View source for HMS Melpomene (1915)

{{short description|Destroyer of the Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Melpomene}}

{{EngvarB|date=November 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
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|Ship country=[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=HMS ''Melpomene''
|Ship owner=
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]], [[Govan]]
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|Ship launched=1 February 1915
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|Ship completed=16 August 1915
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|Ship fate=Sold May 1921
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|Ship class={{sclass|Medea|destroyer}}
|Ship displacement={{convert|1178|LT|t|abbr=on}} deep load
|Ship length={{convert|273|ft|4|in|m|2|abbr=on}} [[length overall|oa]]
|Ship beam={{convert|26|ft|8|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|11|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft=
|Ship propulsion=*3× Yarrow [[water-tube boiler|boilers]]
*Brown-Curtis steam turbines
*3 shafts
|Ship power={{convert|25000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed={{convert|32|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}
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|Ship complement=79
|Ship sensors=
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|Ship armament=* 3 × 4-inch (102 mm) guns
*2 × 2-pounder  (40 mm) guns
*4 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
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'''HMS ''Melpomene''''' was a {{sclass|Medea|destroyer}} of the British [[Royal Navy]]. She was one of four destroyers, of similar design to the British [[Admiralty M-class destroyer|M-class]] ordered by [[Greece]] in June 1914, which the British purchased during construction owing to the outbreak of the [[First World War]].

''Medusa'' (originally named '''''Samos''''') was launched by the Scottish shipbuilder [[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company|Fairfield]] in February 1915 and was completed in August that year. She served with the [[Harwich Force]]  in the [[North Sea]] and later with the [[Dover Patrol]]. She was sold for scrap in 1921.

==Design==
In 1914, rivalries between Greece and Turkey led to Greece placing large orders for new warships, including a {{sclass|Bretagne|battleship}} from France and two light cruisers and four destroyers from Britain. The British ships were ordered from the Coventry Syndicate, a consortium of the shipbuilders [[John Brown & Co.|John Brown]],  [[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company|Fairfield]] and [[Cammell Laird]] and the armament manufacturer [[Coventry Ordnance Works]]. The cruisers were to be built by Cammell Laird while two destroyers each would be built by John Brown and Fairfield.<ref name="conways06 p382-3,6">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|pp=382–383, 386}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Lyon|1977|p=54}}</ref>

The destroyers were of similar design to the contemporary [[Admiralty M-class destroyer|M-class]] being built for the British Royal Navy, with the major difference being a modified machinery arrangement.<ref name="conways06 p78">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=78}}</ref><ref name="fried p136">{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=136}}</ref>

The ships were {{convert|273|ft|4|in|m}} [[length overall|long overall]] and {{convert|265|ft|0|in|m|2}} [[length between perpendiculars|between perpendiculars]], with a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|26|ft|8|in|m}} and a [[Draft (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|11|ft|2|in|m}}. [[Displacement (ship)|Displacement]] was {{convert|1040|LT|t}} normal and {{convert|1178|LT|t}} deep load.<ref name="fried p297">{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=297}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Displacements are for ''Melpomene''{{'}}s sister ship {{HMS|Melampus|1914|2}}.<ref name="fried p297"/> Conway's states normal displacement ranges of {{convert|1007–1040|LT|t}} and a deep load displacement of about {{convert|1200|LT|t|-1}}.<ref name="conways06 p78"/>|group=lower-alpha}} Three Yarrow [[water-tube boiler]]s fed steam to Brown-Curtis impulse [[steam turbine]]s, driving two propeller shafts. The machinery was rated at {{convert|25000|shp|kW}} giving a speed of  {{convert|32|kn|mph km/h}}.<ref name="conways06 p78"/> The ship's boilers were arranged with two boilers in one large compartment adjacent to the engine room and one in a smaller compartment forward, while the British M-class had the larger boiler compartment forward and the small boiler compartment adjacent to the engine room. Three funnels were fitted.<ref name="fried p134">{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=134}}</ref><ref name="conways06 p78"/>

Armament consisted of three 4-inch (102&nbsp;mm) Mark VII guns on PXIII mountings, with these being replaced by [[QF 4-inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII|QF 4-inch Mark IV]] guns on PIX mountings in 1918, and two twin 21-inch (533&nbsp;mm) torpedo tubes.<ref name="conways06 p78"/><ref>{{Harvnb|McBride|1991|p=47}}</ref> The ship had a crew of 79.<ref name="fried p297"/>

