The Medina class were a development of the Rendel (or "flat-iron") gunboat, a series of small vessels with low freeboards that mounted a small number of relatively large guns. Although the Medinas were exceptionally provided with masts to extend their range and independence, in essence they were available for similar operations to their un-masted sisters; offensive action against shore defences. Their ungainly appearance led them to be described by the naval historian Antony Preston as "the most grotesque craft ever seen".[1] All 12 vessels of the class were built at Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company in Jarrow and were named after rivers. They were constructed entirely of iron and were fitted with an unusual bow rudder.
As built, ships of the class mounted three 6.3-inch (160-mm) 64-pdr 64-cwt muzzle-loading rifles. By 1892 Trent had been fitted with a pair of 4.7-inch quick-firing guns.
All the ships of the class were fitted with a pair of R and W Hawthorn 2-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engines of 60 nominal horsepower. They developed 310ihp, giving a speed of about NaNabbr=onNaNabbr=on.
All ships of the class were built with three masts and a barquentine rig of sails. Surviving members of the class had their sailing rig replaced by a pair of pole masts in the 1890s.[2]
Some of the ships of the class were appointed as tenders to battleships as soon as they were built: Medina tender to and Medway to, the gunnery school at Portsmouth. Spey was fitted in 1900 with three 4.7-inch guns for service at the gunnery school.[3]
Dee and Don served in the Mediterranean in 1886 as part of an International squadron dominated by the Royal Navy. They both remained at Malta in various capacities for the rest of their lives.[4] [5] Tay had her armament reduced to a single 9-pounder gun and by 1914 was a tender to, the Royal Navy barracks at Devonport.[6] Esk and Tweed both served in Hong Kong in the 1890s, being sold there in the 1900s.[7] [8]
In all cases the crews were not expected to live on board their cramped ships when not at sea. Instead their living space was provided in accommodation hulks or the battleships to which the gunboats were tenders.
| Name | Ship Builder | Launched | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 3 August 1876 | Sold at Bermuda in 1904. | ||
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 3 October 1876 | Sold at Bermuda in 1904. Sunk in St. George's harbour, her hull remains intact and can be seen breaking the water's surface at low tide. The ship is visible on satellite imagery at 32.3758°N -64.6869°W[9] | ||
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 3 October 1876 | Renamed Sabine as a diving tender in 1916, renamed Vivid in 1920 (or late 1919), sold to B Fryer, Sunderland in July 1922 | ||
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 5 October 1876 | Deleted c.1915 and sold in 1923 | ||
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 19 October 1876 | Sold to Stanlee Shipbreaking Company, Dover 22 October 1920 | ||
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 19 October 1876 | Sold to Harris Brothers, Bristol 9 July 1907 | ||
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 4 April 1877 | Used for torpedo instruction at Malta 1892–1902 and sold there on 10 July 1902 | ||
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 14 April 1877 | Used as a concrete barge at Malta 1906–08, converted to a lighter in 1911 and sold there in 1914 | ||
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 28 April 1877 | Sold at Hong Kong in April 1903 | ||
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 28 April 1877 | Diving tender in 1906, sold to Thos. W. Ward, Grays 30 August 1919, and arrived there 10 October 1919, but listed until 1921 and finally moved to Rainham, Kent to be broken up on 3 January 1923 | ||
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 23 August 1877 | Renamed Pembroke in September 1905, then Gannet in June 1917 as a diving tender. Sold to the Dover Shipbreaking Company on 21 February 1923 | ||
| Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow | 23 August 1877 | Sold at Hong Kong on 21 November 1905 |
The gunboats Dee and Don spent a number of years moored next to each other in Kalkara, Malta. This resulted in the Maltese expression id-di u d-do, which refers to two people who are frequently seen together.[10]