River class destroyer

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For other naval ship classes of the same name, see River class.

River or E class

General Characteristics
Displacement:	550 tons
Length:	225 ft
Beam:	23 ft 6 in
Draught:	10 ft
Propulsion:	Vertical triple expansion steam engines, 2 shafts, 7,500 ihp
Speed:	25.5 kts
Range:	120 tons coal, ?
Complement:	70
Armament:	4 x QF 12 pdr 12 cwt Mark I, mounting P Mark I, 2 x single tubes for 18 in torpedoes

The River or E class destroyer was a class of torpedo boat destroyer (TBD) built for the Royal Navy at the turn of the 20th century that saw extensive service in World War I. All the ships were named after British rivers, and as such were the first Royal Navy destroyer class to be named systematically (see the article naming conventions for destroyers of the Royal Navy for more details).

In the River design can be seen the genesis of the "true destroyer", with the typical weatherly raised forecastle and a balanced armament of guns and torpedoes. This was a departure from previous British designs that had a low "turtleback" forecastle, which, although intended to clear the bows, caused them to dig in to the sea, resulting in a very wet conning position. As a result of this, and with a general increase in size and more solid construction, the Rivers became the first truly ocean going and useful TBDs in Royal Navy service. Despite making only 25 knots (previous classes had made 27 to 30 knots), the increased seaworthiness meant that they could maintain this speed into a sea and that they remained workable and fightable at the same time. All ships had either two broad funnels or two pairs of narrow funnels. The armament was improved over earlier classes to four QF 12 pounder guns, carried on a bandstand on the forecastle, two sided abreast the wheelhouse at main deck level and the fourth gun aft. The torpedo tubes were carried singly, one between the funnels and one aft.

All ships were coal fired and had triple expansion steam engines, except Eden, Stour and Test which were powered by steam turbines. Eden had three screws on each of her two shafts to transmit the power at the high revolutions of the direct drive turbines.

All ships surviving the war were sold out of service by 1920.

[edit] Ships

Arun — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, completed 1903
Blackwater — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, completed 1903
Boyne — built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Newcastle upon Tyne, completed 1904
Chelmer — built by J I Thornycroft, Woolston, conmpleted 1904
Cherwell — built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Limited, Jarrow, completed 1903
Colne — built by Thornycroft, Woolston, completed 1904
Dee — built by Palmers, Jarrow, completed 1905
Derwent — built by Hawthorn Leslie, Newcastle upon Tyne, completed 1904, mined and sunk off of Le Havre May 2, 1917
Doon — built by Hawthorn Leslie, Newcastle upon Tyne, completed 1904
Eden — built by Hawthorn Leslie, Newcastle upon Tyne, completed 1903, rammed and sunk by SS France in English Channel June 17, 1916
Erne — built by Palmers, Jarrow, completed 1903, wrecked off Rattray Head February 6, 1915
Ettrick — built by Palmers, Jarrow, completed 1903
Exe — built by Palmers, Jarrow, completed 1903
Foyle — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, completed 1903, mined and sunk in Straits of Dover March 15, 1917
Gala — built by Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun, completed 1905, collided and sank with C class destroyer Tiger 1908
Garry — built by Yarrow, Scotstoun, completed 1905
Itchen — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, completed 1903, torpedoed and sank by U-boat in North Sea July 6, 1917
Jed — built by Thornycroft, Woolston, completed 1904
Kale — built by Hawthorn Leslie, Newcastle upon Tyne, completed 1904, mined and sunk in North Sea March 27, 1918
Kennet — built by Thornycroft, Woolston, completed 1903
Liffey — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, completed 1904
Moy — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, completed 1904
Ness — built by J. Samuel White, Cowes, completed 1905
Nith — built by White, Cowes, completed 1905
Ouse — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, completed 1905
Ribble — built by Yarrow, Scotstoun, completed 1905
Rother — built by Palmers, Jarrow, completed 1904
Stour — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, completed 1909
Swale — built by Palmers, Jarrow, completed 1905
Test — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, completed 1909
Teviot — built by Yarrow, Scotstoun, completed 1903
Ure — built by Palmers, Jarrow, completed 1904
Usk — built by Yarrow, Scotstoun, completed 1903
Waveney — built by Hawthorn Leslie, Newcastle upon Tyne, completed 1903
Welland — built by Palmers, Jarrow, completed 1905
Wear — built by Yarrow, Scotstoun, completed 1904