==Construction and service==
The four destroyers were ordered in June 1914, but the outbreak of the [[First World War]] resulted in them being purchased by Britain in August 1914.<ref>{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=386}}</ref> The second of the two ships built by Fairfield, named ''Samos'' by the Greeks, was launched at Fairfield's [[Govan]] shipyard on 1 February 1915 and was completed in August that year.<ref name="fried p306">{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=306}}</ref>

''Melpomene'' joined the [[10th Destroyer Flotilla]] of the [[Harwich Force]] following commissioning.<ref name="conways06 p78"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands, &c.: II.–Harwich Force |date=September 1915 |page=13 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/91989518 |accessdate=10 May 2020 |via=National Museum of Scotland}}</ref> On 23 August 1915, the [[Dover Patrol]] bombarded the German-held port of [[Zeebrugge]], with ''Melpomene'' one of twelve destroyers from the Harwich Force attached to the Dover Patrol for this action. While at the time, the British believed that the bombardment was successful, in fact, little damage was done.<ref name="Mon30 p87">{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 30|1926|p=87}}</ref><ref name="Kar p47-8">{{Harvnb|Karau|2014|pp=47–48}}</ref> On 30–31 October 1915, ''Melpomene'' took part in a sweep by the Harwich Force of the [[German Bight]]. The Swedish steamer ''Ostersund'' was stopped and sent back to the Humber as it was suspected that its cargo of iron ore might be contraband, but no German shipping was encountered.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 31|1926|pp=6–7}}</ref> On 25 December 1915, ''Melpomene'' was one of eight destroyers from the Harwich Force that were ordered with the [[Destroyer leader|leader]] {{HMS|Nimrod|1915|2}} to the Channel as a result of attacks by the German submarine [[SM U-24|''U-24'']]. As there was no sign of the submarine by the time they reached [[Portsmouth]], they were sent on to [[Milford Haven]], where poor weather kept them largely confined to harbour.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 31|1926|pp=45–46, 218}}</ref>

From 24 April 1916, the [[Dover Patrol]] carried out a large-scale operation off the Belgian coast to lay [[Naval mine|mines]] and nets, in an attempt to limit use of the ports of [[Ostend]] and [[Zeebrugge]] to German [[U-boat]]s. ''Melpomene'' was one of twelve destroyers of the Harwich Force that took part in escorting the operations. On the afternoon of 24 April, three German torpedo boats ({{SMS|V47||2}}, {{SMS|V67||2}} and {{SMS|V68||2}}<ref>{{Harvnb|Fock|1989|pp=354–355}}</ref>) attempted to interfere with the drifters laying the nets off Zeebrugge, and ''Melpomene'', together with {{HMS|Milne|1914|2}}, {{HMS|Medea|1915|2}} and {{HMS|Murray|1914|2}}, engaged the three torpedo boats, which retreated towards Zeebrugge with the four British destroyers in pursuit. The British destroyers came under heavy fire from German shore batteries.

''Melpomene'' was hit in the engine room by a shell, which although it did not explode, caused extensive flooding and eventual loss of power (she managed to keep steaming for 20 minutes after the hit, with the turbines awash and eventually submerged). ''Milne'' attempted to take ''Melpomene'' under tow, but fouled her port propeller with the tow cable, so ''Medea'' went to assist with the tow. The three German torpedo boats then returned to attack the British ships, with ''Medea'' hit three times by German shells, but were driven off by 12-inch fire from the monitor {{HMS|Prince Eugene||2}}.<ref name="Mon31 p141-2">{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 31|1926|pp=141–142}}</ref><ref name="baconv1 p152-8">{{Harvnb|Bacon Vol. I|1919|pp=152–158}}</ref><ref name="Kar p59">{{Harvnb|Karau|2014|p=59}}</ref><ref name="end p139-7">{{Harvnb|Dorling|1932|pp=139–147}}</ref> The minefield probably caused the loss of one U-Boat, {{SMU|UB-13||2}},<ref name="Grant p33">{{Harvnb|Grant|1964|p=33}}</ref> although at the time it was thought that four or five German submarines had been sunk.<ref name="baconv1 p159-0">{{Harvnb|Bacon Vol. I|1919|pp=159–160}}</ref> ''Melpomene'' underwent initial repair at [[Dunkirk]] before more permanent repair work in a British dockyard.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dorling|1932|pp=146–147}}</ref>

