M15 class Monitor guns

[Gilgamesh of Uruk]

As far as I've been able to establish so far, M15-M18 had, and retained, 9.2" Mk X guns, spare from the "Drake" and "CressY" classes.

M19-M28 had the older 9.2" MK VI taken from the "Edgars", but most of these were later re-armed. M26, M21 & M23 had 7.5" Mk III guns from (or spares for) "Swiftsure" and M24 & M25 had similar guns which became surplus to requirements with the loss of "Triumph".

Can anyone point me in the right direction for any further re-arming that was done on this class, please?

In a box file, awaiting attention, I have the "Paper Shipwright" models of M15 & M33, and I'd like to work out what (if any) conversions are possible for them.

[SiegeGunner]

The baby monitors M23-M27 were destined for the Dover Patrol. M25 arrived first and it was quickly found that her 9.2" was useless for offshore bombardment of Belgian coast targets, as it was vastly outranged by the German coastal batteries. M25's gun was removed at Dunkerque and instructions were sent to the yards completing the other small monitors not to mount the guns. Admiral Bacon sent the monitor General Craufurd to collect the unused 9.2" guns and transport them to Dunkerque, from where they were moved overland (on adapted 15" howitzer trucks) to positions on the coast below Nieuport, where they were mounted on ship mountings specially modified by Vickers, seated on an inclined base to increase elevation, in concrete emplacements manned by the Royal Naval Siege Guns.

The small monitors were re-armed with 7.5" guns from Swiftsure, as you describe, and were employed as guardships and to protect the larger monitors on excursions to bombard Belgian coast targets. I'm not sure about the spare guns held for Triumph, as there were more than enough 7.5"s available from the disarming of Swiftsure plus spares to equip all five of the baby monitors and still have three left over to give to the RN Siege Guns to be mounted on the Belgian coast alongside the 9.2"s.

I'm writing from memory, as I'm busy at the moment, but could tighten up and document this info later, if you are interested.

Mick

[Sparky53]

I don't know if you have seen this site:-

http://www.pbenyon1.plus.com/Janes_1919/Mo...s/Monitors.html

Charles on the Forum kindly steered me to it a little while ago

Jane

[Gilgamesh of Uruk]

Thanks for those - I'd picked up from Evans stories of the Dover Patrol about the monitors being used as guardships. I wonder if his "Bicky and the big guns" relates to the same 9.2" we are referring to here?

[SiegeGunner]

Yes, it does. I assume you have Evans's 'Keeping the Seas'. Bicky was Admiral Bacon's gun-moving and mounting maestro. With assistance from Canadian engineers on some occasions, Bickford shifted all of Bacon's naval guns (9.2" MkVI and MkX, 12" MkX, 7.5" and 6") from Dunkerque to their positions on the coast below Nieuport and mounted them in prepared emplacements.

Mick

[Gilgamesh of Uruk]

Thanks for the confirmation - and yes that's the book. Unfortunately someone "borrowed" my 1914-1918 Janes reprint, and, as usual, hasn't returned it.