| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSTB81 |
| Builder | J. Samuel White,Cowes |
| Laid down | 1884 |
| Acquired | 1885 |
| Fate | Scrapped 1921 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 137 long tons (139 t) normal |
| Length | 153 ft 8.5 in (46.85 m)o/a |
| Beam | 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) |
| Draught | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) |
| Installed power | 1,300 ihp (970 kW) |
| Propulsion | 1 × three-cylinder compound steam engine |
| Speed | 23.75 kn (27.33 mph; 43.99 km/h) |
| Complement | 25 |
| Armament |
|
HMSTB 81, originally namedSwift, was atorpedo boat that served with the BritishRoyal Navy. She was built in 1884–1885 by the shipbuilder J Samuel White as a private venture, and was purchased for the Royal Navy in 1885, and was one of the largest torpedo boats of her time. She remained in service into theFirst World War, when she was employed as a patrol boat, finally being sold for scrap in 1921.
In 1884, the shipbuilderJ. Samuel White began work on a new,torpedo boat, namedSwift as a private venture (i.e. without an order from a customer).Swift was much larger than contemporary torpedo boats, and was intended to double as a "torpedo-boat catcher", to defend against enemy torpedo-boats, as an early form oftorpedo-boat destroyer.[1]
Swift was flush-decked, with a strengthened ram bow for ramming hostile torpedo boats.[2][3] The ship was 153 feet8+1⁄2 inches (46.85 m)long overall, 150 feet (45.72 m)between perpendiculars with abeam of 17 feet 6 inches (5.33 m) and adraught of 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m).[4]Displacement was 137 long tons (139 t) normal[5] and 166 long tons (169 t) full load.[6]
The ship was powered by a single three-cylindercompound steam engine,[6] rated at 1,300 indicated horsepower (970 kW).[5] This drove a single propeller shaft.[6]Swift reached a speed of 23.79 knots (27.38 mph; 44.06 km/h) duringsea trials,[6] which corresponded to a more realistic sea speed of 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) during service use.[5] Tandem rudders were fitted, allowingSwift to be the most manoeuvrable British torpedo boat of the time, despite being the largest, having a turning circle of 225 feet (69 m).[2] Two funnels were fitted, side-by-side, ahead of the ship'sconning tower.[4][6]
She was designed to carry differing armament suites depending on the role she was employed in. For the anti-torpedo boat role, the ship could carry six 3-pounder (47 mm) guns together with a 14-inch torpedo tube in the bow, while for the torpedo boat role, two more torpedo tubes could be carried at the expense of two of the guns. She had a crew of 25.[3]
A war scare with Russia in 1884–1885 led to large orders for new torpedo boats being placed, including 20 from Thornycroft, 22 from Yarrow and 5 from White, with these orders being supplemented by buying two boats building for Chile by Yarrow and buyingSwift, which was about to begin trials.[7][8]
After purchase, the Royal Navy was uncertain whether to completeSwift as a torpedo-boat catcher or as a normal torpedo boat, before deciding to use her as a torpedo boat, and fitting her with the appropriate armament of three torpedo tubes and four guns. She was renamedTB 81 in 1887.[3][6]
In August 1894TB 81 took part in that year's Naval Manoeuvres,[9] and in July 1896 again took part in the Manoeuvres,[10] while in 1897 she took place in the Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead.[11][12]
On 3 August 1901, during the 1901 Naval Manoeuvres,TB 81 was trying to intercept the prototype turbine-powered destroyerViper when both ships ran aground on the Renonquet reef offAlderney in theChannel Islands. WhileTB 81 was refloated and repaired,Viper was wrecked.[6][3]TB 81 was reboilered in 1905.[3] In April 1913,TB 81 was in commission with a nucleus crew atPortsmouth.[13]
TB 81 served as a patrol boat during theFirst World War, operating out ofPortsmouth andPortland, and being fitted withhydrophones anddepth charges.[6][3][14] On 15 May 1917,TB 81 was directed by aseaplane towards a submarine which the aircraft had spotted and attacked in the English Channel.TB 81 detected a possible submarine contact on her hydrophone, and waited until a submarine (possiblyUB-36 orUB-20) surfaced.TB 81 gave chase, and the submarine dived. The torpedo boat dropped a depth-charge and brought up a patch of oil. The attack was credited as a "possible" success by naval intelligence.[15]
TB 81 was paid off in 1919 and was sold for scrap to J. E. Thomas ofNewport on 22 October 1921.[6][14]