HMS Sprightly (1900)

"Sprightly" redirects here. For the Australian research ship, see RV Sprightly. For the island in Antarctica, see Sprightly Island.

HMS Sprightly was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was built speculatively by Laird, Son & Company, Birkenhead, pre-empting further orders for vessels of this type, and was purchased by the navy in 1901.

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Sprightly
Builder	Laird, Son & Co., Birkenhead
Laid down	20 June 1899
Launched	25 September 1900
Completed	March 1902
Fate	Scrapped, 1920
General characteristics
Class and type	Lively-class destroyer
Displacement	385 long tons (391 t)
Length	219 ft (67 m)
Beam	21.25 ft (6.5 m)
Draught	8 ft 7 in (2.6 m)
Propulsion	Vertical triple-expansion steam engines Coal-fired Normand boilers 6,250 hp (4,661 kW)
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Armament	1 × QF 12-pounder gun 5 × 6-pounder guns 3 × 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes

Construction

Sprightly arrived at Plymouth from Birkenhead in late November 1901 for tests and fitting of navy equipment.^[1] She was placed in the B division of the Fleet Reserve at Devonport in late March 1902.^[2]

In 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyers were to be grouped into classes designated by letters based on appearance.^[3][4] to provide some system to the naming of HM destroyers. "30 knotter" vessels with 4 funnels, were classified by the Admiralty as the B-class, the 3-funnelled, "30 knotters" became the C-class and the 2-funnelled ships the D-class). As a 4 funnel vessel Sprightly became a B-class.

Operational history

Sprightly was commissioned at Devonport by Commander Roger Keyes on 13 May 1902,^[5] with the crew of the destroyer Falcon, taking that ship's place in the instructional flotilla.^[6] She took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII.^[7]