HMS Obdurate (1916)

HMS Obdurate (1916) was a repeat M class destroyer that served with the Grand Fleet from 1916 to March 1918, fighting at Jutland, then at Devonport for the rest of the war. 

The Obdurate was ordered as part of the Third War Programme of late November 1914. She was laid down by Scotts in January 1915, launched on 21 January 1916 and completed in March 1916.

1916

The Nerissa arrived at Rosyth from the Clyde on 2 April. The Obdurate arrived on 3 April, and the two destroyers formed the new 13th Destroyer Flotilla.

From April 1916 to March 1918 the Obdurate was part of the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet.

On the eve of Jutland the Obdurate was with the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla that was with the battlecruiser fleet at Rosyth. She was the leader of one of the flotilla’s three divisions. She sailed with the battlecruiser fleet on 30 May, moved towards a rendezvous position about seventy miles to the south of the main Grand Fleet

HMS Obdurate, Inchkeith

During the advance east across the North Sea the destroyers were used to guard the flanks of the battle cruiser fleet, while the light cruisers advanced ahead of the fleet. At 2.25pm on 31 May, just after the first contact between Beatty’s cruisers and the German cruisers, the destroyers were ordered to form an anti-submarine screen heading S.S.E. He then followed with his capital ships, in the hope of cutting off the retreat of the German cruisers that had been spotted. The German battlecruisers turned south, and retreated towards the main High Seas Fleet.

At about 4pm, during the chase south, Beatty signalled to the Thirteenth Flotilla that ‘it seemed a good opportunity to attack’. The flotilla turned east, and attempted to get into position to fire its torpedoes. While this was happening, the first of the British battlecruisers was lost, when HMS Indefatigable exploded and sank after being hit by the Von der Tann. The flotilla was able to fire twenty torpedoes during this part of the battle, one of which hit the Seydlitz.

The flotilla commander, in the cruiser Champion, gave the order to attack at 4.15. The first five destroyers (Nestor, Nomad, Nicator, Pelican and Narborough) were able to pass in front of the British line at about 4.20 and turned towards the Germans. They were joined by Turbulent, Termagant, Morris and Moorsom from the Ninth and Tenth Flotillas. German destroyers came out at the same time, originally with the aim of attacking the fast battleships of the British Fifth Battle Squadron. The result was a rather confused melee, in which the German destroyers V-27 and V-29 were sunk, but so were the Nomad and Nestor. This destroyer battle ended at 4.43 when Admiral Beatty recalled the destroyers after the German battleships of the High Seas Fleet were sited to the south. Beatty was forced to turn north and begin his own retreat back towards Jellicoe and the Grand Fleet.

The two main fleets finally came together at about 6.30pm on 31 May. By this point the battleships of the German High Seas Fleet were heading north, while the battleships of the Grand Fleet were forming a line running roughly east to west in front of them. For a few minutes the British were able to concentrate their fire on the leading ships of the German line, but the Germans then carried out their famous sixteen point turn, and within a few minutes were heading away south into the North Sea mist. However Admiral Scheer then mis-judged the British movements, and turned back east in the hope that he could pass behind the main British force. Just after 7pm the Germans found themselves steaming straight towards Jelicoe’s battleships, and by 7.15 the bulk of the Grand Fleet was finally able to open fire on the Germans. Once again Scheer was forced to reverse course. During this phase of the battle the destroyer flotillas struggled to keep up with the fast moving battleships and rather disappear from the narrative. After more confused manoeuvres the two fleets came into range of each other for a third time after 8pm, but the Germans turned away for a third time, and disappeared into the mists by 8.35.

Jellicoe was unwilling to risk a night battle, and at 9.17 ordered the fleet into its night cruising formation. The battleships formed up into lines in their divisions, with the destroyers following behind. The entire formation began to move south in an attempt to keep between the Germans and their home bases. By 10pm the destroyer flotillas were in line, with the 12th Flotilla at the eastern (left) end of the line, then the combined 9th and 10th Flotillas, 13th Flotilla, 4th Flotilla and finally the 11th Flotilla at the western (right) end of the line.

The key moment of the night actions came at around 11.30, when the High Seas Fleet finally attempted to pass behind the Grand Fleet and ran into the British destroyers. The Germans would make contact with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, which was towards the right of the British line. There was then a seven mile gap to the 13th Flotilla, with the 9th and 10th Flotilla close by, and the 12th Flotilla to their rear.

In a series of clashes the Germans inflicted heavy damage on the 4th Flotilla, but instead of rushing to their aid, the 13th Flotilla, which was next in line, believed they were the target of the gunfire, and that there were friendly ships between them and the Germans preventing a torpedo attack. The flotilla leader Captain Farie ordered the flotilla to turn away to the east to get out of range, but he failed to signal the move, so only two of the flotilla followed him (Obdurate and Moresby). His move also forced the 9th and 10th Flotillas and the 12th Flotilla to turn to port to get out of the way. As a result the British destroyers were no longer in the correct place when the High Seas Fleet passed behind the Grand Fleet. As a result the Germans were able to move past almost without being detected and the one clash that did occur was with two cruisers so didn’t cause any alarm. 

At 2.30am the flotilla made the last sighting of any major German warships during the battle, spotting the rear four Deutschland class battleships in Scheer’s fleet but once again the flotilla leader decided to turn away. The Moresby fired one torpedo towards the battleships, hitting and sinking the destroyer V-4.

At 3.30 the Champion, Obdurate, Moresby, Marksman and Maenad were heading N.N.W when they encountered four German destroyers heading in the opposite direction and attacked. The Germans were carrying the survivors from the Lutzow, so didn’t fight back and instead disappeared into the haze. However one of them was probably hit during this brief clash and had her engine knocked out, as she needed to be towed back to port.

In the aftermath of the battle the Obdurate found the wreckage of the Ardent, and rescued two survivors, although one died after being rescued.

1917

On 4 May 1917 the Obdurate was one of four destroyers that accompanied the Sydney and Dublin on a high speed sweep through cleared channels near the Dogger Bank. The force was attacked by two German Zeppelins, one of which attempted to bomb the Obdurate. The nearest it came was a near miss, but British anti-aircraft fire was no more effective.

On 25 July the Grenville, Obdurate, Pelican, Nepean and Orpheus were escorting a convoy of five empty oilers heading from Scapa Flow to Texas when it was attacked by UC-41. The U-boat was able to sink the SS Oakleaf, although the entire crew were rescued.

During the Second battle of Heligoland Bight (17 November 1917) the Obdurate was at sea with the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron, but her formation never reached the battle.

On 1 December 1917 the Obdurate and the oiler Impoco collided off Blackness, in the Firth of Forth.

1918

On 24 March the Obdurate and Patrician collided.

From April 1918 to December 1918 she was part of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla at Devonport

In December 1919 she was in the charge of a Care and Maintenance Party on the Nore.

The Obdurate was awarded a battle honour for Jutland.

Commanders
-May/June 1916-: Lt Commander C. H. Sams

She was sold to be broken up in November 1921

Service Record
May 1916-March 1918: 13th Destroyer Flotilla, Grand Fleet
April 1918-December 1918: 4th Destroyer Flotilla, Devonport

British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War, Norman Friedman. A very detailed look at the design of British destroyers from their earliest roots as torpedo boat destroyers, though the First World War and up to the start of the Second World War, supported by vast numbers of plans and well chosen photographs [read full review]

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