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The Sunfish-class destroyers, also referred to as Opossum-class destroyers,[1] was a group of three torpedo boat destroyers which served with the Royal Navy from the 1890s to the 1920s. They were all built by the Hebburn-on-Tyne shipyard of Hawthorn Leslie.

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Ranger
Class overview
Name	Sunfish class
Builders	Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Handy class
Succeeded by	Rocket class
Built	1894–1896
In commission	1896–1920
Completed	3
Scrapped	3
General characteristics
Type	Torpedo boat destroyer
Propulsion	8× Yarrow boilers, 4,000 hp (2,983 kW)
Speed	27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Complement	53
Armament	1 × 12 pounder gun 2 × torpedo tubes

Design

Powered by 8 Yarrow boilers,[2] this was the same 8 boiler configuration originally used on HMS Hornet.[3] The ships produced 4,000 hp (3,000 kW) and could make 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). They were armed with one twelve pounder gun and two torpedo tubes and carried a complement of 53 officers and men.

History

Ordered under the 1893-94 Programme, the contract was placed on 7 February 1894. All three "turtle-back" destroyers were laid down in 1894, launched in 1895 and completed in 1896.

In 1912 all three, like the other surviving 27-knotter destroyers, were re-classed as A-class destroyers. They served in Home waters throughout the First World War, and all three were sold for breaking up in 1920.

Ships in class

• HMS Sunfish
• HMS Opossum
• HMS Ranger

References

Notes

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.
• 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 1-84067-364-8.
• Manning, T. D. (1961). The British Destroyer. 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.

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