HMS Charger (1894)

Last updated

Yarrow plan.png
Plans for the Charger class
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Charger
Builder Yarrow Shipbuilders, Poplar, London
Laid downNovember 1893
Launched15 September 1894
CompletedFebruary 1896
Fate Scrapped, 1912
General characteristics
Class and type Charger-class destroyer
Displacement255 long tons (259 t)
Length195 ft (59 m)
Beam18.5 ft (5.6 m)
Draught7.25 ft (2.2 m)
Propulsion
Speed27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Armament

HMS Charger was a Charger-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched by Yarrow Shipbuilders at Poplar, London on 15 September 1894, [1] served in home waters and was sold off in 1912.

Contents

Construction and design

On 12 October 1893, the British Admiralty placed an order for three torpedo boat destroyers (Charger, Dasher and Hasty) with the shipbuilder Yarrow under the 1893–1894 shipbuilding programme for the Royal Navy as a follow-on to the two prototype destroyers (Havock and Hornet) ordered from Yarrows under the 1892–1893 programme. [2] [a]

HMS Charger HMS Charger.jpg
HMS Charger

The Admiralty did not specify a standard design for destroyers, laying down broad requirements, including a trial speed of 27 knots (31 mph; 50 km/h), a "turtleback" [b] forecastle and armament, which was to vary depending on whether the ship was to be used in the torpedo boat or gunboat role. [5] As a torpedo boat, the planned armament was a single QF 12 pounder 12 cwt (3 in (76 mm) calibre) gun on a platform on the ship's conning tower (in practice the platform was also used as the ship's bridge), together with a secondary gun armament of three 6-pounder guns, and two 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes. As a gunboat, one of the torpedo tubes could be removed to accommodate a further two six-pounders. [6] [7]

Yarrow's design was 195 feet 0 inches (59.44 m) long overall and 190 feet 8 inches (58.12 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) and a draught of 11 feet 3 inches (3.43 m). Displacement was 255 long tons (259 t) light and 295 long tons (300 t) full load. Two locomotive boilers fed steam at 180 pounds per square inch (1,200 kPa) to two three-cylinder triple expansion engines. [8] The machinery was rated at 3,000 indicated horsepower (2,200 kW). [9] Two funnels were fitted. [8]

Charger was laid down at Yarrow's Poplar, London shipyard in November 1893 as Yard number 991 and was launched on 15 September 1894. [8] She reached a speed of 27.98 knots (32.20 mph; 51.82 km/h) during sea trials, [10] and was completed in January 1896, at a cost of £41,133. [8] Locomotive boilers were being made obsolete by water-tube boilers by the time of her completion, and she was refitted at Earle's Shipbuilding in 1899–1890 with water-tube boilers changing to a three-funneled configuration. [8]

Service history

In 1896 Charger was in reserve at Portsmouth. [11] In July 1901, she took part in that year's Naval Manoeuvres. [12] Charger was commissioned at Devonport by Lieutenant Robert William Francis Travers on 11 March 1902, [13] for service with the Devonport instructional flotilla. [14] Travers was reassigned to the battleship Nile the following month, when Lieutenant G. H. Brown was appointed in command of Charger. [15] She took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII. [16] On 23 September 1903, Charger struck rocks in Loch Nevis on the West coast of Scotland. [17]

In July 1905, Charger, as part of the Chatham Reserve Squadron, took part in fleet exercises in the English Channel. [18] Charger was refitted at Sheerness dockyard in 1908, having her boilers re-tubed, [19] although the refit was interrupted on 27 April when the destroyer Ribble was badly damaged in a collision with the cruiser Attentive, with Charger having to vacate her dock to accommodate Ribble. [20] Charger, now part of the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla, was again refitted at Sheerness in August 1911. [21]

Charger was sold at Chatham to the shipbreaker Ward on 14 May 1912 for scrapping at their Silvertown works, at a price of £1600. [8] [22]

Notes

  1. Three more destroyers were ordered from Thornycroft on the same date, while a further 30 destroyers were later ordered from other shipbuilders under the same programme. [3]
  2. A fore deck with exaggerated camber designed to throw off sea water at high speeds. [4]

Citations

  1. "Naval & Military Intelligence". The Times . No. 34371. 17 September 1894. p. 8.
  2. Lyon 2001 , pp. 40, 43
  3. Lyon 2001, p. 19
  4. Gardiner & Lambert 1992, p. 188
  5. Lyon 2001 , p. 20
  6. Lyon 2001 , pp. 98–99
  7. Friedman 2009 , p. 40
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lyon 2001 , p. 56
  9. Friedman 2009 , p. 290
  10. Brassey 1897 , p. 321
  11. "Naval Matters: Past and Prospective: The Reserve of Ships and Men". The Marine Engineer. Vol. 18. July 1896. p. 155.
  12. Brassey 1902 , pp. 86–87, 90–91
  13. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36720. London. 20 March 1902. p. 10.
  14. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36713. London. 12 March 1902. p. 7.
  15. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36747. London. 21 April 1902. p. 6.
  16. "Naval Review at Spithead". The Times. No. 36847. London. 15 August 1902. p. 5.
  17. "Maritime Intelligence: Charger (H.M.S)". Shipping Gazette and Lloyds List . 26 September 1903. p. 10. Retrieved 1 February 2021 via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. "Naval & Military Intelligence: The Fleet Exercises in the Channel". The Times . No. 37755. 10 July 1905. p. 7.
  19. "Naval Matters—Past and Prospective: Sheerness Dockyard". Vol. 30. May 1908. p. 402.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  20. "Naval Disasters". The Times. No. 38633. 29 April 1908. p. 10.
  21. "Naval Matters—Past and Prospective: Sheerness Dockyard". Vol. 34. August 1911. p. 15.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  22. Lecky 1913 , p. 45

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

HMS Zebra was a "Twenty-seven Knotter" destroyer of the Royal Navy, later classified as part of the A Class. Zebra was built by Thames Iron Works and launched in 1895 as the fifth Royal Navy ship to be named Zebra. Entering service in 1900, Zebra was sold for scrap in 1914.

