Sunfish-class destroyer

The Sunfish-class destroyers, also referred to as Opossum-class destroyers,^[1] 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.

Ranger
Class overview
Name	Sunfish class
Builders	Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Handy class
Succeeded by	Rocket class
Built	1894–1896
In commission	1896–1920
Completed	3
Scrapped	3
General characteristics
Type	Torpedo boat destroyer
Propulsion	8× Yarrow boilers, 4,000 hp (2,983 kW)
Speed	27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Complement	53
Armament	1 × 12 pounder gun 2 × torpedo tubes

Design

Under the 1893–1894 Naval Estimates, the British Admiralty placed orders for 36 torpedo-boat destroyers, all to be capable of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph), the "27-knotters", as a follow-on to the six prototype "26-knotters" ordered in the previous 1892–1893 Estimates. As was typical for torpedo craft at the time, the Admiralty left detailed design to the builders, laying down only broad requirements.^[2][3]

Powered by 8 Yarrow boilers,^[4] this was the same 8 boiler configuration originally used on HMS Hornet.^[5] The ships produced 4,000 hp (3,000 kW) and could make 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). They were armed with one twelve pounder gun and two torpedo tubes and carried a complement of 53 officers and men.

History

Ordered under the 1893-94 Programme, the contract was placed on 7 February 1894. All three "turtle-back" destroyers were laid down in 1894, launched in 1895 and completed in 1896.

In September 1913 all three, like the other surviving 27-knotter destroyers, were re-classed as A Class destroyers.

They served in Home waters throughout the First World War, and all three were sold for breaking up in 1920.

Ships in class

• HMS Sunfish
• HMS Opossum
• HMS Ranger

See also

• A-class destroyer (1913)

Bibliography

• Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.^[2]
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
• 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.
• Lyon, David (2001) [1996]. The First Destroyers. London: Caxton Editions. ISBN 1-84067-364-8.
• Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. Putnam & Co. OCLC 6470051.^[3]
• 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.