Published Resources Details Journal Article
- Title
- Torpedo boat catchers and destroyers
- In
- The Engineer
- Imprint
- vol. 60, 27 November 1885, pp. 419-420
- Description
Accession No.119
- Abstract
Based upon experience gained during evolutionary practice the Royal Navy and others were slowly evolving a system of attack and defence for torpedo boat squadrons. Speed, handiness and smallness of target were considered to be the strong points of the Royal Navy's first-class torpedo boats. But, they had poor accommodation, short range and a complete lack of protection from even the lightest gunfire. A possible solution to these problems was the Scout class torpedo despatch boat built at Messrs. Thomson's yard at Clydebank. Messrs. Thomson had also contracted with the Spanish Minister of Marine to build a torpedo boat destroyer (length180 feet; displacement 350 tons; estimated speed 22 knots), fitted with triple-expansion engines and locomotive boilers. Its armament was to be: two bow torpedo tubes; one stern torpedo tube; one 9 cm. Hontario's gun; four 6-pounder Hotchkiss guns and two four-barrelled Nordenfelt guns. A third type of enlarged torpedo boat was the Swift (length 140 feet, beam 17 feet; trial speed 20 knots), built by Messrs. White of Cowes. All of these boats were distinct types from the first-class torpedo boats and were intended to act catchers or destroyers of the smaller first and second-class torpedo boats.