L class destroyer (1913)
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HMS Loyal, October 1914
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Laforey- or L-class destroyer |
| Operators: |
 Royal Navy
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| Preceded by: | Acasta class |
| Succeeded by: | Admiralty M class |
| Completed: | 22 |
| Lost: | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Destroyer |
| Displacement: | 965–1,010 long tons (980–1,026 t) |
| Length: | 268 ft 10 in (81.94 m) o/a |
| Beam: | 27 ft 8 in (8.43 m) |
| Draught: | 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: | 2 Shafts; 2 steam turbines |
| Speed: | 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph) |
| Range: | 1,720 nmi (3,190 km; 1,980 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement: | 74 |
| Armament: |
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The Laforey class (redesignated in October 1913 as the L class) was a class of 22 torpedo boat destroyers of the Royal Navy, twenty of which were built under the Naval Programme of 1912–13 and a further two under the War Emergency Programme of 1914. As such they were the last pre-war British destroyer design. All served during World War I during which three were lost. As was previous Royal Navy practice, these ships were originally allocated names with no particular systematic theme. However, whilst still building in 1913 they were allocated to the L class and were given new names beginning with the class letter, the first ships to follow this new convention (see naming conventions for destroyers of the Royal Navy).
The Laforeys were based on the modified Acasta-class destroyer Fortune that trialled a new hull form that was slightly longer and narrower than that of the Acastas and incorporated a clipper bow. Except Laurel, Liberty, Lark, Landrail, Laverock and Linnet which had two funnels, all the ships had three funnels of equal height, the middle being thicker than the fore and aft.
Armament was increased over the Acastas, with the number of torpedo tubes doubled to two pairs - abaft the funnels - with a small searchlight platform in between. The gun armament remained as three QF 4-inch, but was more usefully distributed; with one gun each on the forecastle, between the funnels (the after pair in ships with three) and on the quarterdeck.
Laforey and Leonidas were fitted with geared (as opposed to direct drive) steam turbines for increased efficiency. Lochinvar, Llewellyn and Lennox were the first destroyers built for the Royal Navy at William Beardmore's new naval construction yard at Dalmuir.
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