HMS Sorceress (1916)

HMS Sorceress was an R-class destroyer (1916) destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Launched on 29 August 1916, the vessel operated as part of the Grand Fleet until it was disbanded in 1919. In 1917, the ship took part in action against the German Sixth Destroyer Flotilla and was one of those credited with bounty for the German auxiliary cruiser Konprinz Willhelm. The destroyer was sold to be broken up on 29 April 1927.

Design and development
Sorceress was one of seventeen R-class destroyer (1916) destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in July 1915 as part of the Sixth War Construction Programme. The design was generally similar to the preceding M class, but differed in having geared steam turbines, a different location for the central gun and minor changes to improve seakeeping.

The destroyer was 265 ft long between perpendiculars, with a beam of 26 ft and a draught of 9 ft. Displacement was 975 LT normal and 1035 LT deep load. Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding two Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines rated at 27000 shp and driving two shafts, to give a design speed of 36 kn. Three funnels were fitted. A fuel load of 296 LT of oil was carried, giving a design range of 3450 nmi at 15 kn.

Armament consisted of three 4 in Mk IV QF guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised platform and one between the second and third funnels. A single 2-pounder (40 mm) pom-pom anti-aircraft gun was carried, while torpedo armament consisted of two twin rotating torpedo tubes for 21 in torpedoes. The ship had a complement of 82 officers and ratings.

Construction and career
Sorceress was laid down by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend on the River Tyne on 13 November 1915 and given the yard number 1013. The destroyer was launched on 29 August 1916 and completed on 4 December.

On commissioning, Sorceress joined the Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet. On 23 January 1917, the destroyer formed part of a flotilla, led by destroyer leader HMS Grenville (1916), that intercepted the German Sixth Destroyer Flotilla led by SMS V26. Sorceress took a minor part in the action, which ended with the sinking of the destroyer HMS Simoom (1916). On 12 February 1917, four German large torpedo boats attacked the regular convoy between Britain and Norway, overwhelming the escort of two destroyers (HMS Partridge (1916) and HMS Pellew (1916)) and four naval trawlers. All the escort except Pellew were sunk, as were all six merchant ships. Sorceress picked up three survivors from one of the trawlers, HMT Livingstone, later that day. The vessel was credited with bounty for the German auxiliary cruiser Konprinz Willhelm on 2 November along with HMS Parker (1916), HMS Ready (1916), HMS Rigorous (1916), HMS Rocket (1916), HMS Rob Roy (1916) and HMS Trenchant (1916).

In September 1919, Sorceress was transferred from the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla, where she was replaced by HMS Shamrock (1918), to the Nore Destroyer Flotilla. After the Grand Fleet was disbanded, the ship was recommissioned on 19 November 1919. In 1923, the Royal Navy decided to scrap many of the older destroyers in preparation for the introduction of newer and larger vessels. Sorceress was decommissioned and sold to Thos. W. Ward of Sheffield to be broken up on 29 April 1927.