Name HMS Earnest Completed November 1897 Displacement 395 long tons (401 t) Launched 7 November 1896 Draft 2.97 m | Laid down 2 March 1896 Fate Scrapped, 1920 Construction started 2 March 1896 Length 64 m Builder Cammell Laird | |
Class and type Earnest-class destroyer | ||
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.
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Design and construction
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.
Earnest was laid down at Laird's Birkenhead shipyard as Yard number 621 on 2 March 1896 and was launched on 7 November 1896. Earnest reached 30.13 knots (55.80 km/h; 34.67 mph) during sea trials. She was completed in November 1897.
Service
In 1897 Earnest was in reserve at Devonport. She was transferred to the Mediterranean Squadron in September 1898, and was in August 1901 recommissioned at Malta as tender to the battleship HMS Caesar. Earnest returned to Home waters in 1907.