HMS Ophelia

HMS Ophelia was an Admiralty M-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the First World War, entering service in 1916. The ship served at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May/1 June 1916, and sank a German submarine in 1918. She was sold for scrap in 1921.

Description
The Admiralty M class were improved and faster versions of the preceding Laforey-class destroyers. They displaced 971 LT. The ships had an overall length of 273 ft, a beam of 26 ft and a draught of 9 ft. They were powered by three Parsons direct-drive steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four Yarrow boilers. The turbines developed a total of 25000 shp and gave a maximum speed of 34 kn. The ships carried a maximum of 237 LT of fuel oil that gave them a range of 2100 nmi at 15 kn. The ships' complement was 76 officers and ratings.

The ships were armed with three single QF 4 in Mark IV guns and two QF 1.5-pounder (37 mm) anti-aircraft guns. These latter guns were later replaced by a pair of QF 2-pounder (40 mm) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft guns. The ships were also fitted with two above water twin mounts for 21 in torpedoes.

Construction and service
Ophelia was ordered under the Third War Programme in November 1914 and laid down on 1 February 1915 by William Doxford & Sons at their shipyard in Sunderland. The ship was launched on 13 October and completed in May 1916.

Ophelia was attached to the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, part of the Grand Fleet during the Battle of Jutland on 31 May/1 June 1916. Ophelia was one of four destroyers of the 4th Flotilla (the others were HMS Shark (1912), HMS Acasta (1912) and HMS Christopher (1912)) that formed a screen for the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron. The four destroyers engaged German ships which were carrying out a torpedo attack on the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron. Ophelia fired one torpedo that missed its target, but was undamaged.

After Jutland, Ophelia joined the newly established 14th Destroyer Flotilla, also part of the Grand Fleet. On 10 September 1918, Ophelia was on patrol, with a Kite balloon deployed, when the observer in the balloon spotted the conning tower of a submarine. The submarine dived, but Ophelia dropped depth charges on the site of the submarine's submergence, which were rewarded by a large underwater explosion and a large oil slick. Ophelia had sunk the German submarine SM UB-83.

By the end of the war, Ophelia had transferred to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla. She was sold for breaking up to the Slough Trading Company on 11 November 1921.