Havock and Hornet , the two Havock-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy in 1893, were the first torpedo boat destroyers.

The invention of the self-propelled torpedo by Robert Whitehead and Austrian Navy Captain Giovanni Luppis in 1866, combined with the swift, small torpedo boat invented by John Ericsson in the late 19th century posed a threat to battleships: large numbers of torpedo boats could overwhelm a battleship's defenses and sink it, or distract the battleship and make it vulnerable to opposing capital ships. Torpedo boats proved devastatingly effective in the Chilean Civil War of 1891.

The defense against torpedo boats was clear: small warships accompanying the fleet that could screen and protect it from attack by torpedo boats. Several European navies developed vessels variously known as torpedo boat "catchers", "hunters" and "destroyers". However, the early designs lacked the range and speed to keep up with the fleet they were supposed to protect. In 1892, the Third Sea Lord, Rear Admiral Jackie Fisher ordered the development of a new design of ships equipped with the then novel water-tube boilers and quick-firing small calibre guns.

Six ships of the new design were ordered:

• Havock and Hornet from Yarrow.
• Daring and Decoy from Thorneycroft (the Daring class ).
• Ferret and Lynx from Lairds (these and three other ships made up the Banshee class ).

Havock was launched first, on 12 August 1893. Her sea trials on 28 October 1893 were successful, her top speed indicating that she was capable of keeping up with battleships. However, her bow torpedo tube proved to be useless as the ship would usually outrun her own torpedo. It was absent in later destroyers.

Havock and Hornet did not survive to see World War I, being broken up in 1912 and 1909 respectively.

General characteristics

• Displacement: 240 tons
• Speed: 26.78 knots (49.60 km/h)
• Range 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km)
• Complement: 46
• Armament: 1 x 12 pounder (5 kg) gun; three torpedo tubes (bow tube later removed)

References

• T. D. Manning, The British Destroyer, Putnam, 1961.

External links

• Havock and Hornet from battleships-cruisers.co.uk