River class torpedo boat destroyer

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Class overview
HMAS Torrens
Name:	River
Operators:	Royal Australian Navy
Completed:	6
General characteristics
Type:	torpedo boat destroyer
Displacement:	700 tons (standard)
Length:	246 feet (first group) 251 feet (second group)
Beam:	24 feet 6 inches
Draught:	8 feet
Propulsion:	Parsons turbines 13,000 shp
Speed:	27 knots
Range:	189 tons oil, 2,410 miles at 15 knots
Complement:	66
Armament:	1 × 4 in QF gun 3 × 12-pdr QF guns 3 × 18 in torpedo tubes
Notes:	Ships in class include: First Group HMAS Parramatta (D-55) HMAS Warrego (D-70) HMAS Yarra (D-79) Second Group HMAS Huon (D-50) HMAS Swan (D-61) HMAS Torrens (D-67)

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

The River class was to a class of torpedo boat destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy built just prior to World War I. These ships were the first order of new ships for the infant Commonwealth Naval Forces, and were built as a part of a scheme for local naval defence incorporating destroyers and submarines. This scheme was overtaken by the Fleet Unit scheme at the 1909 Imperial conference. All six ships of the class were named after famous Australian rivers (one from each state), starting a tradition in the RAN of naming ships after the rivers of Australia.

The first two ships were ordered by the Commonwealth government from British shipyards, with a third ordered in parts for assembly at the Cockatoo Island dockyard in Sydney, NSW. Subsequently three additional ships were ordered to be built at Cockatoo, and were completed during the war.

The following story was printed in the Sydney Evening News on the 15 March, 1909.

""NUCLEUS OF A NAVY. TENDERS FOR TORPEDO-BOAT DESTROYERS". Then followed:

"MELBOURNE, Saturday,

Senator Pearce, Minister for Defence, today announced that he had accepted tenders for the construction of two torpedo boat destroyers of the River class, with materials for the third to be put together in Australia. The contractors ark William Denny and Bros., of Leven Shipbuilding Yards, Dumbarton, near Glasgow, and the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. , Ltd. , of Govan, Glasgow. Professor Byles, Consulting Naval Architect to the British Admiralty and Professor of Naval Architecture at Glasgow University, has been engaged to super¬vise the construction of the vessels. The details of the contracts are to be drawn up in London by Captain Collins and Engineer-Commander Clarkson and submitted to the Commonwealth legal representatives in London.

The prices to be paid are £82, 500 each for the completed destroyers, including armaments to be delivered on board the vessel in England. This includes the armament for the third destroyer.

The first vessel is to be completed in 14 months, the second in 15, and the prepared materials in 12 months from the date of the signing of the contract. The completed destroyers will voyage to Australia under their own steam.

The firms accepting the contract have agreed to employ certain selected men, not fewer than 12 and nor more than 20, to be nominated by the Commonwealth and sent home from Australia. They will be paid the ordinary English rates of wages by the contrac¬tors, and the Commonwealth will pay them the difference between the English rate and the rates ruling in Australia, special allowance being made for married men in view of the fact that they have to maintain two homes.. It is proposed to make a selection of men from applications sent in, and it is hoped to secure men following a number of different trades. The amount of the difference between the rates of wages ruling in Australia, and in the United Kingdom will be paid into a trust fund and its payment to the men will be contingent on their remaining in the service of the Commonwealth, and so giving the Commonwealth the benefit of their tuition for a reasonable time.

Captain Creswell, Naval Director, has suggested that a draughtsman should also be sent. He is now dealing with a number of applications that have been sent in by men desirous of being engaged for this work.

With reference to the third destroyer, it is proposed by the Minister for Defence to approach the New South Wales Government to ascertain if it is prepared to undertake the work of putting the material together at the Government docks in Sydney, and if so, upon what conditions. The present Government prefers to have the work done in state dockyards rather than private yards, as it is believed if Parliament sanctions a further naval building programme it might be thought necessary by any subsequent Government to take over the dockyards provided that the New South Wales Government was willing, which is understood to be the case. If the New South Wales Government is not I pre pared to undertake the work the original proposition of establishing commonwealth shipbuilding yards will be considered."