HMS Hussar (1894)

HMS Hussar  was a Dryad-class torpedo gunboat of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1894 and served in the Mediterranean between 1896 and 1905 before being used for fishery protection. During the Dardanelles campaign of 1915 her commanding officer and two of her ship's company won the Victoria Cross. She was broken up in 1921.

Design
Ordered under the Naval Defence Act of 1889, which established the "Two-Power Standard", the class was contemporary with the first torpedo boat destroyers. With a length overall of 262 ft, a beam of 30 ft and a displacement of 1,070 tons, these torpedo gunboats were not small ships by the standard of the time; they were larger than the majority of World War I destroyers. Hussar was engined by Hawthorn Leslie and Company with two sets of vertical triple-expansion steam engines, two locomotive-type boilers, and twin screws. This layout produced 3500 ihp, giving her a speed of 18.2 kn. She carried between 100 and 160 tons of coal and was manned by 120 sailors and officers.

Armament
When built Hussar acquired a different armament from the rest of the class; she was fitted with one (instead of two) QF 4.7 in gun, one (instead of four) 6-pounder guns and two additional 12-pounder guns. Her primary weapon was five 18-inch (450-mm) torpedo tubes, with two reloads. On conversion to a minesweeper in 1914 two of the five torpedo tubes were removed.

Yacht to the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean
In 1907 Hussar had her armament removed and was converted to become the yacht and despatch vessel for the Royal Navy's Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean.

Fitted as a minesweeper
In 1914 she was adapted as a minesweeper, which was the fate of many such torpedo gunboats.

Dardanelles (1915)
In February 1915, Commander Edward Unwin took command of the Hussar. For the landing at Cape Helles, 25 April 1915, Unwin took command of the SS River Clyde. Unwin won the Victoria Cross for his actions during the landing, as did two of his crew from the Hussar who were also on the River Clyde, Able Seaman William Williams and Seaman George Samson.

Disposal
Hussar was initially sold in December 1920, but was resold on 13 July 1921 to L Gatt, of Malta for breaking up.