HMS Urchin (1917)

HMS Urchin was a Modified Admiralty R-class destroyer (1916) destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The Modified R class added attributes of the Yarrow Later M class to improve the capability of the ships to operate in bad weather. The destroyer was the third ship in the Navy to be named after the sea urchin and the first in the class to be built by Palmers in Jarrow. Launched in 1917, Urchin served with the Grand Fleet, seeing action in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. After the war, the destroyer was remained in service until being retired and sold to be broken up in 1930.

Design and development
Urchin was one of eleven Modified R-class destroyer (1916) destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in March 1916 as part of the Eighth War Construction Programme. The design was a development of the existing R class, adding features from the Yarrow Later M class which had been introduced based on wartime experience. The forward two boilers were transposed and vented through a single funnel, enabling the bridge and forward gun to be placed further aft. Combined with hull-strengthening, this improved the destroyers' ability to operate at high speed in bad weather.

Urchin was 276 ft long overall and 265 ft long between perpendiculars, with a beam of 27 ft and a draught of 11 ft. Displacement was 1035 LT normal and 1085 LT at 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. Two funnels were fitted. A total of 296 LT of fuel oil were carried, giving a design range of 3450 nmi at 15 kn.

Armament consisted of three single 4 in Mk V QF guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised platform and one between the funnels. Increased elevation extended the range of the gun by 2000 yd to 12000 yd. A single 2-pounder 40 mm "pom-pom anti-aircraft gun was carried on a platform between two twin mounts for 21 in torpedoes. The ship had a complement of 82 officers and ratings.

Construction and career
Laid down by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company at Jarrow at Greenock, Urchin was launched on 7 June 1917 and completed in August. The vessel was the first of the class to be completed by the yard and was followed by sister ship HMS Ursa (1917). On commissioning, Urchin joined the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet.

On 17 November 1917, Urchin took part in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight in support of the 1st Cruiser Squadron, led by Vice-Admiral Trevylyan Napier in HMS Courageous (50). The destroyer formed part of small flotilla led by Ursa, commanded by John Tovey, that attacked the German ships with torpedoes.

At the end of the First World War, the destroyer was still part of the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla under the cruiser HMS Champion (1915). but was reduced on 8 February 1919. On 6 August 1928, the destroyer transported a Spanish naval delegation to the Cowes Regatta. Soon after the vessel was retired and, on 7 January 1930, Urchin was sold to Metal Industries of Charlestown, Fife to be broken up.