Bird Class Gunboats
 
Name Pennant Builder Completed Fate
Tern group
Gannet T08 Yarrow 1928 Handed over to Chinese Nationalists 1942 as Ying Shan
Robin T21 Yarrow 1928 Sunk by IJN criuser Idzumo at Shanghai, Dec. 1941
Peterel group
Seamew T43 Yarrow 1928 Scrapped 1947
Tern T64 Yarrow 1927 Scuttled Honk Kong 19/12/41
Falcon group
Falcon T74 Thornycroft 1931 Handed over to Chinese Nationalists 1942 as Lung Huan, Ying Teh then Nan Chiang
Sandpiper group
Sandpiper T41 Yarrow 1933 Handed over to Chinese Nationalists 1942 as Ying Hao
Robin group
Robin T65 Yarrow 1934 Scuttled Honk Kong 25/12/41

This diverse class was specially designed for the 'China Station', with the accomodation in the supertructure to suit the climate, and armament mounted on it too - making them look like pleasure steamers!
The very shallow draught & freeboard suited the turbine arrangement, but the boilers projected well above the waterline.
Splinter shields were fitted ot the wheelhouse, guns andboiler rooms, and sweep gear was mounted on the aft deck to combat mines left over from the Sino-Japanese war.
Falcon was specially shortened for the tight bends of the upper Yangtze, and Sandpiper and Robin had extremelly shallow draughts to allow them to move futher up the river than any of their sisters, but reverted to low-power triple expansion engines.

Dimensions & Displacement
Group Tern Peterel Falcon Sandpiper Robin
Length 167.5' 184.75' 150' 167.25' 150'
Beam 27' 29' 28.75' 30.25' 26.25'
Draught 4.5' 4.25' 4.75' 2' 3.25'
Displacement ( Full ) 330 tons 400 tons 470 tons 215 tons 275 tons
           
Performance & Propulsion
  Machinery Speed
Tern 2 x Yarrow water tube boiler, 2 x Parsons geared steam turbines @ 1370 shp 14 knots
Peterel } 2 x Yarrow water tube boiler, 2 x Parsons geared steam turbines @ 2250 shp { 16 knots
Falcon 15 knots
Sandpiper 1 x Admirality 3-drum boiler, 2 x Vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines @ 600 ihp 11.25 knots
Robin 1 x Admirality 3-drum boiler, 2 x Vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines @ 800 ihp 12.75 knots
     
Complement & Armament
Complement 32 - 60
Armament
Tern
  • Gun
    • 2 x 1 x 12pdr 3" AA
    • 8 x 1 x 0.303" MG AA
Peterel
  • Gun
    • 2 x 1 x 12pdr 3" AA
    • 8 x 1 x 0.303" MG AA
Falcon
  • Gun
    • 2 x 1 x 6pdr 57mm LA
    • 1 x 1 x 3.7" Army pattern howitzer
    • 10 x 1 x 0.303" MG AA
Sandpiper & Robin
  • Gun
    • 1 x 1 x 6pdr 57mm LA
    • 1 x 1 x 3.7" Army pattern howitzer
    • 8 x 1 x 0.303" MG AA
 
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