HMS Zebra (1895)
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Swordfish class |
| Succeeded by | Quail class |
| Built | 1894–1895 |
| In commission | 1900–1914 |
| Completed | 1 |
| Scrapped | 1 |
| History | |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Zebra |
| Ordered | 7 February 1894 |
| Builder | Bow Creek |
| Laid down | 1 July 1894 |
| Launched | 13 December 1895 |
| Commissioned | January 1900 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 30 July 1914 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type | none |
| Displacement | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Draught | 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) |
| Installed power | 4,800 ihp (3,600 kW) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 27 kn (31 mph; 50 km/h) (trials) |
| Complement | 50[2] |
| Armament |
|
HMS Zebra was a "Twenty-seven Knotter" destroyer of the Royal Navy, later classified as part of the A Class. Zebra was built by Thames Iron Works and launched in 1895 as the fifth Royal Navy ship to be named Zebra. Entering service in 1900, Zebra was sold for scrap in 1914.
Construction
HMS Zebra was ordered on 7 February 1894 from
These destroyers were not of a standard design, with the Admiralty laying down broad requirements, including a trial speed of 27 knots (31 mph; 50 km/h), a "turtleback"
Zebra was laid down on 1 July 1894 and launched on 13 December 1895. Thames Iron Works was relatively inexperienced in building torpedo craft (it had previously built the hull of a single torpedo boat as a subcontractor for Maudslay, Sons and Field (who supplied the engines for Zebra) and it took a long time for the ship to be completed and to complete trials (where she eventually reached the contract speed of 27 knots[2]), not being accepted by the Navy until January 1900.[1]
Zebra was not particularly successful in service and no further orders for destroyers were placed with Thames Iron Works for many years.[1]
Operational history
HMS Zebra served in British home waters for the whole of her career.
Zebra formed part of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla in 1910, and in 1912.[16] On 14 June 1911 the destroyer Zephyr collided with Zebra during night exercises off the mouth of the River Thames. One of Zebra's six-pounder guns and two of her boats were knocked into the sea, but no crew were injured.[17] After repair, Zebra was attached to the submarine flotilla based at Dundee, relieving the destroyer Teazer.[18]
On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyers were to be grouped into classes designated by letters based on contract speed and appearance. Like all the surviving Twenty-six and Twenty-seven Knotters, Zebra was assigned to the A Class.[19][20] The class letters were painted on the hull below the bridge area and on a funnel.[21]
By March 1913, Zebra was laid up at Sheerness and listed for sale.[22] Zebra was sold for scrapping on 30 July 1914.[1]
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g Lyon 2001, p. 91.
- ^ a b Brassey 1902, p. 274.
- ^ Chesneau and Kolesnik 1979, p. 91
- ^ Lyon 2001, p. 19.
- ^ Lyon 2001, p. 20.
- ^ Lyon 2001, pp. 98–99.
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 40.
- ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 44–45.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36052. London. 30 January 1900. p. 11.
- ^ "Naval & Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 36031. 18 October 1900. p. 11.
- ^ Brassey 1902, p. 91.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36707. London. 5 March 1902. p. 5.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36740. London. 12 April 1902. p. 12.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36777. London. 26 May 1902. p. 7.
- ^ "Naval Review at Spithead". The Times. No. 36847. London. 15 August 1902. p. 5.
- ^ "NMM, vessel ID 379125" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol xi. National Maritime Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ "Naval Matters—Past and Prospective: Sheerness Dockyard". The Marine Engineer and Naval Architect. Vol. 33. July 1911. p. 439.
- ^ "Naval Matters—Past and Prospective: Sheerness Dockyard". The Marine Engineer and Naval Architect. Vol. 34. September 1911. p. 38.
- ^ Gardiner and Gray 1985, p. 18.
- ^ Manning 1961, pp. 17–18.
- ^ Manning 1961, p. 34.
- ^ "List of Vessels Available for Subsidiary Services, Hulks and Vessels for Sale". The Navy List. March 1913. p. 410-15. Retrieved 25 April 2020 – via National Library of Scotland.
Bibliography
- Brassey, T.A. (1902). The Naval Annual 1902. Portsmouth, UK: J. Griffin and Co.
- 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.
- 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 1-84067-3648.
- 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.