Concern about the higher speeds of foreign boats had prompted the Admiralty to order new destroyers capable of 30 knots (56km/h; 35mph), rather than the 27-knot (50km/h; 31mph) requirement which had been standard. The boats were not able to make this speed in bad weather, where they were usually wet and uncomfortable with cramped crew quarters. However, they proved their toughness while serving through the Great War, despite being twenty years old. Thanks to their watertight bulkheads, their thin plating and light structure was able to take a great deal of damage and remain afloat; although their plates were easily damaged by rough handling or heavy weather.
The ships were fitted with Reed water tube boilers that generated around 6,300 horsepower (4,700kW). Both were originally fired using coal, but in 1904 Spiteful was converted to burn fuel oil. They were armed with the standard 12-pounder gun and two torpedo tubes and carried a complement of 63 officers and men. The two ships of this type bore four funnels and were designated B-class destroyers in 1913. They were sold off after the end of hostilities.
Ships
Spiteful, launched 11 January 1899, sold for breaking up 14 September 1920.
Peterel, launched 30 March 1899, sold for breaking up 30 August 1919.
Bibliography
Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-133-5.
Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN0-7110-0380-7.
Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-84832-049-9.
Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-245-5.
Lyon, David (2001) [1996]. The First Destroyers. London: Caxton Editions. ISBN1-84067-3648.
Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. London: Putnam & Co. OCLC6470051.
March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC164893555.
The B class as designated in 1913 was a heterogeneous group of torpedo boat destroyers (TBDs) built for the Royal Navy in the late 1890s. They were constructed to the individual designs of their builders to meet Admiralty specifications, the uniting feature being a specified top speed of 30 knots (56 km/h) and four funnels, although the funnel spacings differed between ships. All "30 knotter" vessels with four funnels were classified by the Admiralty as the B class in 1913 to provide some system to the naming of HM destroyers. At the same time all "30 knotter" vessels with three funnels were classified by the Admiralty as the C class and those with two funnels became the D class.
HMS Virago was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was completed by Laird Brothers, Birkenhead, in 1897. One of four Quail-class destroyers she served during the Great War and was sold off after hostilities ended.
Two Hardy-class destroyers served with the Royal Navy. HMS Hardy and HMS Haughty were both built by Doxford, ordered on 3 November 1893. They were fitted with 8 Yarrow boilers. They displaced 260 tons, were 196 feet long and were armed with one twelve pounder quick-firing gun mounted forward and five 6-pounder guns, mounted on the broadside and aft, and two torpedo tubes on a revolving mount. They carried 53 officers and men, and served in home waters before being sold off in 1911 and 1912 respectively.
The Salmon class were two destroyers built by Earle's to an Admiralty specification for service with the Royal Navy.
Three Conflict-class destroyers served with the Royal Navy. All were built by the White Shipyard.
The Sunfish-class destroyers, also referred to as Opossum-class destroyers, 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.
Three Rocket-class destroyers served with the Royal Navy.
Four Quail-class destroyers served with the Royal Navy. These ships were all built by Laird, Son & Co. and were the first of the 'thirty knotters'.
HMS Peterel was one of two Spiteful-class destroyers to serve with the Royal Navy. She was built by Palmers, was 215 feet long and the 6,200 H.P. produced by her Reed boilers gave her a top speed of 30 knots. She was armed, as was standard, with a twelve pounder and two torpedo tubes. She served in home waters throughout the Great War and was sold off in 1919.
The Myrmidon-class destroyer was a class of two destroyers that served with the Royal Navy. Myrmidon and Syren were built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company as part of the group of boats known as the 'thirty knotters'.
HMS Myrmidon was one of two Myrmidon-class destroyers which served with the Royal Navy.
HMS Bittern was a Vickers three-funnel, 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 introduced in 1796 for an 18-gun sloop, sold in 1833.
HMS Mermaid was a Hawthorn Leslie three-funnel, 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates. She was launched in 1898, served during World War I and was sold for breaking in 1919.
HMS Ophelia was an Admiralty M-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the First World War, entering service in 1916. The ship served at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May/1 June 1916, and sank a German submarine in 1918. She was sold for scrap in 1921.
HMS Viper was a Viper-class torpedo boat destroyer built for the British Royal Navy in 1899 by Hawthorn Leslie and Company at Hebburn on the River Tyne.
HMS Brazen was a Clydebank three-funnel, 30-knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1895-1896 Naval Estimates. She was the fifth ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1781 for a 14-gun cutter, sold in 1799.
HMS Thorn was a Clydebank three funnel - 30 knot destroyer purchased by the Royal Navy under the 1899–1900 Naval Estimates. She was the second ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1779 for a 16-gun sloop sold in 1816.
HMS Tiger was a torpedo boat destroyer of the Royal Navy. Built by John Brown on Clydebank as a three funnel 30-knot destroyer on speculation she was purchased by the Royal Navy under the 1899 – 1900 Naval Estimates.
HMS Vigilant was a Clydebank three-funnel, 30-knot destroyer purchased by the Royal Navy under the 1899–1900 Naval Estimates. She was the ninth ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1755 for an 8-gun schooner captured in 1756 by the French at Oswego.
HMS Obedient was a Repeat Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. Launched in 1915, the destroyer served with the Grand Fleet during the Battle of Jutland in 1916, helping sink the torpedo boat V48 and narrowiy missing the German battleships as they withdrew. Subsequently, Obedient took part in anti-submarine patrols, attacking U-70 in 1917. The conditions of service meant that the destroyer was soon worn out and, after the armistice that ended the war in 1918, Obedient was placed in reserve. Despite a service life of only five years, the vessel was decommissioned and, in 1921, sold to be broken up.
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