HMS Speedwell (1889)

The Sharpshooter-class was designed under the leadership of William Henry White, the Director of Naval Construction, to be faster and more seaworthy than the preceding prototype torpedo gunboat, {{HMS|Rattlesnake|1886|2}} and the three {{sclass|Grasshopper|torpedo gunboats|4}} ships, while carrying a heavier armament.{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|pp=30–32}} As torpedo gunboats, they were intended to defend the fleet from attack by torpedo-boats, while being capable of carrying out torpedo attacks themselves.{{Harvnb|Chesneau|Kolesnik|1979|p=87}}

The Sharpshooters were larger than the preceding ships, with a raised forecastle to improve seakeeping.{{Harvnb|Chesneau|Kolesnik|1979|p=89}}{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=32}} They were {{convert|242|ft|0|in|m}} long overall and {{convert|230|ft|m|0}} between perpendiculars, with a beam of {{convert|27|ft|0|in|m}} and a draught of {{convert|10|ft|7|in|m}}.{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=288}} Displacement was {{convert|735|LT|t}}.{{#tag:ref|While most sources list displacement as {{convert|735|LT|t}},{{harvnb|Brown|2003|p=115}}{{harvnb|Jane|1906|p=81}}{{harvnb|Brassey|1895|p=215}} Friedman gives a displacement of {{convert|828|LT|t}} normal and {{convert|1070|LT|t}} full load.|group=lower-alpha}} Two triple-expansion steam engines, fed by four locomotive boilers, drove two propeller shafts. The machinery was intended to produce {{convert|4500|ihp|kW}} giving a speed of {{convert|21–22|kn|mph km/h}}.{{Harvnb|Friedman|2009|p=31}} The use of locomotive boilers was not a success, with the machinery being unreliable and unable to provide the expected power. The machinery actually delivered {{convert|3600|ihp|kW}} giving a speed of {{convert|18.7|kn|mph km/h}} when forced and {{convert|2500|ihp|kW}} giving {{convert|16.5|kn|mph km/h}} under natural draft.

The ship was armed with two 4.7 inch (120 mm) QF guns mounted fore and aft on the ships centreline, backed up by four 3-pounder (47 mm) guns (two in single mounts on the ship's beam and two in casemates forward). Five 14-inch torpedo tubes were fitted (one fixed in the ship's bow and two twin mounts), with three reload torpedoes carried. The ship had a crew of 91.

Speedwell was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 12 April 1888 and launched on 15 March 1889. She was completed on 1 July 1890 at a cost of £52,000.

In August 1894 Speedwell took part in that year's Naval Manoeuvres.{{Harvnb|Brassey|1895|pp=62–63, 67}} She again took part in the Naval Manoeuvres in August the next year, where she suffered leaks in one of her high pressure pistons.{{cite magazine|title=Naval Matters—Past and Prospective|magazine=The Marine Engineer |date=September 1895|volume=XVII|page=232}} Under the command of Commander William Benwell, she arrived at Sheerness dockyard from Scotland in September 1902 for a refit.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence|date=22 September 1902 |page=8 |issue=36879}} She left for Scotland to join the Home Fleet the following month,{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence|date=22 October 1902 |page=9 |issue=36905}} and in November 1902 was at Queensferry during the visit of the German Imperial yacht SMY Hohenzollern.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The German Emperor |date=21 November 1902 |page=5 |issue=36931}}

Speedwell was refitted with Reed water-tube boilers in 1903.{{harvnb|Moore|1990|p=65}} Speedwell was in reserve at Chatham in 1906 and joined the Home Fleet in 1907.{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=19}} On 14 December 1907 one of Speedwell{{'}}s cutters capsized just off Sheerness Pier. Eight of the fourteen men aboard the cutter were drowned.{{cite magazine|title=Naval Matters—Past and Prospective: Sheerness Dockyard|magazine=The Marine Engineer and Naval Architect|date=January 1908|volume=XXX|page=211}} In 1908 she underwent an extensive refit at Sheerness dockyard, with her boilers being re-tubed,{{cite magazine|title=Naval Matters—Past and Prospective: Sheerness Dockyard|magazine=The Marine Engineer and Naval Architect|date=May 1908|volume=XXX|page=402}} and was converted to a minesweeper in 1908–1909.

