Ranger
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Class overview | |
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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 |
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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.
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.
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.