British Destroyers 1892–1918

by Crossley, Jim; Wright, Paul

• ISBN13: 9781846035142
• ISBN10: 1846035147
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-10-20
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

This book recounts the history of the first destroyers of the Royal Navy, which revolutionised this service and changed the way war was fought at sea. Moreover, between 1892, when the first destroyers were laid down, and 1918 destroyers evolved radically from 27 knot, 250-ton ships into 35 knot, 1,530-ton ships. All these ships were involved in some form during World War I; the smaller, original destroyers in an auxiliary support role and the newer larger destroyers at some of the greatest sea battles of the war. Indeed, this book will highlight the role destroyers played in the North Sea during the crucial battles to control the Heliogoland Bight as well as the major fleet action at the battle of Jutland in 1916. Complete with a detailed description of the technical evolution of each class of destroyer from the 27-knotters to the Tribal and Marksman classes, this book offers a complete overview of the vessels that helped to maintain Britain's supremacy at sea.

Author Biography

Jim Crossley is a leading authority on the destroyers of World War I. He has an understanding of the intricacies of naval design and is passionate about the history of these key vessels. The author lives in Norfolk, England.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Torpedo Menace	p. 4
The First Torpedo-Boat Destroyers	p. 5
Design And Construction	p. 7
Tbds Enter Service	p. 9
Specifications	p. 11
General specifications
Turbines
The Ships: Early Developments	p. 15
River Class
Tribal Class
The Ships: Subsequent Developments	p. 19
The Ships: Further Developments	p. 22
G Class
H Class
I Class
K Class
L Class
M Class
R Class
S, V and W Class
Flotilla Leaders
Gun Armament	p. 31
The Destroyer Fleets In 1914 and 1918	p. 32
Destroyers In Combat 1914-1918	p. 35
Action off Texel (17 October 1914)
The Battle of Jutland (31 May 1916)
The Dover Patrol
Escort Duty
Conclusion	p. 47
Index	p. 48
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.