- M15 class monitor
The "M15"-class comprised fourteen monitors of the
Royal Navy , all built and launched during1915 .Design
The ships of this class were ordered in March, 1915, as part of the
Emergency War Programme of ship construction. They were designed to utilise the 9.2 inch Mk VI gun turrets removed from the "Edgar" Class and the Mk X turrets held in stock for the "Drake" class and "Cressy" classcruisers . This resulted in the first four of the class, which were built by William Gray and Company ofHartlepool , receiving the Mk X mounting. The remaining ten ships, all built by Sir Raylton Dixon & Co.,Middlesbrough , all received the Mk VI mounting. During September 1915, the 9.2 inch guns of HMS "M24", "M25", "M26" and "M27" were removed for use as artillery. These were replaced by 7.5 inch (M24 to M26) and 6 inch (M27) guns. HMS "M21" and HMS "M23" also had their 9.2 inch gun removed in 1917, receiving 7.5 inch guns.The class also used a mixture of propulsion methods. HMS "M21" and " M22" were fitted with conventional Triple expansion steam engines, "M24" was fitted with four cylinder paraffin engines, and the remainder received Bolinder four cylinder semi-diesel engines.
Service
HMS "M25", "M26", "M27" and "M28" served in the
Dover Patrol from 1915 to 1918. The remainder served in the Mediterranean from 1915, with HMS "M23" joining the Dover Patrol in June 1917 and HMS "M21" in October 1917.HMS "M23", "M24", "M25" and "M27" also served in support of British and White Russian forces in the
White Sea in May to September 1919.HMS "M22" was converted to a
minelayer in 1920, whilst HMS "M23" became adrill ship , surviving until 1959.Ships of the Class
*"M15" - Launched on
April 28 ,1915 and sunk by UC 38November 11 1916 .
*"M16" - Launched onMay 3 ,1915 and soldJanuary 29 ,1920 .
*"M17" - Launched onMay 12 ,1915 and soldMay 12 1920 .
*"M18" - Launched onMay 15 ,1915 and soldJanuary 29 ,1920 .
*"M19" - Launched onMay 4 ,1915 and soldMay 12 1920 .
*"M20" - Launched onMay 11 ,1915 and soldJanuary 29 ,1920 .
*"M21" - Launched onMay 27 ,1915 and minedOctober 20 1918 .
*"M22" - Launched onJune 10 1915 , renamed HMS "Medea" 1925 and sold December 1930
*"M23" - Launched onJune 17 1915 , renamed "Claverhouse" 1922 and sold 1959
*"M24" - Launched onAugust 9 ,1915 and soldJanuary 29 ,1920 .
*"M25" - Launched onJuly 24 1915 and scuttledSeptember 16 1919
*"M26" - Launched onAugust 24 1915 and soldJanuary 29 ,1920 .
*"M27" - Launched onSeptember 8 1915 and scuttledSeptember 16 1919
*"M28" - Launched onJune 28 1915 and sunkJanuary 20 1918 References
*Colledge
*Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One (1919), Jane's Publishing Company
*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
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