Marksman class destroyer

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Marksman class leader

General characteristics
Displacement:	1,600 tons
Length:	321 ft
Beam:	31 ft 9 in
Draught:	11 ft
Propulsion:	Yarrow type boilers (White-Forster in Lightfoot), Parsons steam turbines (Brown-Curtis in Marksman, Nimrod), 3 shafts, 36,000 shp
Speed:	34 kts
Range:	510 tons oil, ?
Complement:	106 - 116
Armament:	4 x 4 in L/40 QF Mark VI, single mounting P Mk. XI 2 x QF 2 pdr pom-pom Mk. II, single mounting HA Mk. II 2 x twin tubes for 21 in torpedoes

The Marksman class (sometimes known as Lightfoot class^[1]) were a class of flotilla leaders built for the Royal Navy. Two each were ordered in the naval programmes of 1913-14 and 1914-15 with a further three being ordered under the Emergency War Programme and all saw service during World War I.

Like other British flotilla leader designs, these ships were significantly larger than the typical destroyers of the day, in order to accommodate the flotilla staff ("Captain (D)" in Royal Navy parlance) and the necessary additional signalling gear. All ships had four funnels, the foremost being taller (although it was later cut down post-war in Nimrod and Abdiel). They were armed with four QF 4 inch guns which were, significantly, under director control from the bridge (previous ships used independent local control for their guns). The guns were carried one each on the forecastle, between the first three funnels and on a bandstand on the quarterdeck. Abdiel and Gabriel were later fitted as fast minelayers, for which purposes they landed the after 4 inch gun and their torpedo tubes and were screened from the fourth funnel to the stern to give shelter to 60 to 70 mines. Nimrod and Kempenfelt later received QF 12 pdr (3 inch / 76 mm) 18 cwt^{[citation needed]} anti aircraft guns in place of one of the QF 2 pdr.

[edit] Ships

Two were ordered under the 1913-14 Programme.

Kempenfelt — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, laid down 2 October 1914, launched 1 May 1915, completed 20 August 1915, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
Lightfoot — built by J. Samuel White, Cowes, laid down 9 June 1914, launched 28 May 1915, completed 29 May 1915, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.

Two ordered under the 1914-15 Programme.

Marksman — built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Newcastle upon Tyne, laid down 20 July 1914, launched 28 April 1915, completed 18 November 1915, sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.
Nimrod — built by William Denny and Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 9 October 1914, launched 12 April 1915, completed 25 August 1915, sold for breaking up 5 November 1926.

Three ordered in November 1914 under the War Emergency Programme.

Abdiel — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, laid down 6 May 1915, launched 12 October 1915, completed 26 March 1915, sold for breaking up July 1936
Gabriel — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, laid down 12 January 1915, launched 23 December 1915, completed 1 July 1916, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
Ithuriel — built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, laid down 14 January 1915, launched 18 March 1916, completed 2 August 1916, sold for breaking up 8 November 1921.