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HMS Sprightly (1900)

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History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Sprightly
BuilderLaird, Son & Co., Birkenhead
Laid down20 June 1899
Launched25 September 1900
CompletedMarch 1902
FateScrapped, 1920
General characteristics
Class and typeLively-class destroyer
Displacement385 long tons (391 t)
Length219 ft (67 m)
Beam21.25 ft (6.5 m)
Draught8 ft 7 in (2.6 m)
Propulsion
Speed30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Armament

HMS Sprightly was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was built speculatively by Laird, Son & Company, Birkenhead, pre-empting further orders for vessels of this type, and was purchased by the navy in 1901.

Construction

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Sprightly arrived at Plymouth from Birkenhead in late November 1901 for tests and fitting of navy equipment.[1] She was placed in the B division of the Fleet Reserve at Devonport in late March 1902.[2]

In 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyers were to be grouped into classes designated by letters based on appearance.[3][4] to provide some system to the naming of HM destroyers. "30 knotter" vessels with 4 funnels, were classified by the Admiralty as the B-class, the 3-funnelled, "30 knotters" became the C-class and the 2-funnelled ships the D-class). As a 4 funnel vessel Sprightly became a B-class.

Operational history

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Sprightly was commissioned at Devonport by Commander Roger Keyes on 13 May 1902,[5] with the crew of the destroyer Falcon, taking that ship's place in the instructional flotilla.[6] She took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36621. London. 25 November 1901. p. 10.
  2. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36726. London. 27 March 1902. p. 4.
  3. ^ Gardiner and Gray 1985, p. 18.
  4. ^ Manning 1961, pp. 17–18.
  5. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36773. London. 21 May 1902. p. 10.
  6. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36764. London. 10 May 1902. p. 8.
  7. ^ "Naval Review at Spithead". The Times. No. 36847. London. 15 August 1902. p. 5.

Bibliography

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  • Brassey, T. A., ed. (1898). The Naval Annual 1898. 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.
  • 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.