Sunfish-class destroyer

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Ranger
Class overview
Name	Sunfish class
Builders	Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Handy class
Succeeded by	Rocket class
Built	1894–1896
In commission	1896–1920
Completed	3
Scrapped	3
General characteristics
Type	Torpedo boat destroyer
Propulsion	8× Yarrow boilers, 4,000 hp (2,983 kW)
Speed	27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Complement	53
Armament	1 × 12 pounder gun 2 × torpedo tubes

The Sunfish-class destroyers, also referred to as Opossum-class destroyers,^[1] was a group of three torpedo boat destroyers which served with the Royal Navy from the 1890s to the 1920s. They were all built by the Hebburn-on-Tyne shipyard of Hawthorn Leslie.

Design[]

Powered by 8 Yarrow boilers,^[2] this was the same 8 boiler configuration originally used on HMS Hornet.^[3] The ships produced 4,000 hp (3,000 kW) and could make 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). They were armed with one twelve pounder gun and two torpedo tubes and carried a complement of 53 officers and men.

History[]

Ordered under the 1893-94 Programme, the contract was placed on 7 February 1894. All three "turtle-back" destroyers were laid down in 1894, launched in 1895 and completed in 1896.

In 1912 all three, like the other surviving 27-knotter destroyers, were re-classed as A-class destroyers. They served in Home waters throughout the First World War, and all three were sold for breaking up in 1920.

Ships in class[]

• HMS Sunfish
• HMS Opossum
• HMS Ranger

References[]

Notes[]

Bibliography[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sunfish class destroyer.

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