The Thornycroft Torpedo Boat Destroyers, HMS Daring, Decoy, Bruiser, Ardent. and HMS Boxer, although classed here as two different class were in fact the same except for the first two having fitted a bow torpedo tube which was proved to be useless and caused many problems these were later removed. but for all tense and purposes, they are the same class.

Daring Class. Torpedo Boat destroyers, Differed from the Ardent Class by having a Bow Torpedo tube, All built by Thornycroft.  Displacement: 260 tons,  Speed: 27 knots,  (Daring reaching 28.21 Knots on her trials)  Crew: varied from 46 to 53.  Armament: One 12 - pounder Gun plus three Torpedo Tubes, (one in Bow) .It was noted these boats were stronger built compared to the yarrow Boats.

  HMS Daring  Built by Thornycroft, Laid down July 1892 , launched 25th November and completed February 1895.  Broken up 1912.  

HMS Daring, 1895.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP1475

HMS Daring, 1895.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP1476

HMS Daring.

HMS Daring pictured pre 1896.

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HMS Daring of the Portsmouth Flotilla.

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HMS Decoy, 1895.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP1477

Ardent Class

Torpedo Boat destroyers, Differed from the Daring Class by being larger and only having two torpedo tubes, All built by Thornycroft.  Displacement: 265 tons,  Speed: 27 knots,  (Boxer  reaching a record for this type of boat of 29.08  Knots on her trials)  Crew: varied from 46 to 53.  Armament: One 12 - pounder Gun plus two Torpedo Tubes, .It was noted these boats were stronger built compared to the yarrow Boats.

HMS Ardent.  Built by Thornycroft. and laid down in July 1893 and launched 9th December 1893 and completed March 1895.

HMS Boxer, Built by Thornycroft. and laid down in March 1894 and launched 28th November 1894 and completed June 1895

HMS Bruiser Built by Thornycroft. and laid down in April 1894 and launched 27th February 1895 and completed Aug 1895

HMS Ardent.    ©Walker Archive

The Torpedo Boat Destroyer Ardent at Malta

The Ardent was attached to the Mediterranean Fleet during the 1890s as tender to the flagship Ramillies, with the idea of being used among other things, for the training of as many as possible of the stokers of the Fleet in the management of water tube boilers. She was a 27 kt torpedo boat destroyer of 250 tons displacement 4,500 horsepower, built at Thornycroft at Chiswick in 1894. Her top speed was in excess of her nominal best speed - practically 28 knots and over. The Ardent, to fulfill her special purpose, carried a 12 pdr quick-firing gun forward, mounted above the conning tower, and five 6 pdrs also quick-firers mounted on the broadside and aft, she also had two torpedo tubes, and was manned by 45 officers and men.

On the Deck of the Ardent

A view of the men of the company of the Ardent on duty on deck.

Commander Mundy of the Ardent and his Officers

The photograph shows officers of the torpedo boat destroyer Ardent with Commander G H B Mundy, in command of the vessel, seated in the centre. An interesting feature of this photograph is the tablet shown behind the officers recording the battle services, which in the Naval annuls stand to the credit of the man-of-war name Ardent. This photograph is of the fifth ship of the name and the tablet records the two noteworthy events in which Ardent figured - commemorating the presence of an Ardent - the third of the name (a 64 gun ship), in battle with Duncan at Camperdown in 1797, and with Nelson at Copenhagen four years later. After Copenhagen, indeed, Lord Nelson himself on the day following the fight went on board the Ardent and personally congratulated the captain on the way he had fought his ship. The appropriate motto of this Ardent, which appeared on the tablet, was this "Death rather than disgrace".

HMS Boxer, with HMS Bruiser following.

HMS Boxer, 1895.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP1478

HMS Boxer and HMS Bruiser.