title: Sunfish-class destroyer
text: # Sunfish-class destroyer
  
  The Sunfish-class destroyers, also referred to as Opossum-class destroyers, was a group of three torpedo boat destroyers which served with the Royal Navy from the 1890s to the 1920s. They were all built by the Hebburn-on-Tyne shipyard of Hawthorn Leslie.
  
  ## Design
  
  Under the 1893–1894 Naval Estimates, the British Admiralty placed orders for 36 torpedo-boat destroyers, all to be capable of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph), the "27-knotters", as a follow-on to the six prototype "26-knotters" ordered in the previous 1892–1893 Estimates. As was typical for torpedo craft at the time, the Admiralty left detailed design to the builders, laying down only broad requirements.
  
  Powered by 8 Yarrow boilers, this was the same 8 boiler configuration originally used on HMS Hornet. The ships produced 4,000 hp (3,000 kW) and could make 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). They were armed with one twelve pounder gun and two torpedo tubes and carried a complement of 53 officers and men.
  
  ## History
  
  Ordered under the 1893-94 Programme, the contract was placed on 7 February 1894. All three "turtle-back" destroyers were laid down in 1894, launched in 1895 and completed in 1896.
  
  In September 1913 all three, like the other surviving 27-knotter destroyers, were re-classed as A Class destroyers.
  
  They served in Home waters throughout the First World War, and all three were sold for breaking up in 1920.
  
  ## Ships in class
  
  * HMS Sunfish
  * HMS Opossum
  * HMS Ranger
  