HMS <i>Hornet</i> (1893) Havock-class destroyer

HMS Hornet was a Havock-class torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was launched in 1893 and sold in 1909 for scrapping. Although the Daring-class torpedo boat destroyers were ordered first, Havock and Hornet were completed faster, making them the first destroyers ever built.

HMS <i>Bruizer</i> (1895) Ardent-class destroyer

HMS Bruizer was an Ardent-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched on 27 February 1895 by John Thornycroft at Chiswick, and was sold on 26 May 1914.

HMS Hasty was a Charger-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched by Yarrow Shipbuilders in 1894, served in home waters and was sold off in 1912.

HMS <i>Dasher</i> (1894) 1895 Charger-class destroyer

HMS Dasher was a Charger-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders in 1895, served in home waters and was sold in 1911.

HMS Haughty was a Hardy-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched by William Doxford & Sons on 18 September 1895, served in home waters, and was sold on 10 April 1912.

HMS <i>Lightning</i> (1895) Janus-class destroyer

HMS Lightning was a Janus-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy, later designated an A-class destroyer, built by Palmers and launched in 1895.

HMS <i>Lynx</i> (1894) Ferret-class destroyer

HMS Lynx was a Ferret-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1894 and sold in 1912.

HMS <i>Banshee</i> (1894) Banshee-class destroyer

HMS Banshee was one of three Banshee-class destroyers which served with the Royal Navy.

HMS Fervent was a Fervent-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. Fervent was launched on 28 March 1895 at Paisley.

HMS <i>Zephyr</i> (1895) Fervent-class destroyer

HMS Zephyr was one of two Fervent-class destroyers which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched on 10 May 1895 from Hanna, Donald & Wilson at Paisley, Scotland. She served in home waters, and was sold in 1920.

HMS <i>Conflict</i> (1894) Conflict-class destroyer

HMS Conflict was the lead ship of the Conflict-class destroyers built by J. Samuel White, at East Cowes, Isle of Wight for the Royal Navy. She was launched on 13 December 1894, and entered service in 1899. After an initial spell in the Mediterranean Fleet, Conflict returned to British waters, where she served the rest of her career. Conflict was part of the Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla during the First World War, which she survived. Conflict was sold for scrap on 20 May 1920.

HMS <i>Wizard</i> (1895) Conflict-class destroyer

HMS Wizard was a Conflict-class destroyer built by the White shipyard for the Royal Navy, and launched on 26 February 1895. In 1910, she was reconstructed with only two funnels. She is believed to be the only destroyer fitted with in turning screws. She was sold in 1920.

HMS <i>Sturgeon</i> (1894) Sturgeon-class destroyer

HMS Sturgeon was the lead ship of the Sturgeon-class destroyers which served with the Royal Navy. Built by Vickers, she was launched in 1894 and sold in 1910.

HMS Myrmidon was one of two Myrmidon-class destroyers which served with the Royal Navy.

HMS <i>Roebuck</i> (1901) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Roebuck was a Hawthorn Leslie three-funnel, 30-knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1898–1899 Naval Estimates. She was the twelfth ship to carry the name. She served during World War I and was broken up in 1919.

HMS <i>Kestrel</i> (1898) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Kestrel was a Clydebank-built three funnelled 30-knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1895 – 1896 Naval Estimates. She was the fourth ship to carry this name since it was first used in 1846 for a brigantine.

HMS <i>Sunfish</i> (1895) Sunfish-class destroyer

HMS Sunfish was a "twenty-seven knotter" torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. Built by the Tyneside shipbuilder Hawthorn Leslie, Sunfish was one of three destroyers built by Hawthorns that year. She was sold for scrap in 1920.

HMS <i>Opossum</i> (1895) Sunfish-class destroyer

HMS Opossum was a "twenty-seven knotter" torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. Built by the Tyneside shipbuilder Hawthorn Leslie, Opossum was one of three destroyers built by Hawthorns that were ordered in 1894. She was launched in 1895 and completed in 1896. She remained in service during the First World War, where she was used for local patrol duties based at Plymouth and sank the German submarine UC-49 on 8 August 1918. She was sold for scrap in 1920.

HMS <i>Ranger</i> (1895) Sunfish-class destroyer

HMS Ranger was a "twenty-seven knotter" torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. Built by the Tyneside shipbuilder Hawthorn Leslie, Opossum was one of three destroyers built by Hawthorns that were ordered in 1894. She was launched in 1895 and completed in 1896. She remained in service during the First World War, where she was used for local patrol duties. She was sold for scrap in 1920.