HMS M25

History
United Kingdom
NameHMS M25
BuilderSir Raylton Dixon & Co.
Laid down1 March 1915
Launched24 July 1915
FateScuttled in the Dvina River 16 September 1919
General characteristics
Class and typeM15 class monitor
Displacement540 tons
Length177 ft 3 in (54.03 m)
Beam31 ft (9.4 m)
Draught6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Propulsion
  • 4-shaft
  • Bolinder 4-cylinder semi-diesel
  • 640 hp
Speed11 knots
Complement69
Armament

HMS M25 was a First World War Royal Navy M15-class monitor. She was also served in the British intervention in Russia in 1919, and was scuttled in the Dvina River on 16 September 1919.

Design

Intended as a shore bombardment vessel, M25's primary armament was a single 9.2 inch Mk VI gun removed from the Edgar-class cruiser HMS Endymion.[1] In addition to her 9.2-inch gun she also possessed one 12 pounder and one six-pounder anti-aircraft gun. She was equipped with a four-shaft Bolinder four-cylinder semi-diesel engine with 640 horsepower that allowed a top speed of eleven knots. The monitor's crew consisted of sixty-nine officers and men.

Construction

HMS M25 ordered in March, 1915, as part of the War Emergency Programme of ship construction. She was laid down at the Sir Raylton Dixon & Co. Ltd shipyard in March 1915, launched on 24 July 1915, and completed in September 1915.

World War 1

M25 served with the Dover Patrol from September 1915 to June 1918. In early 1916, M25 had her main 9.2 in gun removed, as it was required for artillery use on the Western Front, and a BL 7.5-inch (190 mm) MK III gun from HMS Swiftsure was fitted in lieu.

Russia

M25 next saw service, along with five other monitors (M23, M27, M31, M33 and HMS Humber), which were sent to Murmansk in May 1919 to relieve the North Russian Expeditionary Force.

In June 1919, M25 moved to Archangel and her shallow draught enabled her to travel up the Dvina River to cover the withdrawal of British and White Russian forces. M25 and her sister ship M27 were unable to be recovered when the river level fell and were scuttled on 16 September 1919 after running aground.

Citations

  1. ^ Randal Gray, ed. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Conway Maritime Press. p. 48. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.

References

M15-class monitors
  • M15
  • M16
  • M17
  • M18
  • M19
  • M20
  • M21
  • M22
  • M23
  • M24
  • M25
  • M26
  • M27
  • M28
  • Preceded by: Gorgon class
  • Followed by: M29 class
  • v
  • t
  • e
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1919
Shipwrecks
  • 1 Jan: HMY Iolaire
  • 21 Jan: UC-40
  • 30 Jan: Nimrod
  • 7 Feb: HMS Erin's Isle
  • 8 Feb: U-16
  • 10 Feb: UC-91
  • 18 Feb: Mirabeau
  • 20 Feb: UC-71
  • 22 Feb: U-21
  • 7 Mar: HNoMS Thor
  • 6 Apr: SMS Vulkan
  • 15 Apr: U-118
  • 17 Apr: USS Freehold
  • 26 April: Narval, Kit, Kashalot
  • 27 Apr: USS Courtney, USS Otis W. Douglas
  • 28 Apr: USS Gypsum Queen, USS James
  • April (unknown date): Borets za Svobodu
  • 4 May: HMS Cupar
  • 5 May: SMS Leipzig
  • 2 Jun: Rucumilla
  • 9 Jun: HMS L55
  • 16 Jun: HMS Kinross
  • 18 Jun: Oleg
  • 21 Jun: Scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow – SMS Bayern, SMS Bremse, SMS Brummer, SMS Cöln, SMS Dresden, SMS Derfflinger, SMS Emden, SMS Friedrich der Grosse, SMS G38, SMS G39, SMS G40, SMS Hindenburg, SMS Grosser Kurfürst, SMS Kaiser, SMS Kaiserin, SMS Karlsruhe, SMS König, SMS König Albert, SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm, SMS Markgraf, SMS Moltke, SMS Prinzregent Luitpold, SMS S32, SMS S36, SMS S50, SMS Seydlitz, SMS V45, SMS V46, SMS Von der Tann, SMS G102
  • 28 Jun: Duchess of Richmond
  • Jun (unknown date): Erinpura
  • 27 Jul: USS May
  • 30 Jul: USS G-2
  • 13 Aug: Basilicata
  • 18 Aug: Dvina
  • 1 Sep: HMS Vittoria
  • 4 Sep: HMS Verulam
  • 8 Sep: Valbanera
  • 9 Sep: USS St. Sebastian, USS SP-471
  • 10 Sep: USS Coco, USS Katherine K., USS Patrol No. 1, USS Sea Hawk
  • 11 Sep: USS Helena I
  • 16 Sep: HMS M25, HMS M27, West Arvada
  • 29 Sep: ML-18, ML-62, ML-191, Ossifrage
  • 30 Sep: August Helmerich
  • 3 Oct: Frank O'Connor
  • 7 Oct: Sizergh Castle
  • 9 Oct: Daram
  • 17 Oct: SMS Kaiser Franz Joseph I
  • 18 Oct: HMS H41
  • 21 Oct Gavriil
  • 31 Oct: Fazilka
  • 13 Nov: Council Bluffs
  • 22 Nov: Myron
  • 24 Nov: Poltava
  • 12 Dec: USS Kerwood
  • 18 Dec: Cufic
  • Unknown date: UB-14
Other incidents
  • 1 Jan: USS Northern Pacific
  • 14 Jan Prince Rupert
  • 1 Feb: USS Narragansett
  • 28 Feb: RMS Aquitania
  • Mar: Perun
  • 17 Apr: Saxonia
  • 4 Jun: USS SP-582
  • 21 Jun: SMS Baden, SMS Emden, SMS Frankfurt, SMS Nürnberg
  • Jun (unknown date): USS West Grama
  • 9 Jul: Grampian
  • 15 Jul: USS Edward Luckenbach
  • 16 Jul: USS Flamingo
  • 16 Sep: USS R-6
  • Sep (unknown date): Sangola
  • 18 Oct: HMS Vulcan
  • October (unknown date): Prince Rupert
  • 19 Nov Juan Casiano
  • 20 Nov Atle Jarl
  • 14 Jan Prince Rupert
  • 3 Dec: USFS Murre
  • Unknown date: Submarine No. 19, Submarine No. 20