Hms Opal: Cletts Of Clura, Wind Wick, South Ronaldsay, North Sea

ND48NE 8002 4620 8735

N58 46.25 W2 55.8

NLO: Hesta Rock [name: ND 465 877]

Clett or Crura [name: ND 462 874]

Windwick [name: ND 459 866]

Wind Wick [name centred ND 461 871]

Linklater [name: ND 457 871].

See also ND48NE 8001.

Horizontal Datum = OGB

General water depth = 8

Orientation of keel/wreck = NS

Circumstances of Loss Details

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The M Class Destroyer HMS OPAL was wrecked in a violent gale and snow storm together with HMS NARBOROUGH.

Source: Ships of the Royal Navy.

Surveying Details

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See HMS NARBOROUGH in the same position.

Hydrographic Office, 1995.

(Classified as destroyer: date of loss cited as 12 January 1918). HMS Opal: this vessel stranded in storm below cliffs about 80yds from HMS Narborough (ND48NE 8001).

Registration: London. Built 1915. 1000 tons displacement. Length: 84m Beam: 8m.

(Location of loss cited as N58 46.25 W2 55.8).

I G Whittaker 1998.

[No location of loss cited]. Together with HMS Narborough [ND48NE 8001], this vessel was lost while carrying out a Dark Night Patrol (DNP) in very poor weather against the threat of intrusion by fast surface minelayers, in this case in company with the light cruiser HMS Boadicea. HMS Opal was the senior ship of the two destroyers, her commanding officer being Lt Cdr C de M Malan RN, who was new to the area.

A survivor (AB William Sissons) reported that the vessel stranded at the foot of a cliff while trying to enter harbour in conditions of poor visibility. She struck three times very heavily before sliding into deeper water, Her hull broke at the break of the forecastle, while a wave pooped her aft, carrying away her mast and funnels and filling her aft. Carley floats were launched, but capsized, while the boats and davits were carried away.

The wrecks were of both ships were found to be submerged to the tops of their torpedo tubes, but everything above deck had been flattened. Bodies were seen in the wrecks, but it remains unclear whether or not they were recovered.

Both wrecks were sold for scrap in the 1930’s.

Source: PRO [Kew] File Adm. 137/3726].

K D McBride 1999.

Length: 271-6 ft (82.6 - 84.1m)

Beam: 26ft 9ins (8.2m)

Displacement: 994-1022 tons

Propulsion: steam turbines, three screws, 25,000 hp, 34 kts.

Guns: 3 x 4 ins (102mm); 1 x 2 pdr

Torpedo tubes: 2 x twin 21 in (533mm)

Complement: 80/98

This 'Admiralty' M-class destroyer was built at Sunderland by Doxford as part of the Emergency War Programme. She was completed in 1916 and wrecked off Scapa in 1918.

The cited location falls within a prominent bay on the E side of South Ronaldsay. There is a charted wreck (with masts only visible above chart datum) at N58 46.27 W2 55.8 (ND 4622 8739).

(Individual units within this class vary in dimensions, complement and displacement: the 'Admiralty' variant was distinguished by having three small round funnels).

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 16 December 2002.

H M Le Fleming 1961; [Jane] 2001.

HO chart no. 2581 (1982, revised to 1997).

Plans (but not photographs) of this vessel are held in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Information from Ms G Fabri (NMM), 7 November 2003.