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fighting ships of the world

ROYAL NAVY (UNITED KINGDOM)

TORPEDO SHIPS

TRIBAL class destroyers (1908-1910)

Mohawk 1909

Project history: When Fisher became First Sea Lord in 1904 he quickly implemented his ideas; the future Fleet would comprise only fast capital ships and destroyers. In November 1904 he issued a directive for a new class of TBDs:

1. They must steam at 33kts for 8 hours
2. Oil fuel only
3. Armament of 2 12pdr and 5 3pdr
4. Stores for 7 days
The armament was modified to 3 12pdr/18cwt, and stores were cut to 4 days, but 33kts and oil fuel remained, and these conditions were the basis of the offer to various firms to tender. As had been the practice with earlier destroyers the builders were asked only to meet the main criteria, and were left a free hand in designing a destroyer to meet them. No two were alike, particularly as Fisher allowed only 11 days for a reply to the invitation to tender. It was not the right way to achieve success in stretching destroyer design to its limit - 7.5kts more than the 'Rivers', and little experience with oil fuel. As might be expected the bids were high, and as an economy measure old 12pdt guns were substituted for the new 18cwt high-velocity gun. However the stores provision was raised to 28 days.
    Five TBDs were ordered under the 1905-6 Estimates. For the following year five more were proposed (later cut to two, Amazon and Saracen). The firms were asked to include what the Board regarded as the best features from the boats already building. A similar procedure was followed with the five ordered under the 1907-8 Programme. White proposed a repeat Saracen with the same boilers but more powerful turbines for 15,000shp. Similarly Thornycroft proposed a repeat Amazon, either at a higher price or with more power. The trials were not the outstanding success for which Fisher was hoping. Cossack reached 33kts on a 6-hour trial but with high fuel consumption, and joined the Fleet a year late. Afridi needed over 21,000shp to reach her contract speed. They were not regarded as good seaboats, and compared with the 'Rivers' their endurance was miserable. Afridi and Amazon used 9.5t of fuel each, raising steam for a trip from Harwich to Felixstowe and back, a distance of 6 miles in all. Each boat looked different: Cossack had three large funnels, Afridi and Gurkha three low; Mohawk had a turtleback forecastle, and with Tartar, Saracen, Amazon, Nubian, Zulu, Crusader and Maori had four funnels; while Viking had six (four of them paired together). Mohawk's seakeeping was so poor that she was eventually rebuilt with a high forecastle. After numerous complaints the four-funnelled boats had the fore funnel raised to stop the bridges from being smoked out.

Modernizations: 1909, Cossack, Mohawk, Ghurka, Afridi, Tartar: + 2 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I

1915, Viking: - 1 x 1 - 102/40; + 1 x 1 - 152/45 BL Mk VII

1916, Viking: - 1 x 1 - 152/45, 1 x 1 - 102/40; + 2 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V

1916-1917, most survived: + 2 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk II

1916-1917, Afridi: - 2 x 1 - 102/40, 1 x 1 - 40/39; + 2 x1 - 120/40 QF Mk I/II/III/IV, 1 x 1 - 7.7/94, 4 DCT

9/1918, all survived: + 2 x 1 - 356 TT

Naval service: Viking was mined near the Colbart light vessel and lost her stern, but was towed to Chatham and rebuilt. Nubian during a night of action 27.10.1916 tried to ram a German destroyer, but had her bow blown off and had to be run ashore on the South Foreland. After Zulu had her stern blown off by a mine 8.11.1916 it was suggested that the two might be joined together. Chatham DYd achieved the task with some difficulty, not least because the hulls were not identical, but 7.6.1917 new destroyer Zubian was commissioned. Ghurka was mined 8.2.1917 off Dungeness. Maori was mined 7.5.1915 off Belgian coast.

Afridi

Amazon

Mohawk 1917

Viking

Crusader

Zubian

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