On the night of 22 July 1916, two light cruisers and eight destroyers of the Harwich Force set out on a patrol to prevent German torpedo boats based in [[Flanders]] from interfering with shipping traffic between Britain and the Netherlands. One group, consisting of the light cruiser {{HMS|Carysfort|1914|2}} and four destroyers, was to patrol off the [[Meuse|Mass]] estuary, while the second group, led by the cruiser {{HMS|Canterbury|1915|2}} and including ''Melpomene'',{{#tag:ref|''Canterbury'', ''Melpomene'', {{HMS|Morris|1914|2}}, {{HMS|Milne|1914|2}} and {{HMS|Matchless|1914|2}}.<ref>{{Harvnb|Newbolt|1928|p=27}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} was to patrol off the North Hinder light vessel.<ref>{{Harvnb|Newbolt|1928|pp=23, 27}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927|p=62}}</ref> Seven German destroyers of II Flotilla{{#tag:ref|{{SMS|B97||2}}, {{SMS|G101||2}}, {{SMS|G103||2}}, {{SMS|G104||2}}, {{SMS|B110||2}}, {{SMS|B111||2}} and {{SMS|B112||2}}<ref>{{Harvnb|Fock|1989|p=359}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} had set out from [[Zeebrugge]] on a mission to lay lines near the North Hinder light vessel, and at 00:15 on 23 July, ''Carysfort''{{'}}s group sighted the German force, which turned away and escaped under the cover of a smoke screen and a rain storm. The ''Canterbury'' group, including ''Matchless'', was ordered to proceed to the [[Geography of the North Sea|Schouwen Bank]] to intercept the Germans.

They encountered the Germans at about 01:45, and set off in pursuit. {{HMS|Matchless|1914|2}} could not keep up with the chase and lagged behind, while {{HMS|Milne|1914|2}} kept station with the lagging ''Matchless'', leaving the chase to ''Melpomene'' and {{HMS|Morris|1914|2}}. The two destroyers were recalled by ''Canterbury'', but ''Melpomene'' did not respond to the recall order and continued the chase alone. The German destroyers managed to reach the safety of minefields and coastal defences near Zeebrugge, and the British broke off the chase. ''Melpomene'' was hit by a German shell which killed one and wounded two more of her crew.<ref>{{Harvnb|Karau|2014|pp=67–69}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Newbolt|1928|pp=28–29}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927|pp=64–65}}</ref> On 19 August, the German [[High Seas Fleet]] carried out a [[Action of 19 August 1916|raid]] into the North Sea, with the intention of bombarding [[Sunderland]] and luring the British battlecruisers into an engagement with superior forces. The British were warned of the German sortie by radio intercepts, and as part of the British response, the seaplane carrier {{HMS|Vindex|1915|2}} put out from Harwich with ''Melpomene'' as escort, but the weather was too poor for aircraft operations and ''Vindex'' returned to harbour.<ref>{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|p=682}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927|p=122}}</ref>

On the night of 23/24 January 1917, the Harwich Force was ordered to intercept a German torpedo boat flotilla that was being transferred to [[Zeebrugge]], with ''Melpomene'' part of a group of destroyers patrolling off the [[River Maas]]. The German torpedo boats ran into a cruiser division, with the  torpedo boat {{SMS|V69||2}} heavily damaged, but the Germans managed to escape, and some of the British destroyers, including ''Meteor'' dispersed from their patrol positions after hearing the noise of the engagement, allowing the German ships to slip through. One German straggler, {{SMS|S50||2}} encountered a British destroyer patrol and sank the destroyer {{HMS|Simoom|1916|2}} before escaping.<ref name="navopv4 p73-9">{{Harvnb|Newbolt|1928|pp=73–79}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pp=92–99}}</ref> On 29 January 1917, as a response to intelligence of a sortie of units of the German [[High Seas Fleet]], (in fact the German light cruiser {{SMS|Graudenz||2}} with torpedo boats of II and IX Torpedo-Boat Flotilla sortied to the [[Hoofden]]<ref>{{Harvnb|Fock|1989|p=360}}</ref>), ''Melpomene'' was one of 12 destroyers led by the [[flotilla leader]] {{HMS|Grenville|1916|2}} ordered to patrol between [[Lowestoft]] and Harwich to guard against German raids. The British destroyers saw nothing, although several British submarines on patrol in the North Sea sighted German torpedo boats, and {{HMS|E29||2}} unsuccessfully attacked four torpedo boats.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pp=105–106}}</ref>

