HMS Decoy |
|
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Decoy |
| Builder: | John I. Thornycroft & Company, Chiswick |
| Launched: | 7 February 1894 |
| Fate: | Sunk in collision, 13 August 1904 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Daring-class torpedo boat destroyer |
| Displacement: | 260 long tons (260 t) |
| Length: | 185 ft (56 m) |
| Beam: | 19 ft (5.8 m) |
| Draught: | 6 ft (1.8 m) |
| Installed power: | 4,200 hp (3,100 kW) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × 4-cylinder, triple expansion steam engines |
| Speed: | 27 kn (31 mph; 50 km/h) |
| Crew: | 46-53 |
| Armament: | 1 × 12 pdr (5.4 kg) gun, 3 × 6 pdr (2.7 kg) guns, 3 × 18 in (460 mm) torpedo tubes [1] |
HMS Decoy was a Daring-class torpedo boat destroyer which served with the Royal Navy.
She was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company at Chiswick and was launched on 7 February 1894. [1]
Although fitted with multiple torpedo tubes, her bow tube proved useless in practice as — while running at high attack speeds — the ship was prone to overtake its own torpedo. The clumsy tube also reduced living quarters and made the bridge very prone to flooding.
Decoy was lost in a collision with Arun off the Scilly Islands on 13 August 1904[2] while taking part in night exercises.[3] One man was killed while the remaining 40 members of the crew were rescued by Arun and Sturgeon. [3]
Courts martial regarding the sinking were subsequently assembled aboard the battleship Conqueror. The first, on 22 August[4], attributed blame on the commander of Arun. The second, an appeal, was held on 30 August[5], and dismissed the charge of neglect but confirmed the charge of hazarding both vessels.
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