Torpedo Gunboats  from the first, HMS Rattlesnake, and the classes, Grasshopper, Sharpshooter, Alarm and Halcyon Class Torpedo Gunboats built between 1886 and 1894.. Many of these ships were converted to Minesweepers and depot ships and many saw service in World war one.  These were the predecessor o the destroyer  which started with HMS Havock.

Name of Vessel

Launch Date

Fate

Philomel Class Wooden Gunvessels

HMS Cygnet

6th June 1860

HMS Dart

10th March 1860

HMS Dart - Name History

The seventh “DART” was a 5-gun twin-screw gun vessel launched at Millwall in 1860.  She was of 570 tons, 336 horse-power, and 10 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 146ft., 25ft., and 12ft.  In 1865 the “Dart,” commanded by Commander Frederick W. Richards, while at Akatoo on the West Coast of Africa, received notice of a rumour to the effect that the natives were about to plunder the British factories.  One factory had been actually looted, and a schooner had been stripped and set adrift.  Commander Richards landed some men from his ship and from the “Lee,” to protect British interests.  Several boats were capsized in the surf, and two men were drowned.  Commander Richards succeeded in restoring order, with a loss of only one seaman wounded. 

HMS Espoir

HMS Griffon - Name History

The thirteenth “GRIFFON” was a 5-gun screw gunboat, launched at Northfleet in 1860.  She was of 425 tons, and 80 horse- power.  Her length, beam, and draught were 145ft., 26ft., and 8ft.   From 1861 to 1865 the “Griffon” was engaged in the suppression of west African slavery, and assisted in capturing eight slavers.   In October 1866 the “Griffon,” commanded by Commander Duncan G. Davidson, was stranded and lost after collision with H.M.S. “Pandora” off little Popo.  The accident was due to the detective condition of the night-signalling system.

HMS Pandora, behind HMS Bristol, 1869.

Cormorant Class Wooden Gunvessels

HMS Cormorant - Name History

HMS Eclipse - Name History

The fifth “ECLIPSE” was a 4-gun screw gun vessel, launched at Millwall in 1860.  She was of 700 tons, and 200 horse-power.  Her length, beam, and draught were 185ft., 28ft., and 8ft.   In 1863 the “Eclipse,” commanded firstly by Commander Richard Charles Mayne and secondly by Commander Edmund Robert Fremantle, took part in the second New Zealand War in a squadron of ships under commodore Sir William Wiseman with his broad pennant in “Curacoa.”  On June 4^th the “Eclipse” co-operated in an attack which was made by the garrison of New Plymouth on the rebel position at the mouth of the Katikara.  In October a Naval Brigade of 200 seamen under Commander Mayne landed, captured, occupied, and fortified the town of Merrimi.   On November 20^th the Naval Brigade of 400 men, under Commodore Sir William Wiseman bombarded and assaulted the town of Rangariri, where the Maoris had strongly entrenched themselves.  Four separate assaults were repulsed by the brave defenders, two of which were made by the Naval Brigade under Commander Mayne.  On the following day the Maoris surrendered, the British forces having won a costly victory with a loss of 36 killed and 98 wounded.  The Naval Brigade losses were 5 killed and 10 wounded, among the latter being Commander Mayne, of the “Eclipse,” who was promoted to captain for his services.    In January 1864 the “Eclipse” proceeded to Waikato, and landed a detachment of men under Lieutenant William Fletcher Boughey to co-operate with the troops.  The town of Waikato was captured, and the Maoris were defeated at Rangioawhia, with a considerable loss in killed and prisoners.   In April 1864 the “Eclipse” contributed to a Naval Brigade 430 strong, which joined the army under Sir Duncan Cameron.  On April 29^th the combined forces proceeded to attack a Maori stronghold at Gate Pah.  The place was bombarded, and at 4.30 p.m. the Naval Brigade, under Commander Edward Hay, moved forward to the assault and entered the works.  Inside the pah the rebels fought with desperation, and the Brigade was obliged to retreat with a heavy loss.  The Maoris lost about 35 killed and wounded, but the British suffered 27 killed and 66 wounded, to which the Naval Brigade contributed 3 officers and 8 men killed or mortally wounded, and 3 officers and 19 men wounded.  The Naval Brigade behaved admirably, and withdrew only when nearly all its leading officers had been shot down. In 1867 this vessel was broken up. 

