Cricket-class destroyer

The Cricket class and following classes of coastal destroyers were a series of small torpedo boat destroyers (TBDs) intended to complement the Royal Navy's Tribal-class destroyers. The thirty-six vessels which broadly comprised this group actually consisted of several distinct classes, as each contractor built to their own designs, and even single contractor's designs evolved from year to year.

HMS Cricket
Class overview
NameCricket class and subsequent classes
BuildersJ S White, Thornycroft, Yarrow, Denny, Hawthorn Leslie, Palmer
Operators Royal Navy
Completed36
Lost6
Scrapped30

The first twelve vessels (comprising White's Cricket class, Thornycroft's Gadfly class and Yarrow's Mayfly class) were ordered in 1905 and launched in early 1906. In practice they were not strong enough for open ocean operations and were reclassified as 1st class torpedo boats. These first twelve had been given names but in October 1906 - after the first two vessels ran trials but before any had been delivered - all were then given the numbers TB 1 to TB 12 and their names were withdrawn.

The following two batches—each of twelve more boats, comprising TB 13 to TB 24 ordered under the 1906–07 Programme, and TB 25 to TB 36 under the 1907–08 Programme—were only ever given numbers and were on average 10 ft (3.0 m) longer. These were only ever classified as 1st class torpedo boats. The last boat was launched in 1909. Those that survived the war (six were wartime losses - four from the 1905-06 batch and two from the 1906-07 batch) were sold off from 1919 to 1921.

They were built by six different yards (thirteen by White at Cowes, nine by Thornycroft (five at Chiswick and four at Woolston, Hampshire), four each by Denny at Dumbarton and by Hawthorn Leslie at Hebburn, and three each by Yarrow at Cubitt Town and by Palmers at Jarrow).

The boats differed in detail as each shipbuilder was allowed to construct to their own design, and the designs were modified and enlarged for the later batches, but all had two funnels with one of the torpedo tubes on the stern. These vessels closely resembled the earliest 26-knotter TBDs of 1892–93, having 'turtle-back' forecastles and carried a similar armament.

By 1914 all boats were serving in North Sea Patrol Flotillas or the Nore Local Defence Flotilla. TB 4 and TB 24 won the Battle Honour Belgian Coast 1915. In 1918 the four Denny-built boats were sent to the Mediterranean: TB 17 and TB 18 served at Gibraltar, TB 29 and TB 30 at Malta, where these went to the breakers in 1919.

Cricket-class (TB.1 to TB.5 - J. S. White 1905–1906 programme)
General characteristics
TB.1 to TB.5
TypeCoastal destroyer (from October 1906, 1st class torpedo boats)
Displacement
  • 247 t normal
  • ~272 t deep load
Length178 ft (54 m) overall, 175 ft (53 m) between perpendiculars
Beam17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)
Draught6 ft 1.5 in (1.867 m)
Propulsion2 Yarrow boilers, 3 Parsons turbines generating 3,600 shp (2,700 kW) on three shafts
Speed26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Range21.7–37 t of oil
Complement39
Armament

J Samuel White's torpedo boats of the 1905–1906 shipbuilding programme were 178 feet 0 inches (54.25 m) long overall and 175 feet 0 inches (53.34 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 17 feet 6 inches (5.33 m) and a draught of 6 feet 1+1⁄2 inches (1.867 m). Displacement was 247 long tons (251 t) normal and 272 long tons (276 t) deep load.[1] The ships had turtleback[lower-alpha 1] forecastles and two funnels. Two oil-fuelled Yarrow water-tube boilers fed steam to three-stage Parsons steam turbines, driving three propeller shafts.[3][4] The machinery was designed to give 3,600 shaft horsepower (2,700 kW), with a speed of 26 knots (30 mph; 48 km/h) specified.[5]

Armament consisted of two 12-pounder (76-mm) 12 cwt guns[lower-alpha 2], and three 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes (in three single mounts).[3][6] The ships had a crew of 39.[5]

