HMS Cygnet (1898)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Cygnet.

HMS Cygnet was a two funnel, 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1896–1897 Naval Estimates. She was the thirteenth ship to carry this name. She was launched in 1898, served in the Chatham division before World War I and was tendered to the gunnery school at Sheerness during the war. She was sold for breaking in 1920.

Cygnet's sister-ship, Cynthia
History
United Kingdom
Name	Cygnet
Ordered	1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates
Builder	John I Thornycroft, Chiswick
Yard number	320
Laid down	25 September 1897
Launched	3 September 1898
Commissioned	March 1900
Fate	Sold for breaking, 29 April 1920
General characteristics [1][2]
Class & type	Two funnel, 30 knot destroyer
Displacement	270 long tons (274 t) standard 352 long tons (358 t) full load
Length	210 ft (64 m) o/a
Beam	19 ft 9 in (6.02 m)
Draught	7 ft 8 in (2.34 m)
Installed power	5,700 shp (4,300 kW)
Propulsion	4 × Thornycroft water tube boilers 2 × vertical triple-expansion steam engines 2 shafts
Speed	30 kn (56 km/h)
Range	80 tons coal 1,310 nmi (2,430 km) at 11 kn (20 km/h)
Complement	65 officers and men
Armament	1 × QF 12-pounder 12 cwt Mark I L/40 gun on a P Mark I low angle mount 5 × QF 6-pdr 8 cwt L/40 gun on a Mark I* low angle mount 2 × single tubes for 18-inch (450 mm) torpedoes
Service record
Operations:	World War I 1914 – 1918

Construction

She was laid down as yard number 320 on 25 September 1896, at the John I Thornycroft and Company shipyard at Chiswick on the River Thames. She was launched on 3 September 1898. During her builder's trials her maximum average speed was 30.3 knots. She proceeded to Portsmouth to have her armament fitted and was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in late February 1900. During her acceptance trials and work ups her average sea speed was 25 knots.^[1][2]

Pre-War

Cygnet commissioned at Chatham in March 1900^[3] and was assigned to the Harwich Flotilla, Commander Cecil Hickley in command.^[4] In 1899–1900, she was part of the Medway instructional Flotilla.^[5] In 1900, she cruised to the East Indies with the cruiser Highflyer and the destroyers Conflict, Coquette and Hornet.^[6]

Lieutenant Robert G. D. Dewar was appointed in command in early 1902,^[7] but was replaced by Lieutenant George J. Todd later that year.^[8] In early January 1903 she was on the Mediterranean and took part in a three-weeks cruise with other ships of the station in the Greek islands around Corfu.^[9]

On 30 August 1912, the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. Since her design speed was 30-knots and she had two funnels she was assigned to the D class. After 30 September 1913, she was known as a D-class destroyer and had the letter ‘D’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.^[10]

World War I

In August 1914, found her in active commission at The Nore Local Flotilla based at Sheerness tendered to HMS Actaeon, the gunnery school. She remained in this assignment for the duration of the First World War.^[6]

Decommissioning and disposal

In 1919, she was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. Cygnet was sold on 29 April 1920 to Thos. W. Ward of Sheffield for breaking at Rainham, Kent, on the Thames Estuary.^[11]

Pennant numbers

Pennant number[11]	From	To
N49	6 Dec 1914	1 Sep 1915
D38	1 Sep 1915	1 Jan 1918
D22	1 Jan 1918	29 Apr 1920