NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Vancouver (ex-Toreador)	F6A		Thornycroft, Woolston, UK	11/1917	7.12.1918	4/1919 // 3.1928	BU 1937
Champlain (ex-Torbay)	F35		Thornycroft, Woolston, UK	11/1917	6.3.1919	7/1919 // 3.1928	BU 1937

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	1087
Displacement full, t	1240
Length, m	84.1
Breadth, m	8.34
Draught, m	3.20
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 sets Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines, 3 Yarrow boilers
Power, h. p.	27000
Max speed, kts	36
Fuel, t	oil 301
Endurance, nm(kts)	2750(15)
Armament	3 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV, 1 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk II, 2 x 2 - 533 TT, 2 x 1 - 450 TT, 2 DCT, 1 DCR
Complement	90

Standard scale images

Project history

When it was realised that reports of new German destroyer armaments had been exaggerated the Controller suggested in February 1917 that destroyer construction should revert to Modified 'R' class. They would be cheaper, faster to build, and 2kts faster. Several improvements were incorporated after consultation with Captains (D) and the various Commands. These included the provision of more TT, a 'trawler' bow or sharply sheered forecastle and a turtleback forecastle. The original proposal for the 450mm TT was for single fixed tubes firing 'cold' torpedoes, but the Admiralty design was given training tubes, which meant that the forecastle plating had to be cut away to allow the tube to train. This made the boats very wet, for the open forecastle permitted spray to be thrown up over the bridge. In the Thornycroft design two tubes were fixed athwartships, firing through a narrow aperture, so the problem was avoided. The torpedoes were fired by the CO, who carried two trailing leads in his pockets, permitting him to fire at targets of opportunity. The Thornycroft boats also carried the forecastle gun on a raised platform, further improving seakeeping. As weight was critical in the Admiralty design it was soon realised that the weight of the single 450mm TT was too much, and the later boats were completed without them, to permit the heavier Mk.V 533mm torpedoes to be carried in the midships TT. In June 1918 Senator was fitted with an aircraft platform aft, allowing an aircraft to takeoff when the destroyer went full speed astern.     Orders were placed for 24 boats in April 1917, followed by 33 more in June, but Saturn and Sycamore were cancelled in 1919. Only 19 were completed by the Armistice. The class were completed from April 1918 to October 1919 apart from Shikari and Thracian.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

No significant events.

© Ivan Gogin, 2015