Scale: 1:48. A contemporary builder’s full hull model of the torpedo-boat destroyer ‘HMS Sturgeon’ (1894). As is typical with this style of model, a large number of the metal fittings have been gold and silver-plated. This was a deliberate attempt by the commercial shipyards to catch the eye of a potential buyer for the British and foreign navies, when the yards exhibited at the various international trade fairs worldwide. As deck space was at a premium on these fast vessels, it is fitted with only one permanently built whaler rigged to the davits whilst the other two, either side of the funnel forward, were of the folding type invented by the Reverend Berthon. Notice also the position of the steering position, which is mounted almost directly above the twin-screw propellers aft.

Once it had been decided that torpedo boats must be countered by a larger more heavily armed version of the torpedo boats themselves, the Admiralty ordered 42 of the new torpedo-boat destroyers. To produce the best design in what is entirely a new class of warship, the orders went out to 14 different builders, each of whom was allowed considerable freedom of design. The great success of this building programme led to the development of the 30-knot destroyers such as ‘HMS Whiting’ (SLR1273). Few of the 27-knot class were kept until the outbreak of the First World War, a large number of them including ‘Sturgeon’ being sold in 1912, by which time more modern vessels had become available to replace them.

The ‘Sturgeon’ was built by Vickers of Barrow-in-Furness and measured 200 feet in length by 19 feet in the beam and had a displacement tonnage of 310. She was armed with single 12-pounder on the bow together with two 18-inch torpedo tubes and three 6-pounders further aft.