Sunfish-class destroyer
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sunfish class |
| Builders | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Handy class |
| Succeeded by | Rocket class |
| Built | 1894–1896 |
| In commission | 1896–1920 |
| Completed | 3 |
| Scrapped | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Torpedo boat destroyer |
| Propulsion | 8× Yarrow boilers, 4,000 hp (2,983 kW) |
| Speed | 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) |
| Complement | 53 |
| Armament |
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The Sunfish-class destroyers, also referred to as Opossum-class destroyers,[1] was a group of three torpedo boat destroyers which served with the Royal Navy from the 1890s to the 1920s. They were all built by the Hebburn-on-Tyne shipyard of Hawthorn Leslie.
Design
[edit | edit source]Under the 1893–1894 Naval Estimates, the British Admiralty placed orders for 36 torpedo-boat destroyers, all to be capable of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph), the "27-knotters", as a follow-on to the six prototype "26-knotters" ordered in the previous 1892–1893 Estimates. As was typical for torpedo craft at the time, the Admiralty left detailed design to the builders, laying down only broad requirements.[2][3]
Powered by 8 Yarrow boilers,[4] this was the same 8 boiler configuration originally used on HMS Hornet.[5] The ships produced 4,000 hp (3,000 kW) and could make 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). They were armed with one twelve pounder gun and two torpedo tubes and carried a complement of 53 officers and men.
History
[edit | edit source]Ordered under the 1893-94 Programme, the contract was placed on 7 February 1894. All three "turtle-back" destroyers were laid down in 1894, launched in 1895 and completed in 1896.
In September 1913 all three, like the other surviving 27-knotter destroyers, were re-classed as A Class destroyers.
They served in Home waters throughout the First World War, and all three were sold for breaking up in 1920.
Ships in class
[edit | edit source]See also
[edit | edit source]Bibliography
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References
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