Beagle-class destroyer

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Not to be confused with Beagle-class sloop. For other uses, see G-class destroyer (disambiguation).

Class overview
HMS Scourge at Mudros, May 1916
Name:	Beagle-class (or G-class) destroyer
Builders:	John Brown & Company J. Samuel White & Company Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company William Denny & Brothers Cammell Laird & Company Harland & Wolff R. W. Hawthorn Leslie & Company John I. Thornycroft & Company
Operators:	Royal Navy
Preceded by:	Tribal class
Succeeded by:	Acorn class
Built:	1909 – 1910
In commission:	1910 – 1921
Completed:	16
Lost:	3
General characteristics
Displacement:	860–940 long tons (874–955 t)
Length:	275 ft (83.8 m)
Beam:	27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Draught:	8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
Installed power:	12,500 hp (9,300 kW)
Propulsion:	Coal-fired boilers, 2 or 3 shaft steam turbines
Speed:	27 knots (50.0 km/h; 31.1 mph)
Complement:	96
Armament:	1 × BL 4-inch (102 mm) L/40 Mark VIII guns, mounting P Mark V 3 × QF 12 pdr 12 cwt Mark I, mounting P Mark I 2 × single 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes

The Beagle class (officially redesignated as the G class in 1913) was a class of sixteen destroyers of the Royal Navy, all ordered under the 1908-1909 programme and launched in 1909 and 1910. The Beagles served during World War I, particularly during the Dardanelles Campaign of 1915.

After the oil-burning Tribal or F class of 1905 and HMS Swift of 1907, the Beagles marked a return to a smaller, more useful design, although still significantly larger than the River or E class. The Admiralty had concern over the availability of oil stocks in the event of a war, so the Beagles were coal-burners, the last British destroyers to be so fueled.

Unlike their predecessors, the Beagles had a more-or-less uniform appearance, with three funnels, although thicknesses varied between ships according to builders' preferences. Although designed to carry five 12-pounder guns, they had the 4-inch (102 mm) gun (introduced in the last of the Tribals) and only three 12-pounder guns, and the 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo (introduced in the singleton Swift) fitted as standard. Importantly, the 12-pounder guns were redistributed, the guns mounted at the fo'c'sle break, which had been standard since the first torpedo boat destroyers, and were prone to being swamped in heavy seas being relocated amidships. Additional improvements included a higher bridge and taller bandstand mount for the 4-inch (102 mm) gun on the fo'c'sle to improve the ability to fight and con the ship in heavy seas.

Being coal-fired, they were obsolete by the end of the First World War and the surviving ships were all scrapped by the end of 1921.

Ships

Beagle — built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, launched 16 October 1909, sold for breaking up 1 November 1921.
Bulldog — built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, launched 13 November 1909, sold for breaking up 21 September 1920.
Foxhound — built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, launched 11 December 1909, sold for breaking up 1 November 1921.
Harpy — built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, launched 27 November 1909, sold for breaking up 1 November 1921.
Basilisk — built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, launched 9 February 1910, sold for breaking up 1 November 1921.
Grasshopper — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, launched 22 October 1909, sold for breaking up 1 November 1921.
Mosquito — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, launched 27 January 1910, sold for breaking up 31 August 1920.
Scorpion — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, launched 19 February 1910, sold for breaking up 26 October 1921.
Nautilus — built by Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Bow Creek, launched 30 March 1910, renamed Grampus 16 December 1913, sold for breaking up 21 September 1920.
Pincher — built by William Denny & Brothers, Dumbarton, launched 15 March 1910, wrecked on Seven Stones reef, Land's End 24 July 1918.
Renard — built by Cammell Laird & Company, Birkenhead, launched 13 November 1909, sold for breaking up 31 August 1920.
Wolverine — built by Cammell Laird & Company, Birkenhead, launched 15 January 1910, sunk in collision with sloop Rosemary in Lough Foyle 12 December 1917.
Racoon — built by Cammell Laird & Company, Birkenhead, launched 15 February 1910, wrecked on Irish coast 9 January 1918 during blizzard.
Rattlesnake — built by Harland & Wolff, Glasgow, launched 14 March 1910, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
Savage — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston, launched 10 March 1910, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
Scourge — built by R. W. Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn, launched 11 February 1910, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.

References

Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981, Maurice Cocker, 1983, Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-1075-7

v t e Beagle-class (G-class) destroyer

Basilisk Beagle Bulldog Foxhound Grasshopper Harpy Mosquito Nautilus Pincher Racoon Rattlesnake Renard Savage Scorpion Scourge Wolverine

Preceded by: Tribal class Followed by: Acorn class List of destroyers of the Royal Navy

v t e British naval ship classes of the First World War

Aircraft/Seaplane carriers	Anne^S Argus^S Ark Royal^S Ben-my-Chree^S Campania^S Empress^S Engadine^S Furious^M Manxman^S Nairana^S Pegasus^S Raven II^S Riviera^S Vindex^S Vindictive^S

Dreadnought battleships	Dreadnought^S Bellerophon St. Vincent Neptune^S Colossus Orion King George V Erin^S Agincourt^S Iron Duke Canada^S Queen Elizabeth Revenge

Pre-dreadnought battleships	Royal Sovereign Majestic Canopus Formidable Duncan King Edward VII Swiftsure Lord Nelson

Battlecruisers	Invincible Indefatigable Lion Queen Mary^S Tiger^S Renown Courageous Admiral^S^C Incomparable^X

Armoured cruisers	Cressy Drake Monmouth Devonshire Duke of Edinburgh Warrior Minotaur

Heavy cruisers	Hawkins

Light cruisers	Town^G Arethusa C^{G, C} Danae^C Emerald^A

Protected cruisers	Apollo Astraea Eclipse Blake Pearl Edgar Powerful Diadem Arrogant Pelorus Highflyer Challenger Topaze

Scout cruisers	Adventure Forward Pathfinder Sentinel Boadicea Blonde Active

Destroyer flotilla leaders	Swift^S Faulknor Marksman Parker Admiralty (or Scott)^C Thornycroft (or Shakespeare)^C

Destroyers	A^G B^G C^G D^G E^G F Cricket^G G H I K L Admiralty M Hawthorn M Thornycroft M Yarrow M Yarrow Later M R^G S^{G, C} Talisman V and W^{G, C}

Monitors	Marshal Ney Abercrombie Lord Clive Humber Gorgon M15 M29 Erebus

Minesweepers	Flower Racecourse Hunt 24^C

Gunboats	Fly Insect

Submarines	A B C D E F G H^C J K L^C M^C R^C Swordfish^S V

S Single ship of class C One or more completed after the war X Cancelled G Grouping of several classes A All completed after the war V Conversions M converted from Courageous class

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Beagle-class destroyer

Ships

References

See also