History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Swordfish |
Ordered | 8 December 1893 |
Builder | Armstrong Mitchell & Co., Elswick, Tyne and Wear |
Laid down | 4 June 1894 |
Launched | 27 February 1895 |
Commissioned | December 1896 |
Fate | Sold, 1910 |
General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type | Swordfish-class destroyer |
Displacement |
|
Length | |
Beam | 19 ft 0 in (5.79 m) |
Draught | 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) |
Installed power | 4,500 ihp (3,400 kW) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) |
Armament |
|
HMS Swordfish was one of two Swordfish-class destroyers which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched on 27 February 1895 by Armstrong Mitchell and Co at Elswick [3] and sold off in 1910.
HMS Swordfish was ordered on 8 December 1893, the first of two "Twenty-Seven Knotter" destroyers ordered from Armstrong Mitchell and Co as part of the 1893–1894 construction programme for the Royal Navy, [4] with in total, 36 destroyers being ordered from various shipbuilders for this programme. [5]
Swordfish was laid down at Armstrong's, Elswick, Newcastle-on-Tyne shipyard on 4 June 1894. [4] Construction was delayed by industrial action and was not launched until 27 February 1895. [6] [lower-alpha 1] Sea trials began in March, but excessive vibration caused one of the ship's propeller shafts to be bent. A further attempt at trials in July suffered the same problem, and re-balancing of the ship's machinery was required to resolve the vibration problems. When trials were again attempted, fouling of the ship's hull resulted in the contract speed of 27 knots not being reached, [9] although, eventually, Swordfish managed to reach an average speed of 27.117 kn (31.206 mph; 50.221 km/h) during her official three-hour trial, when her engines generated 4,750 ihp (3,540 kW). [2] Swordfish was not finally accepted until December 1896, 21 months after the contracted date of 31 March 1895. [10]
The two Armstrong-built Twenty-seven knotters were not popular in service, [11] [12] with Armstrongs not being invited to tender for the Thirty-knot destroyers required in the next few shipbuilding programmes. [13] [14] [lower-alpha 2]
Swordfish was commissioned on 7 March 1900 as tender to HMS Wildfire, flagship at Sheerness. [17] She was based at Chatham in 1901, [18] also serving at Sheerness and Portsmouth. [9] In April 1902 she had finished a refit at Sheerness, and the following month she was commissioned at Chatham by Lieutenant Julian Walter Elmslie Townsend and the crew of the destroyer Avon, [19] taking that ship's place in the Medway Instructional Flotilla. [20] She took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII, [21] and was back with the flotilla later the same month. [22]
While most of the 27-knotters mounted their full armament of 1 × 12 pounder (76 mm) gun, 5 × 6-pounder guns and two 18-in torpedo tubes, Swordfish, owing to concerns about stability, tended to only carry a single torpedo tube. [23] By 1905, it was stated by the Rear Admiral (Destroyers), that Swordfish was one of a number of destroyers that were "..all worn out" and that "every shilling spent on these old 27-knotters is a waste of money". [24] The ship's speed dropped during service, with maximum speed falling to 18+1⁄2 knots (21.3 mph; 34.3 km/h) by 1909. [9]
Swordfish was sold for scrap to John Cashmore Ltd of Newport, Wales on 11 October 1910 for £1510. [11] [25]
HMS Quail was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was launched by Laird Brothers, Birkenhead, on 24 September 1895. She served in home waters and the West Indies for several years, her robust structure proved by surviving at least one heavy collision. She served during the Great War, and was sold off after the hostilities end, on 23 July 1919. She gave her name to the four strong group of Quail-class destroyers.
HMS Earnest was an "thirty-knotter" torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Laird, Son & Company at their Birkenhead shipyard as one of six Earnest-class destroyers ordered as part of the Royal Navy's 1895–1896 construction programme, which were later classified as members of the B-class. Earnest was launched on 7 November 1896 and was completed in November 1897.
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 Ardent was a Royal Navy 27 knot torpedo boat destroyer ordered from John I Thornycroft & Company under the 1893 – 1894 Naval Estimates. She was the sixth ship to carry this name.
HMS Boxer was an Ardent-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy, launched on 28 November 1894. She spent several years operating with the Mediterranean Fleet and remained active during the First World War. She was sunk in a collision on 8 February 1918.
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 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, served in home waters and was sold off in 1912.
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 Hardy was a Hardy-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. She was built by William Doxford & Sons in 1895, launched on 16 December 1895, and sold off on 11 July 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 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 Porcupine was a Janus-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was launched by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company in 1895, served in home waters and was in service during the First World War.
HMS Fervent was a Fervent-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. Fervent was launched on 28 March 1895 at Paisley.
Two Swordfish-class destroyers served with the Royal Navy. Swordfish and Spitfire were both built by Armstrong Whitworth at Elswick, Tyne and Wear launching in 1895. Fitted with Yarrow boilers, they could make 27 knots and were armed with one twelve pounder and two torpedo tubes.
HMS Spitfire was one of two Swordfish-class destroyers which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched on 7 June 1895 by Armstrong Mitchell & Co. at Newcastle upon Tyne and sold off in 1912. Her fate is unknown.
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 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 Starfish was a Sturgeon-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. Built by Vickers, she was launched in 1895 and sold in 1912.
HMS Desperate was a two funnel, 30-knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1894 – 1895 Naval Estimates. She was launched in 1896, served in Home waters and the Mediterranean before World War I. She was based in Portsmouth during the war and was sold for breaking in 1920.
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.