HMS Earnest (1896)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | HMS Earnest |
| Builder: | Laird, Son & Co., Birkenhead |
| Laid down: | 2 March 1896 |
| Launched: | 7 November 1896 |
| Completed: | November 1897 |
| Fate: | Scrapped, 1920 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Earnest-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 395 long tons (401 t) |
| Length: | 210 ft (64 m) |
| Beam: | 21.5 ft (6.6 m) |
| Draught: | 9.75 ft (3.0 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Complement: | 63 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Earnest was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy, one of six to be built from the line. She was completed by Laird, Son & Company, Birkenhead, in 1896, after 609 days of construction. She was part of the new 30-knotters that were requested by the Admiralty, amid fears of foreign boats and their speeds the requirements were increased from 27 knots.
Earnest was ordered on 23 December 1896 as the first of six 30-knotter destroyers programmed to be built by Lairds under the 1895–1896 shipbuilding programme for the Royal Navy. These followed on from four very similar destroyers ordered from Lairds as part of the 1894–1895 programme.
Earnest was 218 feet (66.45 m) long overall and 213 feet (64.92 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 21 feet 6 inches (6.55 m) and a draught of 9 feet 9 inches (2.97 m). Displacement was 355 long tons (361 t) light and 415 long tons (422 t) full load. Like the other Laird-built 30-knotters, Locust was propelled by two triple expansion steam engines, fed by four Normand boilers, rated at 6,300 ihp (4,700 kW), and was fitted with four funnels.
Armament was the standard for the 30-knotters, i.e. a QF 12 pounder 12 cwt (3 in (76 mm) calibre) gun on a platform on the ship's conning tower (in practice the platform was also used as the ship's bridge), with a secondary armament of five 6-pounder guns, and two 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes. The ship had a crew of 63 officers and men.
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