These were not a homogeneous class of torpedo boat destroyers. They were built from 1895 onward to designs produced by the shipyards that built them to match guidelines laid down by the Admiralty. By 1913 the Royal Navy had split them into three 'classes':
- B-class (the ships with four funnels): 24 ships (22 served during the First World War)
- C-class (the ships with three funnels): 40 ships (36 served during the First World War)
- D-class (the ships with two funnels): 10 ships (8 served during the First World War)
By the outbreak of the First World War, although the surviving ships were obsolete and unfit for front-line service, they performed many useful tasks such a patrolling and escorting convoys, and several were lost as a result on enemy action.
- HMS Recruit was torpedoed and sunk by U-boat UB-6 on 1st May 1915.
- HMS Coquette sank on 7th March 1916 after a hitting a mine laid by U-boat UC-10.
- HMS Flirt was torpedoed and sunk by German destroyers on 27th October 1916.
- HMS Cheerful was mined and sunk on 30th June 1917.
- HMS Fairy sank after ramming U-boat UC-75 on 31st May 1918.
HMS Lively (B-class built by Laird, Birkenhead).
HMS Arab (C-class built by J & G Thomson, Clydebank).
HMS Fame (D-class built by Thornycroft, Chiswick),
The main characteristics of the '30-knotters' were:
- Displacement: 350 to 445 tons
- Dimensions:
- Length: 209ft (64m) to 215ft (55m)
- Beam: ?
- Draught: ?
- Propulsion: 2 x Triple expansion steam engines or steam turbines
- Speed: 30 to 36.5 knots
- Complement: 63 to 69
- Armament: 1 x 12-pounder QF gun; 5 x 6-pounder QF guns; 2 x 18-inch (450mm) torpedo tubes
Bob-
ReplyDeleteTwo built, painted, but touch-up work needed. They will be called C22 and C26. All that remains is a destroyer leader (something like 'Havock', but I'll call it H17) and RN (Ruberian Navy) is complete. Azurian navy now has 8 torpedo boats. Starting on a 'Suffren' class and a 'Republique/ Liberte' class to complete the Azurian.
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo,
DeleteThat’s a very impressive (model) shipbuilding programme,
All the best,
Bob
BOB,
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed that Britain could build so many complete ships- just incredible numbers. Regards. KEV.
Kevin Robertson (Kev),
DeleteAt the time, the UK was the largest shipbuilding nation in the world. Almost every major UK river had a shipbuilder based on it - including the Thames in London - and the main naval bases (Portsmouth, Plymouth, Chatham etc.) had warship building capacity. Backing that up was a major arms production capacity based around the Woolwich Arsenal (the largest) factory in the world at that time), Enfield, Birmingham Small Arms, Vickers, Armstrongs, and Coventry Ordnance. At the time, if you wanted it, the UK could build it!
All the best,
Bob