HMS Sylvia was a Doxford three funnel - 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates. She was the sixth ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1806 for a cutter sold in 1816.[3][4]

History
United Kingdom
Name	Sylvia
Ordered	1896 – 1897 Naval Estimates
Builder	William Doxford and Sons Pallion, Sunderland
Laid down	13 July 1896
Launched	3 July 1897
Commissioned	January 1899
Out of service	Laid up in reserve 1919
Fate	23 July 1919 to Thos W Ward of Sheffield for breaking at New Holland, Lincolnshire on the Humber Estuary
General characteristics
Class and type	Doxford three funnel - 30 knot destroyer[1][2]
Displacement	350 long tons (356 t) standard 400 long tons (406 t) full load 214 ft (65 m) o/a 21 ft (6.4 m) Beam 9 ft 7 in (2.92 m) Draught
Propulsion	4 × Thornycroft water tube boiler 2 × Vertical Triple Expansion (VTE) steam engines driving 2 shafts producing 6,300 shp (4,700 kW)
Speed	30 kn (56 km/h)
Range	95 tons coal 1,615 nmi (2,991 km) at 11 kn (20 km/h)
Complement	63 officers and men
Armament	1 × QF 12-pounder 12 cwt Mark I L/40 naval gun on a P Mark I Low angle mount 5 × QF 6-pdr 8 cwt naval gun L/40 Naval gun on a Mark I* low angle mount 2 × single tubes for 18-inch (450mm) torpedoes
Service record
Operations:	World War I 1914 - 1918

Construction and career

She was laid down on 13 July 1896 at the William Doxford and Sons shipyard at Pallion, Sunderland and launched on 3 July 1897. During her builder's trials she made her contracted speed requirement. She was completed and accepted by the Royal Navy in January 1899.[3][4]

After commissioning she was assigned to the Devonport Flotilla and spent her entire career in Home Waters.

In March 1900 she was commissioned by Lieutenant William Bowden-Smith and the crew of HMS Chamois to take her place in the Instructional Flotilla.[5][6]

She underwent repairs to re-tube her boilers during spring 1902,[7] and was in the dockyard at Sheerness to repair defects in her steering gear in September that year.[8]

On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. Since her design speed was 30-knots and she had three funnels she was assigned to the C class. After 30 September 1913, she was known as a C class destroyer and had the letter C painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.[9]

World War I

August 1914 found her in active commission in the 7th Destroyer Flotilla based at Devonport. In September the 7th Flotilla was redeployed to the Humber River tendered to HMS Leander. She remained in this deployment for the duration of the First World War. Her duties included anti-submarine and counter mining patrols.

In 1919 she was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. HMS Sylvia was sold on 23 July 1919 to Thos. W. Ward of Sheffield for breaking at New Holland, Lincolnshire on the Humber Estuary.[10]

Pennant numbers

References

NOTE: All tabular data under General Characteristics only from the listed Jane's Fighting Ships volume unless otherwise specified

Bibliography

• Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Dittmar, F. J. & Colledge, J. J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.
• 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.
• Lyon, David (2001) [1996]. The First Destroyers. London: Caxton Editions. ISBN 1-84067-3648.
• Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. London: Putnam & Co. OCLC 6470051.
• March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555.