HMS Marshal Ney
Encyclopedia
HMS Marshal Ney was a Royal Navy
Marshal Ney class
monitor
constructed in the opening years of the First World War
. Laid down as M13, she was named for the French general of the Napoleonic Wars
Marshal Michel Ney
.
Designed for inshore operations along the sandbank strewn Belgian coastline, Marshal Soult was equipped with two massive 15 in (381 mm) naval guns. Originally, these guns were to have been stripped from one of the battlecruiser
s and after they were redesigned. However, the guns were not ready, and guns intended for the battleship were used instead.
The diesel engine
s used by the ships were a constant source of technical difficulty, restricting their use. Marshal Ney in particular was—in the words of Jane's Fighting Ships
—"practically a failure", on account of her MAN diesel engines being so unreliable.
In 1916, her 15-inch barbette was stripped off and given to , which was launched in the same year. Marshal Ney was then rearmed with a single 9.2 in (233.7 mm) gun and four 6 in (152.4 mm) guns for service as a guardship for The Downs
. She engaged German destroyers during a raid on Ramsgate
in April 1917.
During 1919, Marshal Ney was used as a base ship at Queenborough
, before being disarmed and becoming a depot ship at Fort Blockhouse
from 1920. Renamed 'Vivid in June 1922, she then served as a stoker training ship until 1957. She was again renamed Drake in January 1934, and Alaunia II in 1947. She arrived at the Ward shipyards at Milford Haven
on 6 October 1957 for breaking up.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Marshal Ney class
Marshal Ney class monitor
The two Marshal Ney class monitors were built for the Royal Navy during the First World War-Design and development:The need for monitors for shelling enemy positions from the English Channel had become apparent only at the start of the war and they were designed with some haste...
monitor
Monitor (warship)
A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
constructed in the opening years of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Laid down as M13, she was named for the French general of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
Marshal Michel Ney
Michel Ney
Michel Ney , 1st Duc d'Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa was a French soldier and military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original 18 Marshals of France created by Napoleon I...
.
Designed for inshore operations along the sandbank strewn Belgian coastline, Marshal Soult was equipped with two massive 15 in (381 mm) naval guns. Originally, these guns were to have been stripped from one of the battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
s and after they were redesigned. However, the guns were not ready, and guns intended for the battleship were used instead.
The diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s used by the ships were a constant source of technical difficulty, restricting their use. Marshal Ney in particular was—in the words of Jane's Fighting Ships
Jane's Fighting Ships
Jane's Fighting Ships is an annual reference book of information on all the world's warships arranged by nation, including information on ship's names, dimensions, armaments, silhouettes and photographs, etc...
—"practically a failure", on account of her MAN diesel engines being so unreliable.
In 1916, her 15-inch barbette was stripped off and given to , which was launched in the same year. Marshal Ney was then rearmed with a single 9.2 in (233.7 mm) gun and four 6 in (152.4 mm) guns for service as a guardship for The Downs
The Downs
The Downs are a roadstead or area of sea in the southern North Sea near the English Channel off the east Kent coast, between the North and the South Foreland in southern England. In 1639 the Battle of the Downs took place here, when the Dutch navy destroyed a Spanish fleet which had sought refuge...
. She engaged German destroyers during a raid on Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
in April 1917.
During 1919, Marshal Ney was used as a base ship at Queenborough
Queenborough
Queenborough is a small town on the Isle of Sheppey in the Swale borough of Kent in South East England.Queenborough is two miles south of Sheerness. It grew as a port near the Thames Estuary at the westward entrance to The Swale where it joins the River Medway...
, before being disarmed and becoming a depot ship at Fort Blockhouse
Fort Blockhouse
Fort Blockhouse is a military establishment in Gosport, Hampshire, England, and the final version of a complicated site. It is surrounded on 3 sides by water and provides the best view of the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. It is unique in two respects - firstly, it was built over a number of...
from 1920. Renamed 'Vivid in June 1922, she then served as a stoker training ship until 1957. She was again renamed Drake in January 1934, and Alaunia II in 1947. She arrived at the Ward shipyards at Milford Haven
Milford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
on 6 October 1957 for breaking up.