The Talisman class were a quartet of destroyers ordered for the Ottoman Navy before the First World War, but were taken over in November 1914 and completed for the Royal Navy.
The Talismans were designed by Armstrong Whitworth for the Ottoman Navy, but were sub-contracted to Hawthorn Leslie and Company for building.[1] They displaced 1098LT. The ships had an overall length of 309feet, a beam of 28feet and a draught of 9feet. They were powered by three Parsons direct-drive steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Yarrow boilers. The turbines developed a total of 25000shp and gave a maximum speed of 32kn. The ships carried a maximum of 237LT of fuel oil. The ships' complement was 102 officers and ratings.[2] The hull form was considered particularly successful and was adopted for the V and W class of 1917, arguably the peak of destroyer development at the time.
The Talisman-class ships were heavily armed for their time, shipping five single QF 4adj=onNaNadj=on Mark IV guns. Two of the guns were side by side on the forecastle. The other guns were carried on the centreline; one between the first and second funnels, one after the searchlight platform and one on a bandstand on the quarterdeck. All the guns had half-shields.[2] The ships were designed to accommodate three above water twin mounts for 21inches torpedoes, but only two mounts were fitted in British service.[3]
Originally to have been renamed Napier, Narborough, Offa and Ogre respectively, they were re-allocated "T" names in February 1915.
| Name | Ship builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 December 1914 | 15 July 1915 | 1 January 1916 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. | ||
| 17 December 1914 | 26 August 1915 | 18 March 1916 | |||
| 1 July 1915 | 20 November 1915 | 24 March 1916 | |||
| 1915 | 5 January 1916 | May 1916 | Sunk by the German battleship during Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916. |