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Plover Class Wooden Gunvessels

HMS Bittern - Name History

The fourth “Bittern” commanded by Commander the Hon. Archibald St. Clair, undertook active operations against the piratical natives of Corisco and Elobey Islands, and succeeded in capturing Coomba, the Chief of the Corsican tribe, which had pillaged the wrecked mail steamer “McGregor Laird.”  In March 1872 the “Bittern” was engaged in the mouth of the Congo River in protecting the Banana Creek Factories from native attack.   In 1873 the “Bittern” commanded by commander Prescot William Stephans, took part in the Ahantee war.  In October 1873, 34 men from the “Bittern” formed part of a Naval Brigade 300 strong which, under Captain the Hon. Edmund Fremantle, advanced towards Assayboo with the object of breaking up an Ashantee force which was believed to be assembling there, but the Naval Brigade took little part in the fighting on this occasion.   In November the Naval Brigade marched inland to the relief of Abrakrampa, which was sorely pressed by the Ashantees.  The enemy got into a panic and retired hastily, abandoning almost all their stores.  In 1882 the “Bittern” commanded by Commander the Hon. Thomas Brand, was engaged in the bombardment of Alexandria in a fleet of 14 ships commanded by Admiral Sir Beauchamp Seymour, with his flag in “Alexandra."   At 7 a.m. on July 11^th the “Alexandra” fired the first shot of the bombardment.  Owing to the flag ship’s draught of water the Commander-in-Chief temporarily hoisted his flag in “Invincible.”  All ships were cleared for action with topgallant masts struck and bowsprits rigged in.  By 7.10 a.m. all ships were engaged, and such forts that could bring their guns to bear replied with vigour.  By 5 p.m. all guns ashore had been silenced, and the fleet ceased bombarding at 5.30 p.m.  The British casualties were 5 killed and 28 wounded.  The Egyptian loss has never been properly ascertained, but it is believed to have been about 150 killed and 400 wounded, out of two thousand men engaged in working the forts.  During the operations a party of men from the “Bittern” among other ships, landed through the swell and breaking surf, spiked six smooth bores and disabled two 10-inch guns without casualty except the loss of the “Bittern’s” dinghy.  The “Bittern” also assisted the “Condor” in the attack on fort Marabout, anchoring so close in that the enemy’s guns could not be sufficiently depressed to reach her.  The “Bittern” was sequent seint in with Flag-Lieutenant the Hon. Hedworth Lambton to receive the surrender of the town, and although the governor refused to give in, the town was abandoned on the following day.  On July 13^th the “Bitern” and other ships steamed into the harbour, and contributed to a brigade of 150 seamen and 450 marines which, under the command of Captain Lord Charles Beresford, policed Alexandria and kept the turbulent mixed population in order.   In 1887 the “Bittern” was sold.

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Beacon Class Composite Gunvessels

HMS Avon - Name History

The fourth “Avon” was a 4-gun twin-screw gunboat, launched at Portsmouth in 1867.  She was of 603 tons, 530 horsepower, and 10 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 155ft, 25ft, and 10ft.  In 1873 the “Avon,” commanded by Commander John C. Paterson, was engaged in the suppression of piracy on the coast of Perak.  On December 11^th of that year she came across three trading craft at a moment when six boats full of piratical cutthroats were attacking them.  The “Avon” drove them off with loss, but did not succeed in capturing any of them, though the subsequently destroyed some stockades at the mouth of the Jugra River, in which they were supposed to have taken shelter.  In May 1874 the “Avon,” commanded by commander Armand T. Powlett, in company with two other vessels, proceeded up the Lingie River, near Malacca, which was a centre of piratical activity.  Some stockades were burned at Bukit Tiga, and the River Lingie was re-opened to the trade, with the rich tin mines in the interior. In 1876 the “Avon,” commanded by Commander Leicester Chantrey Keppel, was one of a fleet of 12 ships under Commodore Sir William Hewett, with his broad pennant in “Active,” which engaged in the blockade of Dahomey on the Nigerian Coast.  The blockade lasted for eleven months in a pestilential climate, and at the end of that time King Gelele entered onto negotiations, and the blockade was raised.  In January 1877 the “Avon” proceeded up the Congo River, and burned five villages, as a punitive measure in reply to the natives having pillaged the American trading schooner “Joseph Nickerson.”  In August 1877 the “Avon” proceeded up the River Niger in company with two other vessels upon a punitive expedition.  They burned the town of Emblana, and assisted to Chastise some anti-British natives, who had refused to release some British prisoners.  During the advance the “Avon” ran on to a sandbank, and delayed the attack for some hours.  The ships left the river on August 28^th, having had only 3 men wounded.   In 1890 this vessel was sold.

HMS Dwarf - Name History

The fifth “DWARF” was a 4-gun twin-screw gunboat launched at Wollwich in 1867.  She was of 584 tons, 495 horse-power, and 10 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 155ft., 25ft., and 9ft.  Towards the end of 1868 a British schooner was captured by Malay pirates near Marudu Bay, Borneo, and three of her men were killed.  Upon hearing of this outrage the “Dwarf,” commanded by Lieutenant Charles F. Walker, started in pursuit, with the Governor of Laubuan on board.  The pirates made a stand on the island of Ubian and, refusing to give up their leader, were punished by a landing party which burnt their village and brought about their submission.   In 1886 the “Dwarf” was broken up at Devonport. 

