~ Original Ships Whistle From 1907 Torpedo Boat HMS Dragonfly TB2 Mounted As A Candlestick ~
The neck is engraved HMS TB No. 2.
~ HMS Dragonfly ~
HMS Dragonfly, part of the Cricket class, served from 1907 to 1920 and was built by J. Samuel White.
The Cricket class and following classes of coastal destroyers were a series of small torpedo boat destroyers (TBD’s) intended to complement the Royal Navy’s Tribal-class destroyers. The thirty-six vessels which broadly comprised this group actually consisted of several distinct classes, as each contractor built to their own designs, and even single contractor’s designs evolved from year to year.
The first twelve vessels (comprising White’s Cricket class, Thornycroft’s Gadfly class and Yarrow’s Mayfly class) were ordered in 1905 and launched in early 1906. In practice they were not strong enough for open ocean operations and were reclassified as 1st class torpedo boats. These first twelve had been given names but in October 1906 – after the first two vessels ran trials but before any had been delivered – all were then given the numbers TB 1 to TB 12 and their names were withdrawn.
By 1914 all boats were serving in North Sea Patrol Flotillas or the Nore Local Defence Flotilla.
J Samuel White’s torpedo boats of the 1905–1906 shipbuilding programme were 178 feet 0 inches (54.25 m) long overall and 175 feet 0 inches (53.34 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 17 feet 6 inches (5.33 m) and a draught of 6 feet 1 1⁄2 inches (1.867 m). Displacement was 247 long tons (251 t) normal and 272 long tons (276 t) deep load. The ships had turtleback forecastles and two funnels. Two oil-fuelled Yarrow water-tube boilers fed steam to three-stage Parsons steam turbines, driving three propeller shafts. The machinery was designed to gave 3,600 shaft horsepower (2,700 kW), with a speed of 26 knots (30 mph; 48 km/h) specified.
Armament consisted of two 12-pounder (76-mm) 12 cwt guns, and three 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes (in three single mounts). The ships had a crew of 39.
~ Condition ~
The silver plating is heavily worn and tarnished. One of the ball feet is missing.
~ Dimensions ~
The piece stands at 18 cm (7 inches) tall, the base is 15 cm (6 inches) wide by 13.5 cm (5.25 inches) deep.
POHC#9396
