HMS Ursa (1917)

HMS Ursa was a modified Admiralty R-class destroyer (1916) destroyer that served in 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. Launched in 1917, the vessel saw service as part of the Grand Fleet. The destroyer took part in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight while being commanded by Commander John Tovey, who later became Admiral of the Fleet and led the successful action against the battleship Bismark. The vessel was also one of the first destroyers to launch a torpedo at the enemy during the battle. After the war, Ursa was transferred to the Home Fleet, but was sold to be broken up in 1928.

Design and development
Ursa 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 destroyer's ability to operate at high speed in bad weather.

Ursa 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 careers
Laid down by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company in Jarrow, Ursa was launched on 23 July 1917 and completed on 16 October. The vessel was the first of the name. On commissioning, Ursa joined the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet, On 28 September 1917, Commander John Tovey took over command of the vessel, a position that he held until 2 April 1918.

On 17 November 1917, Ursa 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). Leading a destroyer force that included sisterships HMS Urchin (1917) and HMS Umpire (1917), as well as HMS Nerissa (1916), the destroyer was one of the first to launch torpedoes at the German ships in the action. It was while commanding Ursa that Tovey was awarded the Croix de Guerre "for distinguished services rendered during the war". At the end of World War I, the destroyer was still part of the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla under the cruiser HMS Champion (1915).

When the Grand Fleet was disbanded at the end of the First World War, Ursa was transferred to the Home Fleet, under the Flag of HMS King George V (1911), remaining with the battleship on reserve at Portsmouth from 13 December 1919. In 1923, the Navy decided to retire many of the older destroyers in preparation for the introduction of newer and larger vessels. Ursa was sold to J. Smith on 13 July 1928 and broken up.