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DRAGONFLY river gunboats (5, 1939 - 1940)


Photo



Mosquito 1939

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Bee     White, Cowes   --- --- cancelled
Dragonfly   1181 Thornycroft, Chiswick 12.1937 8.12.1938 6.1939 sunk 14.2.1942
Grasshopper   1182 Thornycroft, Chiswick 12.1937 19.1.1939 6.1939 sunk 14.2.1942
Locust T28 1724 Yarrow, Scotstoun 11.1938 28.9.1939 5.1940 HQ ship 1944, RNVR drill ship 1951
Mosquito   1725 Yarrow, Scotstoun 12.1938 14.11.1939 4.1940 sunk 1.6.1940


Technical data


Displacement standard, t

625

Displacement full, t715
Length, m

59.9

Breadth, m

10.3

Draught, m

1.88 deep load

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers

Power, h. p.

3800

Max speed, kts

17

Fuel, t

oil 90

Endurance, nm(kts) 
Armament

Dragonfly, Grasshopper: 2 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, 1 x 1 - 87/13 mountain howitzer Mk I, 8 x 1 - 7.7/94

Locust, Mosquito: 2 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, 1 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 8 x 1 - 7.7/94

Complement

74



Standard scale images


<i>Dragonfly</i> 1938
Dragonfly 1938


Graphics


<i>Mosquito</i> 1939
Mosquito 1939


Project history

Gunboats were designed for service in mouth of Yangtze, at the expense of a high freeboard and deep draught (for river gunboats standards) they had seaworthiness, sufficient for actions in coastal waters. Serial boats (2nd group) were a little bit less than leadship but carried the same armament, except for DCs. The order for one gunboat was cancelled.

Modernizations

1943, Locust: + 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 2 DCT (20 DC)

1/1946, Locust: 2 x 1 - 102/45 CP Mk II, 1 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 3 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 DCT (20)

Naval service

Two gunboats served in the Far East, Locust and Mosquito, completed in 1940 under a little changed design, remained in the European waters.

14.2.1942 Dragonfly and Grasshopper were badly damaged by Japanese aircraft and scuttled by own crews. Mosquito was sunk by German aircraft 1.6.1940 in La Manche.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.