HMS Prince (1916)

HMS Prince was a Repeat Admiralty M-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class was an improvement on those of the preceding L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. Launched in 1916, Prince joined the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet. The destroyer assisted in the rescue of the crew of the flotilla leader HMS Hoste (1916) in 1916, laying down fuel oil on the sea in an attempt to create a calm enough environment to evacuate the sinking ship. The operation was successful and all the sailors were saved. In 1917, the ship formed part of the destroyer screen for the First Battle Squadron during the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight but saw no action. After the Armistice that ended the war, Prince was initially put in reserve and then sold in 1921 to be broken up.

Design and development
Prince was one of 18 Repeat Admiralty M-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in late May 1915 as part of the Fifth War Programme during the First World War. The M class was an improved version of the earlier L-class destroyer (1913), required to reach a higher speed in order to counter rumoured new German fast destroyers. The remit was to have a maximum speed of 36 kn and, although ultimately the destroyers fell short of that ambition in service, the extra performance that was achieved was valued by the navy. It transpired that the German warships did not exist.

The destroyer had a length of 265 ft between perpendiculars and 273 ft overall, with a beam of 26 ft and draught of 8 ft. Displacement was 948 LT normal. Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding Brown-Curtiss steam turbines built by Beardmore and rated at 27800 shp. The turbines drove three shafts and exhausted through three funnels. Design speed was 34 kn. A total of 228 LT of oil was carried to give a design range of 2530 nmi at 15 kn. Actual endurance in service was less; sister ship HMS Murray (1914) had a range of 2240 nmi at 15 kn.

Prince had a main armament consisting of three single QF 4 in Mk IV guns on the centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised platform and one between the middle and aft funnels. Torpedo armament consisted of two twin torpedo tubes for 21 in torpedoes located aft of the funnels. Two single 1-pounder 37 mm "pom-pom" anti-aircraft guns were carried. The anti-aircraft guns were later replaced by 2-pdr 40 mm "pom-pom" guns and the destroyer was also fitted with racks and storage for depth charges. The ship had a complement of 80 officers and ratings.

Construction and career
Prince was laid down by Alexander Stephens on 27 July 1915 at Linthouse and launched on 26 June the following year. The vessel was completed on 21 September, the fifth to be given the name in Royal Navy service. The ship was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla. The flotilla took part in a large exercise with other flotillas and fleets of the Grand Fleet, led by the dreadnought battleship HMS Iron Duke (1912), between 22 and 24 November. On 19 December, the destroyer joined the rest of the Grand Fleet in manoeuvres. During the exercise, the flotilla leader HMS Hoste (1916) suffered a mechanical failure and hit the destroyer HMS Negro (1916), crippling both so that they needed to be evacuated. The sea conditions hindered the rescue of the sailors. Prince laid fuel oil on the sea in an attempt to create a calm. The entire crew was saved.

On 15 June the following year, the flotilla was deployed in an operation to find German submarines. On 21 June, the destroyer spotted a submarine on the surface, which may have been SMU U-61 or SMU U-82. The submarine dived before Prince could attack and, although, the destroyer dropped two depth charges, no damage was done to the vessel. On 16 November, the destroyer was deployed as part of the flotilla in response to the sortie of the German minesweepers, forming a screen to the First Battle Squadron. However, the destroyer took no part in the subsequent Second Battle of Heligoland Bight.

At the end of the war, Prince was a member of the Twentieth Destroyer Flotilla based on the Humber. After the Armistice that ended the war in 1918, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and the amount of personnel needed to be reduced to save money. The destroyer was placed in reserve at Devonport. However, the harsh conditions of wartime operations, exacerbated by the fact that the hull was not galvanised, meant that the ship was soon worn out. Prince was retired, and, on 9 May 1921, was sold to Thos. W. Ward of Hayle to be broken up.