HMS Spitfire (1895)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Spitfire
Namesake:	Spitfire
Ordered:	1893
Builder:	Armstrong Mitchell & Co., Elswick, Tyne and Wear
Laid down:	1894
Launched:	7 June 1895
Commissioned:	July 1895
Decommissioned:	1912
Fate:	Sold, 1912
General characteristics
Class and type:	Swordfish-class destroyer
Propulsion:	Yarrow boilers
Speed:	27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Armament:	1 × 12 pounder gun 2 × torpedo tubes

HMS Spitfire was one of two Swordfish-class destroyers which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched on June 7, 1895 by Armstrong Mitchell & Co. at Newcastle upon Tyne^[1] and sold off in 1912. Her fate is unknown.

Service history

Spitfire served in home waters. In early February 1900 she had repairs at Chatham, before joining the Medway instructional flotilla.^[2] She was tender to Wildfire, the shore establishment at Sheerness. She underwent repairs to re-tube her boilers in 1902.^[3] On 7 May 1902 she was commissioned as tender to the cruiser Immortalité, which itself served as a sea-going tender at Sheerness.^[4]

References

Notes

1. The Times (London), Saturday, June 8, 1895, p.8
2. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36065). London. 14 February 1900. p. 11.
3. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36767). London. 14 May 1902. p. 12.
4. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36761). London. 7 May 1902. p. 10.

References

• Manning, Captain T.D. The British Destroyer. Godfrey Cave Associates. ISBN 0-906223-13-X.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.