Two Ferret-class destroyers served with the Royal Navy. Ferret and Lynx were built by Laird, displaced 280 tons and were 199 feet (61 m) in overall length.
They were armed with one 12-pounder and three 6-pounder guns, and three torpedo tubes (two on deck mounts and one fixed bow tube). The bow tube was soon removed, and provision was made for removing the deck tubes and substituting two extra 6-pounder guns. They carried a complement of 42 (later raised to 53).
Background
The invention of the self-propelled torpedo by Robert Whitehead and Austrian Navy Captain Giovanni Luppis in 1866, combined with the introduction of small fast torpedo boats posed a threat to battleships: large numbers of torpedo boats could overwhelm a battleship's defences and sink it, or distract the battleship and make it vulnerable to opposing capital ships. Torpedo boats proved devastatingly effective in the 1891 Chilean Civil War.
The defence against torpedo boats was clear: small warships accompanying the fleet that could screen and protect it from attack by torpedo boats. Several European navies developed vessels variously known as torpedo boat "catchers", "hunters" and "destroyers", while the Royal Navy itself operated torpedo gunboats. However, the early designs lacked the range and speed to keep up with the fleet they were supposed to protect. In 1892, the Third Sea Lord, Rear AdmiralJackie Fisher ordered the development of a new type of ships equipped with the then novel water-tube boilers and quick-firing small calibre guns.
Orders
Six ships to the specifications circulated by the Admiralty were ordered initially, comprising three different designs each produced by a different shipbuilder:
These boats all featured a turtleback (i.e. rounded) forecastle that was characteristic of early British TBDs. All six of them were removed from service and disposed of by the end of 1912, and thus were not affected by the Admiralty decision in 1913 to group all the surviving 27-knot and 30-knot destroyers (which had followed on these six 26-knot vessels) into four heterogeneous classes, labelled "A", "B", "C" and "D" classes.
The Ferret-class destroyers were followed by the larger Banshee class which were built by Lairds less than a year later.
Bibliography
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ferret class destroyer.
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.
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. ISBN1-84067-364-8.
Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. Putnam & Co. OCLC 6470051.
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.
March 14, 2023
ferret, class, destroyer, served, with, royal, navy, ferret, lynx, were, built, laird, displaced, tons, were, feet, overall, length, ferretclass, overviewbuilderscammell, lairdoperators, royal, navypreceded, byhavock, class, destroyersucceeded, byardent, class. Two Ferret class destroyers served with the Royal Navy Ferret and Lynx were built by Laird displaced 280 tons and were 199 feet 61 m in overall length FerretClass overviewBuildersCammell LairdOperators Royal NavyPreceded byHavock class destroyerSucceeded byArdent class destroyerBuilt1893 1894In commission1893 1912Completed2Scrapped2General characteristicsTypeTorpedo boat destroyerDisplacement280 long tons 284 t Length199 ft 61 m overall 195 ft 59 m between perpendicularsBeam19 ft 3 in 5 87 m Propulsion2 sets triple expansionSpeed26 knots contract 27 actual Complement42 later 53 Armament1 12 pounder gun 3 6 pounder guns 3 later 2 18 inch torpedo tubes Contents 1 Armament 2 Background 3 Orders 4 Design 5 BibliographyArmament EditThey were armed with one 12 pounder and three 6 pounder guns and three torpedo tubes two on deck mounts and one fixed bow tube The bow tube was soon removed and provision was made for removing the deck tubes and substituting two extra 6 pounder guns They carried a complement of 42 later raised to 53 Background EditThe invention of the self propelled torpedo by Robert Whitehead and Austrian Navy Captain Giovanni Luppis in 1866 combined with the introduction of small fast torpedo boats posed a threat to battleships large numbers of torpedo boats could overwhelm a battleship s defences and sink it or distract the battleship and make it vulnerable to opposing capital ships Torpedo boats proved devastatingly effective in the 1891 Chilean Civil War The defence against torpedo boats was clear small warships accompanying the fleet that could screen and protect it from attack by torpedo boats Several European navies developed vessels variously known as torpedo boat catchers hunters and destroyers while the Royal Navy itself operated torpedo gunboats However the early designs lacked the range and speed to keep up with the fleet they were supposed to protect In 1892 the Third Sea Lord Rear Admiral Jackie Fisher ordered the development of a new type of ships equipped with the then novel water tube boilers and quick firing small calibre guns Orders EditSix ships to the specifications circulated by the Admiralty were ordered initially comprising three different designs each produced by a different shipbuilder HMS Havock and HMS Hornet from Yarrow the Havock class HMS Daring and HMS Decoy from John I Thornycroft amp Company the Daring class HMS Ferret and HMS Lynx from Laird Son amp Company Design EditThese boats all featured a turtleback i e rounded forecastle that was characteristic of early British TBDs All six of them were removed from service and disposed of by the end of 1912 and thus were not affected by the Admiralty decision in 1913 to group all the surviving 27 knot and 30 knot destroyers which had followed on these six 26 knot vessels into four heterogeneous classes labelled A B C and D classes The Ferret class destroyers were followed by the larger Banshee class which were built by Lairds less than a year later Bibliography Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ferret class destroyer Chesneau Roger amp Kolesnik Eugene M eds 1979 Conway s All The World s Fighting Ships 1860 1905 London Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 133 5 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 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 amp 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 amp Co OCLC 6470051 March Edgar J 1966 British Destroyers A History of Development 1892 1953 Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records amp Returns Ships Covers amp Building Plans London Seeley Service OCLC 164893555 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ferret class destroyer amp oldid 1117565857, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