''Melpomene'' joined the [[6th Destroyer Flotilla]] of the [[Dover Patrol]] on 1 March 1917.<ref>{{harvnb|Bacon Vol. II|1919|p=629}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands, &c.: V.–Dover Patrol |date=March 1917 |page=15 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92123294 |accessdate=12 May 2020 |via=National Museum of Scotland}}</ref> On 23 March 1917, ''Melpomene'' was returning to Britain in company with the destroyers {{HMS|Laforey|1913|2}}, {{HMS|Laertes|1913|2}} and {{HMS|Lark|1913|2}} after escorting transports from [[Folkestone]] to [[Dieppe]], when ''Laforey'' struck a mine and quickly sank, with only 18 of the 76 aboard surviving.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pp=345–346}}</ref> On 8 June 1917, the patrol boat {{HMS|P.50||2}} attacked a suspected submarine off [[Cap Gris-Nez]] with [[depth charge]]s, bringing up large quantities of oil. ''Melpomene'' and {{HMS|Mansfield|1914|2}} joined in the search for the submarine two hours after ''P.50''{{'}}s attack, and noted an oil slick several miles long, and that oil was still coming to the surface. ''P50'' was credited with "possibly destroying" the submarine.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939|p=71}}</ref>

On the night of 14/15 February 1918, ''Melpomene'', together with the destroyers {{HMS|Termagant|1915|2}}, {{HMS|Zubian||2}} and {{HMS|Amazon|1908|2}} was patrolling on the East Barrage Patrol, one of two standing patrols protecting the [[Dover Barrage]], while two more carried out the West Barrage Patrol and three more destroyers and a light cruiser were on standby in [[The Downs (ship anchorage)|the Downs]] when seven German destroyers, in two groups attacked the Dover Barrage. The Germans sank one trawler and seven drifters while severely damaging a further one trawler, five drifters and the minesweeper {{HMS|Newbury|1916|2}}.

One of the German groups encountered ''Melpomene''{{'}}s group and was spotted by ''Amazon''. ''Amazon'' challenged the Germans, three times, but despite receiving no response, still assumed they were friendly ships, allowing the Germans to escaped unhindered.<ref>{{Harvnb|Karau|2014|pp=176–178}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Newbolt|1931|pp=210–217}}</ref> ''Melpomene'' took part in the [[Raid on Zeebrugge]] on 23 April 1918, escorting [[Motor launch (naval)|Motor Launch]]es laying [[smoke screen|smokescreens]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Terry|1919|pp=128, 165}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Newbolt|1931|p=249}}</ref> While the attack on Zeebrugge was partially successful, with the entrance to the Zeebrugge docks partially obstructed by blockships, the parallel [[First Ostend Raid|raid on Ostend]] was a failure, and a [[Second Ostend Raid|second attempt to block Ostend]] was made on 9/10 May.<ref>{{Harvnb|Karau|2014|pp=196–198}}</ref> ''Melpomene'' formed part of the escort force for this mission, which again was unsuccessful, with the blockship {{HMS|Vindictive|1897|2}} not blocking the entrance channel to the locks.<ref>{{Harvnb|Newbolt|1931|pp=268–274}}</ref>

At the end of the war, ''Melpomene'' was in the process of transferring to the [[21st Destroyer Flotilla]] of the [[Grand Fleet]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Ships of the Royal Navy - Location/Action Date, 1914–1918: Part 2 - Admiralty "Pink Lists", 11 November 1918 |url=http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishShips-Locations2PL1811.htm |publisher=Naval-History.net |accessdate=10 May 2020 }}</ref> but by February had returned to the 6th Flotilla,<ref>{{cite news |title=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands, &c.: V.–Dover Patrol |date=February 1919 |page=14 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92395354 |accessdate=12 May 2020 |via=National Museum of Scotland}}</ref> and by March was in reserve at [[the Nore]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands, &c.: VII.–Vessels in Reserve, &c., at Home Ports and Other Bases: Nore: Reserve |date=March 1919 |page=17 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92419826 |accessdate=12 May 2020 |via=National Museum of Scotland}}</ref> She was sold for scrap to the shipbreaker Ward on 9 May 1921 and was broken up at their [[New Holland, Lincolnshire]] yard.<ref name="ditt">{{Harvnb|Dittmar|Colledge|1972|p=68}}</ref>

