Hms Narborough: Cletts Of Clura, Wind Wick, South Ronaldsay, North Sea
Destroyer (20th Century)
Site Name Hms Narborough: Cletts Of Clura, Wind Wick, South Ronaldsay, North Sea
Classification Destroyer (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Hms Narbrough; Hesta Head; Hesta Rock; Linklater; Windwick; Orkney; Hms Narborough
Canmore ID 102215
Site Number ND48NE 8001
NGR ND 46221 87355
Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/102215
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Maritime - Orkney
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Maritime
- Former County Not Applicable
ND48NE 8001 4578 8736
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 8002.
Horizontal Datum = OGB
General water depth = 8
Orientation of keel/wreck = NS
Circumstances of Loss Details
-----------------------------
The M Class Destroyer HMS NARBOROUGH was wrecked in a violent gale and snow storm, together with HMS OPAL.
Source: Ships of the Royal Navy by College
Surveying Details
-----------------------------
The wreck's position is given as 58 46 15N, 002 55 48W (HMS OPAL is in the same position) at Clett of Clura, Windwick. (authority not stated)
7 July 1923. An offer to purchase the wrecks has been turned down.
22 February 1926. A further offer to purchase the wreck has been received.
24 March 1926. Both wrecks are lying close under the cliffs, heading in a northerly direction about 73 metres from each other. The northern vessel is a mass of broken iron work on a ledge of rock. The southern vessel less broken and in deeper water. No mast or funnels are showing and both are almost entirely submerged at high water. The position given is 58 46 15N, 002 55 48W.
1926. A further offer to purchase has been refused.
24 June 1932. A further proposal to salvage the wreck has been made by Mr Sutherland.
21 September 1936. The wrecks are now owned by Messrs Southerland and Mawat.
7 August 1986. The northerly area of the wreck site was dived. There is much scattered wreckage, and 3 inch shell cases well battered and eroded by tidal action litter the seabed. There is no danger to navigation. The general depth is 11 metres with a rocky bottom sloping seawards.
Report by B Winfield, 26 July 1986.
Hydrographic Office, 1995.
(Classified as destroyer: date of loss cited as 12 January 1918). HMS Narborough: this vessel stranded in storm below cliffs about 80yds from HMS Opal (ND48NE 8002).
Registration: London. Built 1916. 994 tons displacement. Length: 83m 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 Opal [ND48NE 8002], 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 Narborough was under the command of Lt E M Bowly RN, while HMS Opal was the senior ship of the two destroyers.
A survivor (from HMS Opal) reported that HMS Narborough stranded behind HMS Opal, went over on her side, and broke up even more quickly than her sister ship. He saw nothing more of her.
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 on the Clyde by John Brown as part of the Emergency War Programme. She was completed in 1916 and wrecked off Scapa in 1918.
The cited location of loss 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.
Note (12 August 2011)
There is a memorial dedicated to HMS Narborough and HMS Opal overlooking Windwick Bay at ND 45734 86931.
Information from RCAHMS (LMcC) 12 August 2011
Reference (2011)
Whittaker ID : 627
Name : HMS NARBROUGH
Latitude : 584615
Longitude : 25548
Date Built : 1916
Registration : LONDON
Type : DESTROYER
Tonnage : 994
Tonnage Code : D
Length : 83
Beam : 8
Position : Exact Position
Loss Day : 12
Loss Month : 1
Loss Year : 1918
Comment : Stranded in storm below cliffs approx 80 yds from 'HMS OPAL'
Reference (19 April 2012)
UKHO Identifier : 001232
Feature Class : Wreck
Wreck Category : Non-dangerous wreck
State : LIVE
Classification : Unclassified
Position (Lat/long) : 58.77083,-2.93000
Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)
WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.77043,-2.93160
WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)
Previous Position : 58.77083,-2.93000
Position Quality : Precisely known
Depth Quality : Depth unknown
Water Depth : 8
Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide
Name : HMS NARBOROUGH
Type : DESTROYER
Flag : BRITISH
Length : 82.6
Beam : 8.2
Orientation : 0.0
Tonnage : 994
Tonnage Type : Displacement
Date Sunk : 12/01/1918
Contact Description : Notable debris
Original Sensor : Reported Sinking
Last Sensor : Diver Sighting
Original Detection Year : 1919
Last Detection Year : 1986
Original Source : Unknown
Last Source : Divers
Circumstances of Loss : **AN M CLASS DESTROYER. BUILT IN 1916 BY J BROWN, CLYDEBANK. THREE BOILERS, S TURBINES OF 25000NP, TWIN SHAFT. PASSAGE FROM EAST COAST WAR PATROL. WRECKED IN A VIOLENT GALE AND SNOW STORM, TOGETHER WITH HMS OPAL. ONE MAN SURVIVED FROM BOTH SHIPS.
Surveying Details : **POSN 584615N, 025548W. OPAL IN SAME POSN AT CLETT OF CLURA, WINDWICK. (AUTHORITY NOT STATED)
**H1939/26 24.3.26 WRECKS LYING CLOSE UNDER CLIFFS, HEADING IN NORTHERLY DIRECTION ABOUT 80YDS FROM EACH OTHER. NORTHERN VESSEL A MASS OF BROKEN IRON WORK ON LEDGE OF ROCK. SOUTHERN VESSEL LESS BROKEN & IN DEEPER WATER. NO MAST OR FUNNELS SHOWING & BOTH ALMOST ENTIRELY SUBMERGED AT HW. POSN 584615N, 025548W. (EXTRACT FROM N.L. 4432/18(X3003/18)). INS AS 2 DW (1918). BR STD.
**C.P. 26977/36 21.9.36 WRECKS NOW OWNED BY MESSRS SOUTHERLAND AND MAWAT.
**H5465/58 5.3.58 AMEND TO DW. NC 2162.
**H1310/86/20 7.8.86 NORTHERLY AREA OF WK SITE DIVED. MUCH SCATTERED WRECKAGE AND 3 INCH SHELL CASES, WELL BATTERED AND ERODED BY TIDAL ACTION, LITTER THE SEABED. NO DANGER TO NAVIGATION. GEN DEPTH 11MTRS - ROCKY BOTTOM SLOPING SEAWARDS. (B. WINFIELD, 26.7.86). AMEND TO NDW. BR STD.
General Comments : AREA OF BROKEN UP WRECKAGE
Chart Symbol : NDW
Date Last Amended : 18/11/2003
Date Position Last Amended : 29/07/1985