- C class destroyer (1913)
The C class as designated in 1913 was a heterogeneous group of
torpedo boat destroyer s (TBDs) built for theRoyal Navy in the late-1890s. They were constructed to the individual designs of their builders to meet Admiralty specifications. The uniting feature of the class was a top speed of 30 knots, a "turtleback"forecastle and that they all had three funnels. The funnels were spaced equidistantly and were of equal height, but the central one was thicker. In 1913 all "30 knotter" vessels with 3 funnels were classified by the Admiralty as the C class to provide some system to the naming of HM destroyers (The 4-funnelled, "30 knotters" became the B class and the 2-funnelled ships the D class). All vessels had the distinctive turtleback that was intended to clear water from the bows but actually tended to dig the bow in to anything of a sea, resulting in a very wet conning position and poor seaboats that were unable to reach top speed in anything but perfect conditions.They generally displaced around 350 tons and had a length of around 200 feet. All were powered by triple expansion steam engines for 5,800 shp and had coal-fired
water-tube boiler s, except some unique "specials" that usedsteam turbine s in addition to, or in lieu of, the reciprocating engines. Armament was one QF 12 pounder on a bandstand on the forecastle, five QF 6 pounder (two sided abreast the conning tower, two sided between the funnels and one on thequarterdeck ) and 2 single tubes for 18 inchtorpedo es.hips
originally "Star" class (390 tons, built by Palmers,
Jarrow );
*"Star", launched11 August 1896 , sold for breaking up10 June 1919 .
*"Whiting", launched26 August 1896 , sold for breaking up27 November 1919 .
*"Bat", launched7 October 1896 , sold for breaking up30 August 1919 .
*"Chamois", launched9 November 1896 , foundered26 September 1904 after mechanical failure caused a propeller blade to penetrate the hull plating.
*"Crane", launched17 December 1896 , sold for breaking up10 June 1919 .
*"Flying Fish", launched4 March 1897 , sold for breaking up30 August 1919 .
*"Fawn", launched13 April 1897 , sold for breaking up23 July 1919 .
*"Flirt", launched15 May 1897 , torpedoed and sunk by German destroyers27 October 1916 . [cite web | url=http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/sunk16.htm | title=Major Warships Sunk in World War 1 1916 | work= World War 1 Naval Combat | accessdate=2007-01-06]originally "Bullfinch" class (345 tons, built by Earle,
Kingston upon Hull )
*"Bullfinch", launched10 February 1898 , sold for breaking up10 June 1919 .
*"Dove", launched21 March 1898 , sold for breaking up27 January 1920 .originally "Violet" class (350 tons, built by
Doxford ,Sunderland )
*"Violet", launched3 May 1897 , sold for breaking up7 June 1920 .
*"Sylvia", launched3 July 1897 , sold for breaking up23 July 1919 .
*"Lee", 365 tons, launched27 January 1899 , wrecked near Blacksod Bay5 October 1909 .originally "Avon" class (355 tons except last two ships 350 tons, all built by Naval Construction and Armament Company - later
Vickers Limited ,Barrow in Furness )
*"Avon", launched10 October 1896 , sold for breaking up1 July 1920 .
*"Bittern", launched1 February 1897 , rammed and sunk by SS "Kenilworth" offPortland Bill ,4 April 1918 .
*"Otter", launched23 November 1896 , sold at Hong Kong26 October 1916 .
*"Leopard", launched20 March 1897 , sold for breaking up10 June 1919 .
*"Vixen", launched29 March 1900 , sold for breaking up17 March 1921 .originally "Brazen" class (345-380 tons, built by J & G Thomson - later to become John Brown and Company,
Clydebank )
*"Brazen", launched3 July 1896 , sold for breaking up4 November 1919 .
*"Electra", launched14 July 1896 , sold for breaking up29 April 1920 .
*"Recruit", launched22 August 1896 , torpedoed and sunk by U-boat offthe Galloper in theRiver Thames Estuary,1 May 1915 .
*"Vulture", launched22 March 1898 , sold for breaking up27 May 1919 .
*"Kestrel", launched25 March 1898 , sold for breaking up17 March 1921 .originally "Mermaid" class (355 tons, built by Hawthorn,
Newcastle upon Tyne )
*"Cheerful", launched14 July 1897 , mined and sunk offShetland Islands ,30 June 1917 .
*"Mermaid", launched22 February 1898 , sold for breaking up23 July 1919 .
*"Greyhound", launched6 October 1900 , sold for breaking up10 June 1910 .
*"Racehorse", launched8 November 1900 , sold for breaking up23 March 1920 .
*"Roebuck", launched4 January 1901 , broken up at Portsmouth Dockyard in1919 .originally "Gipsy" class (355 tons, built by Fairfield,
Govan )
*"Gipsy", launched [9 March)1897 , sold17 March 1921 and then used as a floating pontoon at Dartmouth for many years.
*"Fairy", launched25 September 1897 , foundered after damaged sustained rammingU boat "UC-75" inNorth Sea ,31 May 1918 .
*"Osprey", launched7 April 1897 , sold for breaking up4 November 1919 .
*"Leven", 370 tons, launched28 June 1898 , sold for breaking up14 September 1920 .
*"Falcon", 375 tons, launched29 December 1899 , sunk in collision1 April 1918 with trawler "John Fitzgerald" in the North Sea.
*"Ostrich", 375 tons, launched22 March 1900 , sold for breaking up29 April 1920 .originally John Brown private builds, purchased
31 May 1900 (380 tons, built on speculation byJohn Brown and Company , the former J & G Thomson firm, atClydebank )
*"Thorn", launched17 March 1900 , broken up at Portsmouth Dockyard in1919 .
*"Tiger", launched19 May 1900 , sank in collision with HMS "Berwick" off St Catherine's2 April 1908 .
*"Vigilant", launched16 August 1900 , sold for breaking up10 February 1920 .originally Thornycroft special
*"Albatross", 380 tons, launched19 July 1898 , sold for breaking up7 June 1920 .originally "Viper" class Hawthorn specials, (4 shafts, steam turbines)
*"Viper", 344 tons , launched6 September 1899 , wrecked near Alderney in accident3 August 1901 .
*"Velox" (ex-"Python"), 445 tons, launched11 February 1902 , mined and sunk offNab light vessel ,25 October 1915 .ee also
List of destroyer classes of the Royal Navy Bibliography
*"Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981", Maurice Cocker, 1983, Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1075-7.
*"The First Destroyers", David Lyon, 1996, Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-005-1.Footnotes
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