H.M.S. Malaya (1915)

H.M.S. Malaya (1915)
Pendant Number:	3A (Aug 1914) 84 (Jan 1918) 06 (Apr 1918)
Builder:	Armstrong, Whitworth & Company
Ordered:	1912 Programme
Laid down:	20 Oct, 1913
Launched:	18 Mar, 1915
Commissioned:	28 Jan, 1916
Sold:	20 Feb, 1948
Fate:	Scrapped

Service

Malaya was commissioned at Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 1 February, 1916.

Malaya allegedly had the first billiards table in the Grand Fleet.

Malaya began preliminary gun trials on 21 February, 1916, during which a boy in Fore Control was knocked unconscious by a blow on the head and had to be lowered down from the Fore Top in a splint stretcher.

Jutland

Main article: H.M.S. Malaya at the Battle of Jutland

According to notes made by Lawder on signal forms (S.—1320c.) Malaya turned 16 points in succession at 4.58.

In July, 1916 a Lieutenant of Marines, Lieutenant "Pongo" Kitchen, was dismissed the ship after writing an uncensored letter to his father, the editor of the Glasgow Herald. He had bypassed the ship's censor Surgeon Lorimer, R.N.V.R. by posting it ashore at Alness.

On 24 August, 1916 Malaya was presented with a silver bell from the Federated Malay States, in a ceremony attended by the High Commissioner for the Straits Settlements, Sir Ernest Beach, Admiral Sir John Jellicoe and Rear-Admiral Hugh Evan Thomas. Four smaller bells were made for the Captain, the Wardroom, the Gunroom and the Warrant Officers' Mess. Admiral Jellicoe rang the bell into service by sounding off eight bells.

Post-War

Malaya was re-commissioned at Portsmouth on 4 September, 1923.

She was re-commissioned at Portsmouth on 13 September, 1926.

Malaya was reduced to a Care and Maintenance Party at Portsmouth on 20 September, 1927. She would not be ready for service until being commissioned for trials on 2 January, 1928 and for eventual completion to full complement at Devonport on 21 February, 1928.

She was again re-commissioned for trials at Portsmouth on 2 January, 1929.

Re-commissioned at Devonport on 3 September, 1931 for service with the Second Battle Squadron.

Malaya paid off into Dockyard Control at Devonport on 20 October, 1934.

Boats

In July 1914, the ship was appropriated 42-foot motor launch No. 246, though the boat was not yet delivered from the contractor.

Fire Control Systems

Rangefinders

When in 1918 it was desired to give each capital ship possible an additional effective 9-foot rangefinder to support torpedo control, Malaya proposed a pair of transversing mountings atop the beef screen, one each side. Vernon did not want the transversing mountings, owing to the loss in efficiency they incurred on the rangefinder.

Directors

Main Battery

Malaya was fitted with two tripod-type directors, one in an armoured tower and one in a light aloft tower.

Secondary Battery

Her 6-in guns were to be served by a pair of pedestal-mounted directors, possibly situated high on her forward superstructure.

Dreyer Table

Like all her sisters except Queen Elizabeth (which had a Mark IV), Malaya had a Mark IV* Dreyer table. At some point, the class was also outfitted with Turret Control Tables, although there is no indication whether this was 1 table, or 2 in her controlling turrets, or one in all four turrets.

Alterations

Malaya was completed with director firing installed, as all capital ships were supposed to do after 2 January, 1915.

In March, 1915, Open Director Sights were ordered for all^[Inference] her turrets. These may have been in place by the time she was completed.

Between late 1915 and mid 1917, she was fitted with a Torpedo Control Plotting Instrument Mark II in the TCT.

Her secondary battery directors were installed in April, 1917.

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

• Captain The Hon. Algernon D. E. H. Boyle, 28 November, 1915 – 5 January, 1918
• Captain Louis C. S. Woollcombe, 5 January, 1918 – 14 May, 1919
• Captain Henry T. Buller, 14 May, 1919 – 17 May, 1921
• Captain Percy M. R. Royds, 17 May, 1921 – 3 May, 1922
• Captain Christopher R. Payne, 3 May, 1922 – 17 January, 1923
• Captain Roger R. C. Backhouse, 17 January, 1923 – 15 August, 1924
• Captain George N. Tomlin, 15 August, 1924 – 15 October, 1925
• Captain Edward A. Astley-Rushton, 15 October, 1925 – March, 1927
• Captain Cecil V. Usborne, 28 February, 1927 – 15 November, 1927
• Captain Nicholas E. Archdale, 28 December, 1928 – 25 November, 1929
• Captain Hugh S. Shipway, 25 November, 1929 – 1 January, 1931
• Captain James S. C. Salmond, 1 January, 1931 – 16 August, 1932
• Captain Guy W. Hallifax, 16 August, 1932 – September, 1934  (as as Flag Captain and Chief Staff Officer, temporary, from 12 December, 1933)
• Commander Laurence B. Hill, 17 September, 1934 – 14 October, 1934  (to take command upon reducing, vice Hallifax)
• Captain Frederick A. Buckley, 10 October, 1936 – March, 1937
• Captain Ion B. B. Tower, December, 1938 – 25 May, 1940
• Captain Arthur F. E. Palliser, 25 May, 1940 – 3 May, 1941  (and as Flag Captain and C.S.O. to Acting Rear Admiral Rawlings)
• Captain Cuthbert Coppinger, 3 May, 1941 – 21 March, 1942  (and as Flag Captain to Flag officer in Charge of Force "H" from 1 November, 1941)
• Captain John W. A. Waller, 20 April, 1942 – 14 July, 1943
• Captain George E. M. O'Donnell, 22 July, 1943 – 18 October, 1943
• Captain Leslie H. Ashmore, 18 October, 1943 – c. 1 December, 1943^[Inference]  (temporary)
• Commander Clive D. Arbuthnot, c. 1 December, 1943 – 8 December, 1943  (temporary)
• Captain Douglas C. Lang, 3 December, 1943 – 11 July, 1944
• Captain Eric W. Bush, 11 July, 1944 – 20 September, 1944
• Commander Donald H. Fuller,  – 5 December, 1944
• Captain Walter H. G. Fallowfield, 5 December, 1944 – 26 February, 1945
• Captain (retired) Douglas C. Lang, 6 March, 1945 – April, 1945
• Captain Charles A. E. Stanfield, April, 1945 – April, 1945
• Acting Commander (retired) Jack M. D. Hunter, April, 1945 – May, 1945

See Also

• Transcribed Ship Logs at naval-history.net
• Wikipedia

Bibliography

• Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1917). The Director Firing Handbook. O.U. 6125 (late C.B. 1259). Copy No. 322 at The National Archives. ADM 186/227.
• Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1918). Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. C.B. 1456. Copy No. 10 at Admiralty Library, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
• Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
• Admiralty, Technical History Section (1919). The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in H.M. Ships. Vol. 3, Part 23. C.B. 1515 (23) now O.U. 6171/14. At The National Archives. ADM 275/19.
• Parkes, O.B.E., Ass.I.N.A., Dr. Oscar (1990). British Battleships 1860–1950. London: Pen & Sword Ltd. ISBN 0850526043. (on Bookfinder.com).