Original
Name		NumberBuilderLaid downLaunchedCompletionFate
1905–1906 Programme
CricketTB 1J. Samuel White12 September 190523 January 1906December 1906Sold 7 October 1920 to Fowey Coaling & Ship Co.[7]
DragonflyTB 2J. Samuel White15 September 190511 March 1906January 1907Sold 7 October 1920 to Thos. W. Ward[7]
FireflyTB 3J. Samuel White18 September 19051 September 1906February 1907Sold 7 October 1920 to Thos. W. Ward[7]
SandflyTB 4J. Samuel White18 September 190530 October 1906April 1907Sold 7 October 1920 to Thos. W. Ward[7]
Wrecked 11 January 1921 on way to scrapping
Spider[8]TB 5J. Samuel White18 September 190515 December 19061907Sold for scrapping 7 October 1920 to Thos. W. Ward.[7]

Gadfly-class (TB.6 to TB.10 - Thornycroft boats - 1905–1906 programme)
General characteristics
TB.6 to TB.10
TypeCoastal destroyer (from October 1906, 1st Class torpedo boats)
Displacement
  • 244 t normal
  • ~268 t deep load
Length171 ft 6 in (52.27 m) overall, 166 ft 6 in (50.75 m) between perpendiculars
Beam17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)
Draught6 ft 4.5 in (1.943 m)
Propulsion2 Yarrow boilers, 3 Parsons turbines generating 3,750 shp (2,800 kW) on three shafts
Speed26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Range21–35.6 t of oil
Complement39
Armament

Thornycroft's torpedo boats under the 1905–1906 programme were 171 feet 6 inches (52.27 m) long overall and 166 feet 6 inches (50.75 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 17 feet 6 inches (5.33 m) and a draught of 6 feet 4+1⁄2 inches (1.943 m). Displacement was 244 long tons (248 t) normal and 268 long tons (272 t) deep load.[1] As for the White-built boats, they had turtleback forecastles and two funnels. The machinery was similar, but was rated at 3,750 shaft horsepower (2,800 kW), with a speed of 26 knots (30 mph; 48 km/h) specified.[5] The ship's armament and crew was as the White-designed ships.

Original
Name		NumberBuilderLaid downLaunchedCompletionFate
1905–1906 Programme
GadflyTB 6Thornycroft, Chiswick1 September 190524 June 1906December 1906Sold 22 October 1920 to Stanlee, Dover[7]
GlowwormTB 7Thornycroft, Chiswick25 September 190520 December 1906February 1907Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward, Rainham[7]
GnatTB 8Thornycroft, Chiswick4 October 19051 December 1906March 1907Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward, Rainham[7]
GrasshopperTB 9Thornycroft, Chiswick1 November 190518 March 1907June 1907Sank following collision in North Sea, 26 July 1916[9]
GreenflyTB 10Thornycroft, Chiswick2 November 190515 February 1907May 1907Mined in North Sea, 10 June 1915[7]

Mayfly Class (TB.11 to TB.12)
General characteristics
TB.11 and TB.12
TypeCoastal destroyer (from October 1906, 1st Class torpedo boats)
Displacement
  • 264 t normal
  • ~291 t deep load
Length175 ft 9 in (53.57 m) overall, 172 ft 0 in (52.43 m) between perpendiculars
Beam18 ft 0 in (5.49 m)
Draught5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) (trials)
Propulsion2 Yarrow boilers, 3 Parsons turbines generating 4,000 shp (3,000 kW) on three shafts
Speed27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) (trials)
Range23.8–39.5 t of oil
Complement39
Armament
Original
Name		NumberBuilderLaid downLaunchedCompletionFate
1905–1906 Programme
MayflyTB 11Yarrow23 November 190529 January 1907May 1907Mined in North Sea, 17 March 1916[7]
MothTB 12Yarrow23 November 190515 March 1907May 1907Mined in North Sea, 10 June 1915[7]