On the outbreak of the First World War Speedwell joined the newly established Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow in Orkney.{{Harvnb|Jellicoe|1919|pp=7–9}} In August 1914, the minesweepers attached to the Grand Fleet, including Speedwell were employed on carrying out daily sweeps of the Pentland Firth.{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 23|1924|p=53}} On 27 October, the battleship {{HMS|Audacious|1912|2}} struck a mine off Tory Island, north-west of Lough Swilly, and despite efforts to tow her to safety, sank later that day.{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 24|1924|pp=131–133}}{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|pp=141–142}} As a result, Speedwell together with sister ships {{HMS|Skipjack|1889|2}} and {{HMS|Seagull|1889|2}} were ordered from Scapa Flow to join {{HMS|Leda|1892|2}} and {{HMS|Circe|1892|2}} in clearing this minefield.{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 24|1924|p=134}}

On 16 July 1915, Speedwell and the gunboats {{HMS|Circe|1892|2}} and {{HMS|Gossamer|1890|2}} were on the way from Scapa Flow to carry out an anti-submarine patrol off Muckle Flugga when Speedwell spotted the German submarine U-41 {{convert|250|yd|m}} off her port bow. Speedwell rammed the submarine, which turned over onto her side before disappearing. U-41 had both periscopes damaged and was forced to abort her patrol and return to home.{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 30|1926|pp=27–28}}

Speedwell was a member of the Second Fleet Sweeping Flotilla, based at Scapa Flow as part of the Grand Fleet, in July 1917.{{Harvnb| Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939|pp=292–294}}

Speedwell was sold for scrap on 20 March 1920 to the Cornish Salvage Company of Ilfracombe.{{Harvnb|Dittmar|Colledge|1972|p=107}}

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|editor-last=Brassey|editor-first=T. A.|title=The Naval Annual 1895|year=1895|publisher= J Griffin and Co.|location=Portsmouth, UK}}
• {{cite book|last=Brown|first=D. K.|title= Warrior to Dreadnought: Warship Development 1860–1905|year=2003|publisher=Chatham Publishing|location=London|isbn=1-84067-5292}}
• {{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Les |title=Royal Navy Torpedo Vessels |date=2023 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-1-3990-2285-9}}
• {{cite book|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|editor2-last=Kolesnik|editor2-first=Eugene M.|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905|year=1979|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-133-5}}
• {{cite book|last=Corbett|first=Julian S.|title=Naval Operations: Volume II|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.523436|series=History of the Great War|publisher=Longmans, Green and Co.|year=1921|location=London}}
• {{cite book|last1=Dittmar|first1=F. J.|last2=Colledge|first2=J. J.|title=British Warships 1914–1919|year=1972|publisher=Ian Allan|location=Shepperton, UK|isbn=0-7110-0380-7}}
• {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War|year=2009|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-049-9}}
• {{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Gray|editor2-first=Randal|title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-245-5}}
• {{cite book|editor-last=Jane|editor-first=Fred T.|title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1906/7|year=1970|publisher=David & Charles (Publishers)|location=Newton Abbot, UK|orig-year=Originally published 1906 by Sampson Low Marston: London|isbn=0-7153-4715-2|ref={{harvid|Jane|1906}} }}
• {{cite book|last=Jellicoe|first=John|title=The Grand Fleet 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development and Work|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.41761|year=1919|publisher=Cassell & Company|location=London}}
• {{cite book|editor-last=Leyland|editor-first=John|title=The Naval Annual 1901|year=1901|publisher= J Griffin and Co.|location=Portsmouth, UK}}
• {{cite book|last=Massie|first=Robert K.|title=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War at Sea|year=2007|publisher=Vintage Books|location=London|isbn=978-0-099-52378-9}}
• {{cite book|title= Monograph No. 23: Home Waters Part I: From the Outbreak of War to 27 August 1914 |series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= X|year=1924|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.X_opt.pdf|ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 23|1924}} }}
• {{cite book|title= Monograph No. 24: Home Waters Part II: September and October 1914|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= XI|year=1924|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XI_opt.pdf |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 24|1924}} }}
• {{cite book|title= Monograph No. 28: Home Waters Part III: From November 1914 to the end of January 1915|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= XII|year=1925|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XII_opt.pdf |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 28|1925}} }}
• {{cite book|title= Monograph No. 30: Home Waters Part V: From July to October 1915|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= XIV|year=1926|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XIV_opt.pdf |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 30|1926}} }}
• {{cite book|title= Monograph No. 35: Home Waters Part IX: 1st May 1917 to 31st July 1917|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= XIX|year=1939|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url= http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XIX_opt.pdf|ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 35|1939}} }}
• {{cite book|last=Moore|first=John|title=Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I|year=1990|publisher=Studio Editions|location=London|isbn=1-85170-378-0}}

{{Sharpshooter class torpedo gunboat}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Speedwell (1889)}}

Category:Sharpshooter-class torpedo gunboats

Category:Ships built in Plymouth, Devon

Category:1889 ships