HMS M30

"HMS M30" was a Royal Navy "M29" class monitor of the First World War.

The availability of ten 6 inch Mk XII guns from the "Queen Elizabeth" class battleships in 1915 prompted the Admiralty to order five scaled down versions of the "M15" class monitors, which had been designed to utilise 9.2 inch guns. HMS "M30" and her sisters were ordered from Harland & Wolff, Belfast in March 1915. Launched on 23 June 1915, she was completed in July 1915.

Upon completion, HMS "M30" was sent to the Mediterranean. Whilst enforcing the Allied blockade in the Gulf of Smyrna, HMS "M30" came under fire from Turkish shore batteries, and was sunk on 14 May 1916.

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