Fervent-class destroyer

Two Fervent-class destroyers served with the Royal Navy.

Under the 1893–1894 Naval Estimates, the British Admiralty placed orders for 36 torpedo-boat destroyers, all to be capable of 27 kn, 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.

HMS Fervent (1895) and HMS Zephyr (1895) were designed and built by Hanna Donald in 1895. The ships displaced 275 tons and were 200 ft long. Their locomotive (later Reed) boilers generated 3,850 shp which produced a top speed of between 26 and 27 knots. As was usual with ships of their type, they carried one 12-pounder, two torpedo tubes and had a complement of 53 officers and men.

Both ships served in home waters. They originally were designed with one funnel but when they failed to reach their contract speed they were reboilered with four funnels. Due to these problems, the ships did not leave their builders until 1901.

In September 1913 the Admiralty re-classed all the surviving 27-knotter destroyers, including Fervent and Zephyr as A Class destroyers.