Dragonfly 1938
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Bee | White, Cowes | --- | --- | cancelled | |||
| Dragonfly | 1181 | Thornycroft, Chiswick | 12.1937 | 8.12.1938 | 6.1939 | sunk 14.2.1942 | |
| Grasshopper | 1182 | Thornycroft, Chiswick | 12.1937 | 19.1.1939 | 6.1939 | sunk 14.2.1942 | |
| Locust | T28 | 1724 | Yarrow, Scotstoun | 11.1938 | 28.9.1939 | 5.1940 | HQ ship 1944, RNVR drill ship 1951 |
| Mosquito | 1725 | Yarrow, Scotstoun | 12.1938 | 14.11.1939 | 4.1940 | sunk 1.6.1940 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
625 |
|
Displacement full, t |
715 |
|
Length, m |
59.9 |
|
Breadth, m |
10.3 |
|
Draught, m |
1.88 deep load |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
3800 |
|
Max speed, kts |
17 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 90 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | |
|
Armament |
Dragonfly, Grasshopper: 2 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, 1 x 1 - 87/13 mountain howitzer Mk I, 8 x 1 - 7.7/94 Locust, Mosquito: 2 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, 1 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 8 x 1 - 7.7/94 |
|
Complement |
74 |
Project history: Gunboats were designed for service in mouth of Yangtze, at the expense of a high freeboard and deep draught (for river gunboats standards) they had seaworthiness, sufficient for actions in coastal waters. Serial boats (2nd group) were a little bit less than leadship but carried the same armament, except for DCs. The order for one gunboat was cancelled.
Modernizations: 1943, Locust: + 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 2 DCT (20 DC)
1/1946, Locust: 2 x 1 - 102/45 CP Mk II, 1 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 3 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 DCT (20)
Naval service: Two gunboats served in the Far East, Locust and Mosquito, completed in 1940 under a little changed design, remained in the European waters.
14.2.1942 Dragonfly and Grasshopper were badly damaged by Japanese aircraft and scuttled by own crews. Mosquito was sunk by German aircraft 1.6.1940 in La Manche.
Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.
Mosquito 1939
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-15