NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Names	Builders	Completed	Losses	Transfers	Discarded
TB76 - 95	Thornycroft, Chiswick: TB76-95	1882: TB78 - 84 1883: TB76, 77, 85 - 95	none	none	1898: TB83, 93 1900s: TB85, 86, 88 1902: TB79, 81, 90 - 92 1904: TB84 1905: TB87 1906: TB76 - 78, 82, 94 1907: TB80, 89 1912: TB95

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	12.5
Displacement full, t
Length, m	19.5 oa 19.2 pp
Breadth, m	2.29
Draught, m	1.07
No of shafts	1
Machinery	TB76, 77: 1 2-cyl VC, 1 Herreshoff spiral water-tube boiler TB78 - 95: 1 2-cyl VC, 1 locomotive boiler
Power, h. p.	170
Max speed, kts	16.5
Fuel, t	coal
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armament	2 - 356 TT (bow)
Complement	7

Project history

The concept of purpose-built small TBs capable of being lifted by the davits of large ships seems to have originated with the Royal Navy; certainly more were built for that service than for any other. One TB carrier, Vulcan, was specially built to carry them, and for some years numbers of this type of boat were built. However, in the long run experience showed it was better to use the slower but much sturdier and more seaworthy steam pinnaces for this purpose, rather than the frail specially built Second Class boats.

The first two boats of this order were fitted with Herreschoff coil boilers for comparative purposes, but these were soon replaced by locomotive boilers similar to those in their sisters.

Modernizations

1880s, TB76, 77: were re-boilered with 1 locomotive boiler.

Naval service

No significant events.