Cadmus-class sloop
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HMS Merlin at a buoy in grey wartime paint
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| Class overview | |
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| Name: | Cadmus-class sloop |
| Builders: | Sheerness Dockyard |
| Operators: | |
| Preceded by: | Condor-class sloop |
| Succeeded by: | Flower-class sloop |
| Cost: |
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| Built: | 1900–1903 |
| In commission: | 1900–1925 |
| Completed: | 6 |
| Retired: | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Screw steel sloop |
| Displacement: | 1,070 long tons (1,087 t) |
| Length: | |
| Beam: | 33 ft (10.1 m) |
| Draught: | 11 ft 3 in (3.4 m) |
| Installed power: | 1,400 ihp (1,000 kW) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph) |
| Range: | 3,000 nmi (5,600 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) |
| Complement: | 150 |
| Armament: |
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The Cadmus class was a six-ship class of 10-gun screw steel sloops built for the Royal Navy between 1900 and 1903. This was the very last class of the Victorian Navy's multitude of sloops, gunvessels and gunboats to be constructed, and they followed the traditional pattern for 'colonial' small warships, with a full rig of sails. After them, the "Fisher Reforms" of the Navy ended the construction and deployment of this type of vessel. Most of the class survived until the 1920s, remaining on colonial stations during World War I.
The Cadmus class was constructed of copper-sheathed steel to a design by William White, the Royal Navy Director of Naval Construction. Propulsion was provided by a three-cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engine developing 1,400 horsepower (1,000 kW) and driving twin screws. They were an evolution of the Condor-class sloop, carrying more coal, which in turn gave a greater length and displacement. This class comprised the very last screw sloops built for the Royal Navy, and Espiegle was the last Royal Navy ship built with a figurehead, although photos of the other ships in this class also show them with figureheads.
As designed and built the class was fitted with a barquentine-rigged sail plan. After HMS Condor was lost in a gale in 1901, the Admiralty abandoned sails entirely.Espiegle was never fitted with sails, and the rest of the class had their yards removed in 1914. The official attitude to sails and the loss of yards did not completely prevent the use of sails, and log entries show that fore-and-aft sails were being used in Odin as late as April 1920.
The class was armed with six 4-inch/25-pounder (1ton) quick-firing breech loaders and four 3-pounder quick-firing breech loaders, as well as several machine guns.Fantome had her armament reduced to two QF 3-pounders for survey work.
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