HMS Sparrowhawk (1895)
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 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Sparrowhawk |
| Builder | Laird, Son & Co., Birkenhead |
| Yard number | 607 |
| Laid down | 30 May 1895 |
| Launched | 8 October 1895 |
| Commissioned | July 1897 |
| Fate | Wrecked, 17 June 1904 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Quail-class destroyer |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 218 ft (66.4 m) |
| Beam | 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m) |
| Draught | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Complement | 63 |
| Armament |
|
HMS Sparrowhawk was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was completed by Laird, Son & Company, Birkenhead, and was launched on 8 October 1895.[1] She served on the China Station and was wrecked in the mouth of the Yangtze River in 1904.[2] She was one of four Quail-class destroyers.
HMS Sparrowhawk was the second of four 30-knot destroyers ordered from Laird's as part of the 1894–1895 Royal Navy shipbuilding programme.[3] As with other early Royal Navy destroyers, the detailed design was left to the builder, with the Admiralty laying down only broad requirements.[4][5] In order to meet the contract speed of 30 knots (35 mph; 56 km/h), Laird's design was powered by two four-cylinder triple expansion steam engines, fed by four Normand boilers, rated at 6,300 ihp (4,700 kW), and was fitted with four funnels.[3][6]
The ship had an overall length of 218 feet (66.45 m), a beam of 21 feet 6 inches (6.55 m) and a draught of 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m). Displacement was 355 long tons (361 t) light and 415 long tons (422 t) full load,[3][6] while crew was 63.[7] Armament consisted of a QF 12 pounder 12 cwt (3 in (76 mm) calibre) gun on a platform on the ship's conning tower (in practice the platform was also used as the ship's bridge), with a secondary armament of five 6-pounder guns, and two 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes.[8][9]
Sparrowhawk was laid down as Yard No 607 on 30 May 1895, and was launched on 8 October 1895.[10] She reached a speed of 30.207 knots (34.762 mph; 55.943 km/h) over a measured mile and an average speed of 30.56 knots (56.60 km/h; 35.17 mph) over three hours during trials on 11 December 1896.[11] Sparrowhawk commissioned in June 1897.[10]