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HMS Hart - Name History

The ninth “HART” was a 4-gun twin-screw gunboat, launched at Glasgow in 1868.  She was of 584 tons, 608 horse-power, and 10 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 155ft., 25ft., and 9ft.  In 1873 the “Hart” commanded by Commander Thomas H. Royse, was engaged in the blockade of the Spanish Mediterranean littoral, assisted in the operations against the Spanish Intransigents, and prevented the insurgent ships from bombarding various coastal towns.  In September 1874 the “Hart,” commanded by Commander T.H. Royse, in company with the “Charybdis,” took part in an expedition to the Indian River, in the Maylay Pininsula, and composed some differences between the rulers of Johore and Pahang.  In November 1874, the “Hart,” in company with the “Charybdis,” took part in an expedition to the Lukit River to intervene in serious disputes which had arisen between the ruler of Sungei Ujong and one of his feudatories.  It was decided to support the ruler, and a small Naval Brigade of 73 officers and men were landed with troops on November 26^th.  After some short fighting the Maylay feudatory deserted Campayang, and escaped into the bush.  One sailor was mortally wounded, and 50 of the enemy coolies were killed.  Search parties were sent out in various directions, but they failed to catch Bandar, who did not surrender for some weeks later. During these operations the “Hart” proceeded to Langkat, to warn the Selangor authorities against affording assistance to the insurgents.

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Frolic Class Wooden Gunvessels

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Arab Class Composite Gunvessels

HMS Arab - Name History

The tenth “Arab” was a 4-gun screw gunboat, launched at Glasgow in 1874.  She was of 720 tons, 660 horsepower, and 10.4 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 150ft, 28ft, and 14ft.  In 1884 the “Arab” commanded by commander R. W. Stopford, was engaged in the operations in the Eastern Soudan, and assisted in the defence of Suakin.  In 1889 the “Arab” was sold.

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Condor Class Composite Gunvessels                             View Class

Linnet Class Composite Gunvessels

Algerine Class Composite Gunvessels

HMS Algerine - Name History

The sixth “Algerine” is a 6-gun twin-screw gunboat, launched at Devonport in 1895.  She is of 1050 tons, 1400 horsepower, and 13 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 185ft, 32ft, and 12ft.   In 1900 the “Algerine” commanded by commander Robert Johnston Stewart took part in the third China war or boxer riots.   On June 17^th the “Algerine” was one of a fleet of 8 ships and several torpedo boats of various nationalities, which took part in the attack on the Taku forts under Captain Dobrolovski in the Russian gunboat “Bobr.”  The Chinese having received their ultimatum, opened fire soon after midnight, the ships replying with vigour.  Simultaneously a landing party of 35 officers and 869 men, of mixed nationalities, under commander Christopher Cradock of the “Alacrity” attacked from the landward side with great gallantry.  The “Algerine” had a steam cutter hulled at the davits, some rigging cut away, and 6 men wounded.  At 7.10 a.m. the engagement ceased, Commander Cradock having captured and occupied the forts against heavy odds.  The “Algerine” subsequently landed a 4-in gun, which did good work in the operations resulting in the capture of Tientsin and elsewhere.

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Curlew Class Gun and Torpedo Vessels

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Vixen Class Armoured Gunboats

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Britomart Class Wooden Gunboats

HMS Britomart - Name History

The fifth “Britomart” was a 2-gun screw gunboat, launched at Newcastle in 1860.  She was of 330tons, 200 horsepower, 8 knots speed, and carried a crew of 40 men.  Her length, beam, and draught were 120ft, 22ft, and 8ft.  In 1865-67 the “Britomart” commanded by Lieutenant Arthur H. Alington, was one of 13 ships under Captain Algeron de Horsey, in the “Aurora,” which were employed in Canadian waters during the Fenian rising.  The issue of a medal in 1899, or over thirty years rewarded their services, which were principally of a preventive nature, afterwards.    In 1892 the “Britomart” was sold, and is illustrated herein as being broken up.

Ariel Class Composite Gunboats

HMS Coquette - Name History

The fifth “COQUETTE” was a 4-gun screw gunboat, launched at Pembroke in 1876.  She was of 430 tons, 406 horse-power, and 9 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 125ft., 23ft., and 9ft. In 1882 the “Coquette,” commanded by Lieutenant Lennox Napier, took part in the Egyptian War.  In August 1883 a landing party from the “Coquette” and other ships, consisting of 565 officers and men, occupied the town of Ismailia in the Suez Canal after some slight fighting.  The “Coquette” further assisted in the seizure of the Suez Canal, an operation necessary in order to secure a safe passage for the British troops who were going to use Ismailia as a base.  In February 1884 a landing party from the “Coquette,” Lieutenant Fritz Eden Crowe.  And two other ships went ashore at Suakin, and assisted in the defence of that place by manning the fortifications. In March 1885 a Naval Brigade from the “Coquette” and four other ships joined a field force of 13,000 men under Lieutenant General Sir Gerald Graham which marched out of Suakin.  They occupied Hasheen on March 20^th, where the Royal Marines specially distinguished themselves, and on the 22^nd, under Major-General Sir J.C. MacNeill, they fought the battle of Tofrik, where the Arabs after a temporary advantage were repulsed with a loss of a thousand dead.  The Naval Brigade in this action lost 7 killed and 5 wounded. The Naval Brigade burnt a number of huts in the khor Ghob, and re-embarked again on April 6^th. In 1889 the “Conquette” was sold 

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Ant Class Flatiron Gunboats

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