TB.13 Class (TB.13 to TB.16)
General characteristics
TB.13 to TB.36
(average of six builders' designs)
Type1st class torpedo boats
Displacement
  • 256 t normal
  • ~306 t deep load
Length185 ft (56 m) overall, 177 ft (54 m) between perpendiculars
Beam18 ft 0 in (5.49 m)
Draught6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Propulsion2 Yarrow boilers, 3 Parsons turbines generating 4,000 shp (3,000 kW) on three shafts
Speed26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Complement39
Armament
Notesbuilt by six different builders
NumberBuilderLaid downLaunchedCompletionFate
1906–1907 Programme
TB 13J. Samuel White14 March 190710 July 1907May 1908Sank following collision in North Sea, 26 January 1916[7]
TB 14J. Samuel White18 March 190726 September 1907May 1908Sold 7 October 1920 to Philip, Dartmouth[7]
TB 15J. Samuel White20 March 190719 November 1907May 1908Sold 7 October 1920 to Thos. W. Ward[7]
TB 16J. Samuel White12 July 190723 December 1907July 1908Sold 7 October 1920 to Thos. W. Ward[7]
TB 17Denny4 April 190721 December 1907April 1908Sold 1919 at Gibraltar[7]
TB 18Denny4 April 190715 February 1908June 1908Sold 1920 at Gibraltar[7]
TB 19Thornycroft, Woolston13 March 19077 December 19072 June 1908Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward, Grays[7]
TB 20Thornycroft, Woolston20 March 190721 January 190819 August 1908Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward[7]
TB 21Hawthorn7 May 190720 December 1907March 1908Sold 7 October 1920 to Maden & McKee[7]
TB 22Hawthorn7 May 19071 February 1908March 1908Sold 7 October 1920 to Maden & McKee[7]
TB 23Yarrow10 February 19075 December 190719 February 1908Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward[7]
TB 24Palmers2 April 190719 March 1908June 1908Wrecked off Dover, 28 January 1917[7]
1907–1908 Programme
TB 25J. Samuel White30 December 190728 August 190822 January 1909Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward, Grays[7]
TB 26J. Samuel White30 December 190728 August 1908February 1909Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward, Rainham[7]
TB 27J. Samuel White2 February 190829 September 1908March 1909Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward, Rainham[7]
TB 28J. Samuel White27 February 190829 October 19088 April 1909Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward, Rainham[7]
TB 29Denny20 February 190829 September 1908November 1909Sold 28 November 1919 at Malta[7]
TB 30Denny20 February 190829 September 1908January 1910Sold 28 November 1919 at Malta[7]
TB 31Thornycroft, Woolston8 February 190810 October 1908February 1910Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward, Rainham[7]
TB 32Thornycroft, Woolston9 February 190823 November 1908March 1910Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward, Rainham[7]
TB 33Hawthorn17 January 190822 February 1909June 1910Sold 24 August 1922 to Cashmore, Newport[7]
TB 34Hawthorn7 February 190822 February 1909August 1910Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward, Rainham[7]
TB 35Palmers4 February 190819 April 1909August 1910Sold 24 August 1922 to Cashmore, Newport[7]
TB 36Palmers20 March 19086 May 1909September 1910Sold 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward, Rainham[7]

Notes
  1. A fore deck with exaggerated camber designed to throw off sea water at high speeds.[2]
  2. 12 cwt refers to the weight of the gun in hundredweights

Citations
  1. Friedman 2009, pp. 110, 294
  2. Gardiner & Lambert 1992, p. 188
  3. Gardiner & Gray 1985, pp. 72–73
  4. Brown 2003, p. 195
  5. Friedman 2009, p. 294
  6. Friedman 2009, pp. 110–111
  7. Dittmar, F. J. and J. J. Colledge. "SHIPS OF THE ROYAL NAVY, 1914–1919 – in ALPHABETICAL ORDER (Part 2 of 2)", British Warships 1914–1919. Naval-history.net. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  8. HMS Spider Archived June 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  9. Moore 1997, p. 315.

References
  • Brown, D. K. (2003). Warrior to Dreadnought: Warship Development 1860–1905. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-84067-5292.
  • Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
  • Hythe, Viscount, ed. (1912). The Naval Annual 1912. Portsmouth, UK: J. Griffin & Co.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Lambert, Andrew, eds. (1992). Steam, Steel & Shellfire: The Steam Warship 1815–1905. Conway's History of the Ship. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-564-0.
  • Moore, John (1990). Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I. London: Studio Editions. ISBN 1-85170-378-0.
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