HMS Surly (1894)
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 Drawing of HMS Surly. D Squadron, preliminary cruise 25 July 1901 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Surly |
| Laid down | 14 February 1894 |
| Launched | 10 November 1894 |
| Fate | Sold, 1920 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Rocket-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 280 long tons (284 t) |
| Length | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Propulsion | 4 x Normand boilers, 2 x triple expansion steam engines rated 4,100 hp (3,057 kW) |
| Speed | 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) |
| Complement | 53 |
| Armament |
|
HMS Surly was a Rocket-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was launched at Clydebank in 1894, served in home waters and was sold in 1920.
On 3 November 1893 the British Admiralty placed an order with the Glasgow shipbuilder J&G Thomson as part of the 1893–1894 Naval Estimates for three torpedo-boat destroyers, Rocket, Shark and Surly, with Surly expected to be delivered within 16 months.[1] A total of 36 destroyers were ordered from 14 shipbuilders as part of the 1893–1894 Naval Estimates, all of which were required to reach a contract speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph).[2][3] The Admiralty laid down broad requirements for the destroyers, including speed, the use of an arched turtleback[a] forecastle and armament, with the detailed design left to the builders, resulting in each of the builders producing different designs.[5][6]
Surly was 203 feet 9 inches (62.10 m) long overall and 200 feet (60.96 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 19 feet 6 inches (5.94 m) and a draught of 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m). Displacement was 280 long tons (280 t) light and 350 long tons (360 t) full load. Four Normand three-drum water-tube boilers fed steam at 200 pounds per square inch (1,400 kPa) to 2 triple expansion steam engines rated at 4,100 indicated horsepower (3,100 kW). Three funnels were fitted.[1] Armament consisted of a single QF 12 pounder 12 cwt[b] gun on a platform on the ship's conning tower (in practice the platform was also used as the ship's bridge) and three 6-pounder guns, with two 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes.[7] One of the torpedo tubes could be removed to accommodate a further two six-pounders,[8] although by 1908 both five 6-pounder guns and both torpedo tubes were generally fitted.[9]
Surly was laid down at Thomson's Clydeside shipyard as yard number 271 on 14 February 1894 and was launched on 10 November 1894.[1] She reached a speed of 28.05 knots (51.95 km/h; 32.28 mph) during sea trials[10] and was commissioned in July 1895.[1]
Service
Surly spent her whole career in British waters,[11] and was based at Portsmouth.[12] She took part in the 1901 British Naval Manoeuvres.[13] Surly was used in trials in the use of oil fuel instead of coal from 1898,[14][15][11] which were still ongoing in 1906.[16]
On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyers were to be grouped into classes designated by letters based on contract speed and appearance. After 30 September 1913, as a 27-knotter, Surly was assigned to the A class.[17][18][19]
In March 1913, Surly was in commission with a nucleus crew at Portsmouth, as a tender for HMS Fisgard, the Royal Navy's training school for engineers.[20][c] Surly remained at Portsmouth as a tender to Fisgard in July 1914, on the eve of the outbreak of the First World War.[22]
The Royal Navy mobilised its reserve forces on the eve of the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914,[23] and in January 1915, although still a tender to Fisgard,[24][25] Surly was also a member of the Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla.[26]