==Pennant numbers==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"
![[Pennant number]]<ref name="ditt"/>||Date
|-
|H09||September 1915
|-
|H76||January 1918
|-
|D50||September 1918
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|last=Bacon|first=Reginald |author-link=Reginald Bacon|title=The Dover Patrol 1915–1917: Volume I |year=1919|publisher=Hutchinson & Co.|location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/doverpatrol1915101baco|oclc=252062093| ref={{Harvid| Bacon Vol. I|1919}}}}
* {{cite book|last=Bacon|first=Reginald |title=The Dover Patrol 1915–1917: Volume II |year=1919|publisher=Hutchinson & Co.|location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/doverpatrol1915102baco|oclc= 867981501 |ref={{Harvid| Bacon Vol. II|1919}}}}
*{{cite book|last1=Dittmar|first1=F. J.|last2=Colledge|first2=J. J.|title=British Warships 1914–1919|year=1972|publisher=Ian Allan|location=Shepperton, UK|isbn=0-7110-0380-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Dorling|first=Taprell|title=Endless Story: Being an account of the work of the Destroyers, Flotilla-Leaders, Torpedo-Boats and Patrol Boats in the Great War|year=1932|publisher=Hodder and Stoughton|location=London}}
* {{cite book |last=Fock |first=Harald |title=Z-Vor!: Internationale Entwicklung und Kriegseinsätze von Zerstörern und Torpedobooten: 1914 bis 1939 |year=1989 |location=Herford, Germany |publisher=Koelers Verlagsgesellschaft mbH |language=German |isbn=3-7822-0207-4 }}
*{{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War|year=2009|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-049-9}}
*{{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Gray|editor2-first=Randal|title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-245-5}}
*{{cite book |last=Grant |first=Robert M. |title=U-Boats Destroyed: The Effect of Anti-Submarine Warfare 1914–1918 |year=1964 |location=London |publisher=Putnam }}
*{{cite book|last=Karau|first=Mark D.|title=The Naval Flank of the Western Front: The German MarineKorps Flandern 1914–1918|year=2014|publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK| isbn=978-1-84832-231-8}}
*{{cite magazine|last=Lyon|first=David|title=The First Town Class 1908–31: Part 1|magazine=Warship|volume=1|issue=1|year=1977|pages=48–58|isbn=0-85177-132-7}}
*{{cite book|last=McBride|first=Keith|chapter=British 'M' Class Destroyers of 1913–14|pages=34–49|editor-last=Gardiner|editor-first=Robert|title=Warship 1991|year=1991|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-582-9}}
*{{cite book |last=Massie |first=Rober K. |title=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the War at Sea |year=2007 |location=London |publisher=Vintage Books |isbn=978-0-099-52378-9}}}
*{{cite book|title= Monograph No. 30: Home Waters Part V: From July to October 1915|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= XIV|year=1926|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XIV_opt.pdf |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 30|1926}} }}
*{{cite book|title=Monograph No. 31: Home Waters—Part VI.: From October 1915 to May 1916|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume=XV|year=1926|publisher=The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XV_opt.pdf|ref={{Harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 31|1926}} }}
*{{cite book|title= Monograph No. 33: Home Waters Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= XVII|year=1927|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVII_opt.pdf |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927}} }}
*{{cite book|title= Monograph No. 34: Home Waters Part VIII: December 1916 to April 1917 |series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= XVIII|year=1933|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVIII_opt.pdf |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933}} }}
*{{cite book|title= Monograph No. 35: Home Waters Part IX: 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= XIX|year=1939|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url= http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XIX_opt.pdf|ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939}} }}
*{{cite book|last=Newbolt|first=Henry |author-link=Henry Newbolt|title=Naval Operations: Volume IV|series=History of the Great War|year=1928|publisher=Longmans, Green and Co. |location=London | url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations04corb}}
*{{cite book|last=Newbolt |first=Henry |title=Naval Operations: Vol. V |series=History of the Great War |year=1931 |publisher=Longmans, Green and Co. |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations0000corb/page/n5/mode/2up }}
*{{cite book|editor-last=Terry|editor-first=C. Sanford |title=Ostend and Zeebrugge: April 23:May 10 1918: The Dispatches of Vice-Admiral Roger Keyes K.C.B, K.V.C.O and other Narratives of the Operations|year=1919|publisher=Oxford University Press |url=https://archive.org/details/ostendzeebruggea00keye/page/n6/mode/2up}}

{{Medea class destroyer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Melpomene (1915)}}
[[Category:Medea-class destroyers]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Clyde]]
[[Category:1915 ships]]