Flatiron Gunboats: The Royal Navy’s vessels

After HMS Staunch entered service, the Royal Navy ordered several more flatiron gunboats.

---

HMS Plucky

Her characteristics were:

• Displacement: 212 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 80ft
• Beam: 25ft 1in
• Draught: 6ft 5in
• Propulsion: 2 steam engines, each driving a propeller shaft
• Speed: 7.5 knots
• Complement: 25
• Armament: 1 x 9-inch (12-tom) RML (rifled muzzle-loading) gun

The fecond prototype flatiron gunboat and the first iron vessel to be built in Portsmouth Dockyard. By 1914 she had been disarmed and was undertaking miscellaneous harbour service duties in Portsmouth. She was renamed Banterer in 1915 and sold in 1928 into commercial service. She was finally scrapped in 1969.

---

Ant-class

Their characteristics were:

• Displacement: 254 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 84ft
• Beam: 26ft 1in
• Draught: 6ft 5in
• Propulsion: 2 single cylinder steam engines, each driving a propeller shaft
• Speed: 8.5 knots
• Complement: 30
• Armament: 1 x 10-inch (18-tom) RML gun

This class of twenty ships were built by a number of shipyards and had very varied careers.

• HMS Ant: By 1906 she was undertaking subsidiary duties. On the outbreak of war in 1914 she was rearmed with 2 x 4.7-inch QF guns and used to bombard the Belgian coast. She was disarmed in 1916 and converted into a boom defence vessel. In 1921 she became as target vessel and in 1926 she was sold and scrapped.
• HMS Arrow: By 1914 she had been disarmed and was performing miscellaneous harbour duties in Portsmouth. She was sold for scrap in 1922.
• HMS Badger: She was sold in 1908.
• HMS Blazer: By 1906 she was undertaking subsidiary duties. On the outbreak of war in 1914 she was rearmed with 2 x 12-pounder QF guns and 2 x 6-pounder QF guns and used to bombard the Belgian coast. She was disarmed in 1915 and sold 1919.
• HMS Bloodhound: By 1880 she was tender to the torpedo school (HMS Vernon). On the outbreak of war in 1914 she was rearmed with 2 x 6-pounder QF guns and used to bombard the Belgian coast. She was disarmed in 1915 and sold in 1921.
• HMS Bonetta: She was converted into a salvage vessel and renamed Dispenser. She was sold for commercial use in 1909 and lost in 1940.
• HMS Bulldog: She was sold in 1906.
• HMS Bustard: On the outbreak of war in 1914 she was rearmed with 1 x 6-inch QF gun and 1 x 4.7-inch QF gun and used to bombard the Belgian coast. She was disarmed in 1916 and sold in 1923.
• HMS Comet: She was sold and scrapped in 1908.
• HMS Cuckoo: In 1912 she was hulked and renamed Vivid. She was then used as a tender. She was renamed Vivid II in 1920 and YC37 in 1923. She was sold in 1959.
• HMS Fidget: She was sold in 1905.
• HMS Hyaena: She was sold in 1906.
• HMS Kite: On the outbreak of war in 1914 she was rearmed with 1 x 6-inch QF gun and 1 x 4.7-inch QF gun and used to bombard the Belgian coast. She was disarmed in 1915 and sold in 1920 for conversion into a dredger.
• HMS Mastiff: By 1880 she was tender to the gunnery school (HMS Excellent). On the outbreak of war in 1914 she was renamed Snapper, rearmed with 2 x 4.7-inch QF guns and 1 x 12-pounder QF gun and 1 x 4.7-inch QF gun and used to bombard the Belgian coast. She was disarmed in 1916 and sold for scrap in 1931.
• HMS Pickle: She was sold in 1906.
• HMS Pike: She was converted into a boom defence vessel in 1908 and sold in 1920.
• HMS Scourge: She was converted into a tank vessel in 1903 and renamed C79.
• HMS Snake: She was converted into a cable lighter in 1907 and renamed YC15.
• HMS Snap: She was sold in 1909.
• HMS Weasel: She was converted into an oil lighter in 1904 and renamed C118.

