NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Express

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Express	D84, D80, D34	629	Laird, Birkenhead	1.12.1896	11.12.1897	2/1902	sold 3.1921

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	465
Displacement full, t	540
Length, m	73.0 oa 71.6 pp
Breadth, m	7.22
Draught, m	3.12
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 4-cyl VTE, 4 Normand boilers
Power, h. p.	9250
Max speed, kts	31
Fuel, t	coal 130
Endurance, nm(kts)	3000(10)
Armament	1 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I, 5 x 1 - 57/40 6pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 2 x 1 - 450 TT (4)
Complement	74

Graphics

Project history

As part of the 1896/97 programme the Admiralty decided to order three vessels with the unprecedented contract speed of 33kts. This was mainly a reaction to the 31kts of the French torpedo boat Forban on trial in 1895. In fact that was an exceptional result as none of her immediate sisters reached anything like that speed. In the event, the requirement for 33kts proved too ambitious. The vessels built, with exactly the same armament as the 30-knotters, on longer and more expensive hulls and with more powerful and therefore more expensive machinery, completely failed to make the desired speed. The first two both spent years running acceptance trials testing various propeller shapes and other devices in a vain attempt to reach 33kts, though Thornycroft's Albatross came quite close.     After their final acceptance it was realised that all they had proved to be were rather more expensive 30-knotters, and so they were not kept apart as a separate class.     Express began her trials in 1898, was badly damaged during their course, and tried many different variants of propeller shape without real success. Her appearance was unusual because she had 'reverse sheer' (in other words the upper deck was higher amidships than at the ends). Early in her career she had a very poor reputation for reliability, breaking down when she was called on to do any speed.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

No significant events.