| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Bat |
| Builder: | Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow |
| Launched: | 7 October 1896 |
| Completed: | August 1897 |
| Fate: | Sold and broken up, 1919 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Star-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 390 long tons (396 t) light 440 long tons (447 t) full |
| Length: | 220 ft (67 m) o/a |
| Beam: | 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m) |
| Draught: | 7 ft 10 in (2.39 m) |
| Propulsion: | Reed boilers, triple expansion engines, 6,200 ihp (4,623 kW) |
| Speed: | 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Complement: | 63 |
| Armament: | • 1 × 12-pounder gun • 5 × 6-pounder guns • 2 × 18 in (460 mm) torpedo tubes |
HMS Bat was a Star-class destroyer, later called C-class destroyers of the Royal Navy, launched on 7 October 1896 and completed in August 1897.
The ship was built by Palmers and was one of six of this type constructed by the firm. It displaced 390 tons light (440 full) and its triple expansion engines developed 6,200 ihp, which gave it a top speed of 30 knots (56 km/h). It had a normal crew of 63 and an armament of one 12-pdr. and five 6-pdr. guns and had two 18-inch torpedo tubes. The Palmers ships were regarded as a success, keeping their speed well and being very manoeuvrable. They were wet forward, though.
The dimensions of the ship were 220 feet (67 m) overall length, 20.5 feet (6.2 m) width, and she drew 7 feet 10 inches (2.39 m) of water.
An unusual accident at high speed was caused by the failure of a connecting rod big end bearing bolt, leading to a piston coming loose through the cylinder cover, through the engine room hatches and being lost overboard.[1]
Bat was the ship of Roger Keyes when he pioneered aggressive new tactics for destroyers in the period 1901 to 1903. At that point it was part of the Devonport Destroyer Flotilla. Bat served mainly in home waters, but spent some time in the Mediterranean.
By the time of the First World War Bat was obsolescent, but performed useful service on coastal patrol around the British Isles.
Bat was sold and broken up in 1919.
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