HMS Speedwell (1889)

HMS Speedwell was a Sharpshooter-class torpedo gunboat of the British Royal Navy. She was built at Devonport Dockyard from 188–1890. She was converted to a minesweeper in 1909 and continued these duties during the First World War. Speedwell was sold for scrap in 1920.

Design and construction
The Sharpshooter-class was designed under the leadership of William Henry White, the Director of Naval Construction, to be faster and more seaworthy than the preceding prototype torpedo gunboat, HMS Rattlesnake (1886) and the three Grasshopper-class torpedo gunboats ships, while carrying a heavier armament. As torpedo gunboats, they were intended to defend the fleet from attack by torpedo-boats, while being capable of carrying out torpedo attacks themselves.

The Sharpshooters were larger than the preceding ships, with a raised forecastle to improve seakeeping. They were 242 ft long overall and 230 ft between perpendiculars, with a beam of 27 ft and a draught of 10 ft. Displacement was 735 LT. Two triple-expansion steam engines, fed by four locomotive boilers, drove two propeller shafts. The machinery was intended to produce 4500 ihp giving a speed of 21–22 kn. The use of locomotive boilers was not a success, with the machinery being unreliable and unable to provide the expected power. The machinery actually delivered 3600 ihp giving a speed of 18.7 kn when forced and 2500 ihp giving 16.5 kn under natural draft.

The ship was armed with two 4.7 inch (120 mm) QF guns mounted fore and aft on the ships centreline, backed up by four 3-pounder (47 mm) guns (two in single mounts on the ship's beam and two in casemates forward). Five 14-inch torpedo tubes were fitted (one fixed in the ship's bow and two twin mounts), with three reload torpedoes carried. The ship had a crew of 91.

Speedwell was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 12 April 1888 and launched on 15 March 1889. She was completed on 1 July 1890 at a cost of £52,000.

Service
In August 1894 Speedwell took part in that year's Naval Manoeuvres. She again took part in the Naval Manoeuvres in August the next year, where she suffered leaks in one of her high pressure pistons. Under the command of Commander William Benwell, she arrived at Sheerness dockyard from Scotland in September 1902 for a refit. She left for Scotland to join the Home Fleet the following month, and in November 1902 was at Queensferry during the visit of the German Imperial yacht SMY Hohenzollern.

Speedwell was refitted with Reed water-tube boilers in 1903. Speedwell was in reserve at Chatham in 1906 and joined the Home Fleet in 1907. On 14 December 1907 one of Speedwell's cutters capsized just off Sheerness Pier. Eight of the fourteen men aboard the cutter were drowned. In 1908 she underwent an extensive refit at Sheerness dockyard, with her boilers being re-tubed, and was converted to a minesweeper in 1908–1909.

First World War
On the outbreak of the First World War Speedwell joined the newly established Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow in Orkney. In August 1914, the minesweepers attached to the Grand Fleet, including Speedwell were employed on carrying out daily sweeps of the Pentland Firth. On 27 October, the battleship HMS Audacious (1912) struck a mine off Tory Island, north-west of Lough Swilly, and despite efforts to tow her to safety, sank later that day. As a result, Speedwell together with sister ships HMS Skipjack (1889) and HMS Seagull (1889) were ordered from Scapa Flow to join HMS Leda (1892) and HMS Circe (1892) in clearing this minefield.

On 16 July 1915, Speedwell and the gunboats HMS Circe (1892) and HMS Gossamer (1890) were on the way from Scapa Flow to carry out an anti-submarine patrol off Muckle Flugga when Speedwell spotted the German submarine U-41 250 yd off her port bow. Speedwell rammed the submarine, which turned over onto her side before disappearing. U-41 had both periscopes damaged and was forced to abort her patrol and return to home.

Speedwell was a member of the Second Fleet Sweeping Flotilla, based at Scapa Flow as part of the Grand Fleet, in July 1917.

Disposal
Speedwell was sold for scrap on 20 March 1920 to the Cornish Salvage Company of Ilfracombe.