Banshee-class destroyer
The Banshee class was a class of three torpedo boat destroyers that served with the Royal Navy into the early part of the Twentieth century.
_IWM_Q_038332.jpg.webp) Banshee | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Banshee class |
| Builders | Cammell Laird |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Salmon class |
| Succeeded by | Fervent class |
| Built | 1894 |
| In commission | 1894 to 1912 |
| Completed | 3 |
| Scrapped | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Torpedo boat destroyer |
| Displacement | 290 long tons (295 t) |
| Length | 210 ft (64 m) |
| Beam | 19 ft (5.8 m) |
| Draught | 7 ft (2.1 m) |
| Speed | 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) |
| Complement | 53 |
| Armament |
|
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.[1][2]
The three ships, Banshee, Contest and Dragon were all built by Laird at Birkenhead. Displacing 290 tons, they carried one 12-pounder gun and two torpedo tubes. With 4,400 horsepower (3,300 kW) they made a speed of 27 knots (50 km/h).
The ships had a length of 210 ft (64 m), beam 19 ft (5.8 m) and draught of 7 ft (2.1 m) and carried a complement of 53 officers and men.
Along with the near-identical Ferret-class torpedo boat destroyers they were all disposed of in 1911/1912.
Ships
- HMS Banshee, launched November 1894.
- HMS Contest, launched December 1894.
- HMS Dragon, launched December 1894.
See also
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.
- 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 & 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.
- 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.
References
- Chesneau and Kolesnik 1979, p. 87.
- Manning 1961, p. 39.