Talisman-class destroyer

The Talisman class were a quartet of destroyers ordered for the Ottoman Navy before the First World War, but were taken over in November 1914 and completed for the Royal Navy.

HMS Marksman, HMS Talisman and HMS Termagant moored at the Hawthorn Leslie shipyard, Hebburn, 5 November 1915.
Class overview
Name	Talisman class
Builders	Hawthorn Leslie and Company
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Thornycroft M class
Succeeded by	Medea class
In service	1916–1921
Completed	4
Lost	1
Retired	3
General characteristics
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	1,098 long tons (1,116 t)
Length	309 ft (94 m) o/a
Beam	28 ft 7 in (8.71 m)
Draught	9 ft 6 in (2.90 m)
Installed power	25,000 shp (19,000 kW) 3 × Yarrow boilers
Propulsion	3 shafts; 3 steam turbines
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Complement	102
Armament	5 × QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark IV guns 2 × twin 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes

Description

The Talismans were designed by Armstrong Whitworth for the Ottoman Navy, but were sub-contracted to Hawthorn Leslie and Company for building.^[1] They displaced 1,098 long tons (1,116 t). The ships had an overall length of 309 feet (94.2 m), a beam of 28 feet 7 inches (8.7 m) and a draught of 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 m). They were powered by three Parsons direct-drive steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Yarrow boilers. The turbines developed a total of 25,000 shaft horsepower (19,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph). The ships carried a maximum of 237 long tons (241 t) of fuel oil. The ships' complement was 102 officers and ratings.^[2] The hull form was considered particularly successful and was adopted for the V and W class of 1917, arguably the peak of destroyer development at the time.

The Talisman-class ships were heavily armed for their time, shipping five single QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark IV guns. Two of the guns were side by side on the forecastle. The other guns were carried on the centreline; one between the first and second funnels, one after the searchlight platform and one on a bandstand on the quarterdeck. All the guns had half-shields.^[2] The ships were designed to accommodate three above water twin mounts for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes, but only two mounts were fitted in British service.^[3]

Ships

Originally to have been renamed Napier, Narborough, Offa and Ogre respectively, they were re-allocated "T" names in February 1915.

Name	Ship builder	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
Talisman	Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Newcastle upon Tyne	7 December 1914	15 July 1915	1 January 1916	Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
Termagant		17 December 1914	26 August 1915	18 March 1916
Trident		1 July 1915	20 November 1915	24 March 1916
Turbulent		1915	5 January 1916	May 1916	Sunk by the German battleship Westfalen during Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916.

Notes

1. Friedman, p. 143
2. Gardiner & Gray, p. 78
3. Friedman, p. 142

Bibliography

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Dittmar, F.J. & Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.
• Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
• 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. OCLC 164893555.