Medea class destroyer

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Medea class destroyer

General Characteristics
Displacement:	1,040 tons
Length:	273 ft 6 in
Beam:	26 ft 6 in
Draught:	10 ft 6 in
Propulsion:	Yarrow-type water-tube boilers, Brown-Curtis steam turbines, 3 shafts, 25,000 shp
Speed:	32 kts
Range:	270 tons oil, ?
Complement:	80
Armament:	3 x QF 4 in L/40 Mark IV, single mounting P Mk. IX 1 x QF 2 pdr Mk.II, single mounting HA Mk.I 2 x twin tubes for 21 in torpedoes

The Medea class were a class of destroyers that were building for the Greek Navy at the outbreak of World War I and that were taken over and completed for the Royal Navy for wartime service. All were named after characters from Greek mythology as result of their Greek heritage.

The Medeas were a private design roughly similar to their various Royal Navy M class contemporaries. They had three funnels, the foremost of which was taller, and unusually, the mainmast was taller than the foremast, giving rise to a distinctive appearance. They shipped three single QF 4 inch guns, one on the forecastle, one between the first two funnels and the third on the quarterdeck.

[edit] Ships

Medea (ex-Kriti) — built by Clydebank Shipyard, Clydebank, laid down April 8, 1914, launched January 1, 1915, completed May 1915, sold for scrapping May 1921
Medusa (ex-Lesbos) — built by Clydebank Shipyard, Clydebank, laid down 1914, launched March 27, 1915, completed 1915, rammed and sunk by HMS Laverock off of Schleswig March 25, 1916
Melampus (ex-Melampus) — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, laid down 1914, launched December 16, 1914, completed June 29, 1915, sold for scrapping 1921
Melpomene (ex-Samos) — built by Fairfields, Govan, laid down 1914, launched February 1, 1915, completed August 16, 1915, sold for scrapping 1921