guardship for The Downs. She engaged German destroyers during a raid on Ramsgate in April 1917.

During 1919, HMS "Marshal Ney" was used as a base ship at Queensborough, before being disarmed and becoming a depot ship at Fort Blockhouse from 1920. Renamed HMS "Vivid" in June, 1922, she then served as a stoker training ship until 1957. She was again renamed HMS "Drake" in January 1934, and HMS "Alaunia II" in 1947. She arrived at the Ward shipyards at Milford Haven on 6 October 1957 for breaking up.

References

* Dittmar, F. J. & Colledge, J. J., "British Warships 1914-1919", (Ian Allen, London, 1972), ISBN 0-7110-0380-7
* Gray, Randal (ed), "Conway's All The Worlds Fighting Ships, 1906-1921", (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1985), ISBN 0-85177-245-5