---

Gadfly-class

Their characteristics were:

• Displacement: 254 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 84ft
• Beam: 26ft 1in
• Draught: 6ft 6in
• Propulsion: 2 single cylinder steam engines, each driving a propeller shaft
• Speed: 8.5 knots
• Complement: 30
• Armament: 1 x 10-inch (18-tom) RML gun

These four ships were essentially built to the same design as the preceding Ant-class.

• HMS Gadfly: She was converted into a coal lighter in 1900 and renamed YC230. She was sold in 1918.
• HMS Griper: She was converted into a steam lighter in 1905 and renamed YC373. She was sold into commercial service and renamed Flora in 1923 and Afrikander in 1933. She was scrapped in 1951.
• HMS Pincher: She was sold in 1905.
• HMS Tickler: She was converted into a steam lighter in 1902. She was sold into commercial service and renamed Afrikander in 1919 and Afrikander II in 1933. She was scrapped in 1937.

---

Bouncer-class

Their characteristics were:

• Displacement: 265 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 87ft 4in
• Beam: 26ft 1in
• Draught: 6ft 6in
• Propulsion: 2 single cylinder steam engines, each driving a propeller shaft
• Speed: 8.5 knots
• Complement: 30
• Armament: 1 x 10-inch (18-tom) RML gun

The two ships were built as slightly longer versions of the Ant- and Gadfly-classes. They were also built from steel and not iron.

• HMS Bouncer: She was sold in 1905.
• HMS Griper: She was disarmed in 1906 and undertook miscellaneous harbour duties in Portsmouth. She was converted into a boom defence vessel in 1915 and wrecked in 1922. Her wreck was sold in 1925 and broken up.

---

HMS Handy

Her characteristics were:

• Displacement: 532 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 115ft
• Beam: 37ft
• Draught: 8ft
• Propulsion: 1 compound steam engine driving a propeller shaft
• Speed: 9 knots
• Complement: -
• Armament:
• 1882: 1 x 13.5-inch BL (breech-loading) gun
• 1895: 1 x 12 -inch BL gun
• 1900: 1 x 9.2-inch BL gun
• 1912: 1 x 7.5-inch BL gun; 1 x 4-inch QF gun
• 1914: 1 x 9.2-inch BL gun

She was built and served as a trials and experimental vessel for Armstrongs before being sold to the Royal Navy. She was initially used to test-fire the 13.5-inch BL gun fitted to the Royal Sovereign-class of ironclad battleships. In 1891 she became a Gunnery Training Vessel and was renamed Excellent. On the outbreak of war in 1914 she was used to bombard the Belgian coast. She was withdrawn from bombardment duty and renamed Calcutta in 1916 and then Snapper II in 1917. She was sold to the Dover Harbour Board in 1924, converted into a crane lighter, and renamed Demon. She was sold to Pounds Shipbreakers (Portsmouth) in 1971. They removed the crane, and the hull was scrapped in 2008. (It had been hoped to preserve her but this proved to be impossible.)

---

HMS Drudge

Her characteristics were:

• Displacement: 809 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length: 125ft
• Beam: 35ft 2in
• Draught: 12ft 5in
• Propulsion: 1 triple-expansion steam engine driving a propeller shaft
• Speed: 8 knots
• Complement: -
• Armament:
• 1907: 9.2-inch BL gun

She was originally built for Armstrongs as a slag hopper, discharging waste from the company's works at sea. When Hardy was sold to the Royal Navy, she was rebuilt to act as a trials and experimental vessel for the company. She was bought by the Royal Navy in 1901 and renamed Excellent in 1916, the name of the gunnery school where she served as a tender. From 1918 to 1919 she served as an armourer's hulk and floating workshop in Portsmouth. She was renamed Dryad in 1919 when she was transferred to the navigation school. She was sold into commercial service in 1920 and used as a salvage vessel based in Dover. In 1948 she passed into French ownership and was renamed Francois Quere. She was scrapped in early 1969 at Quai du Rhin in Le Havre.