HMS Dryad (1893)

The fourth HMS "Dryad" was a two-gun twin-screw Torpedo gunboat, launched at Chatham Dockyard on 22 November 1893 cite web|url=http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/r_n_gunboats.htm|title=Battleships-cruisers.co.uk|accessdate=2008-05-13] .

Design

She was of 1,670 tons displacement and her engines generated 3,500 horsepower, giving a top speed of 18.5 knots. Her length, beam, and draught were convert|250|ft|m|0, convert|30|ft|m|0, and convert|10|ft|m|0. She was armed with torpedoes and two convert|4.7|in|cm|sing=on guns.

History

On 14 January 1900 "Dryad" left Chatham for the Mediterranean in order to relieve HMS "Hussar", which returned to Devonport to pay off [ cite web|url=http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/D/01483.html|title=Index of 19th Century Naval Vessels|Accessdate=2008-05-13] .

In 1906 she was chosen as the tender to the Navigation School, conducting navigation training of officers at sea. In due course her name came to be used for the Navigation School itself, and then for HMS "Dryad", the shore establishment at Southwick House in Hampshire.

By 1914 "Dryad" had been converted to a minesweeper and was operating in the North Sea from the port of Lowestoft.

She was renamed HMS "Hamadryad" in 1918 and was broken up in 1920.

Commanding Officers

References

*Colledge