Design and Construction
Waterhen was a W class destroyer constructed for the Royal Navy during World War I. The ship had a displacement of 1,100 tons at standard load, was 312 feet 1.25 inches (95.1294 m) in length overall and 300 feet (91 m) long between perpendiculars, had a beam of 29 feet 6.5 inches (9.004 m), and a maximum draught of 13 feet 11.125 inches (4.24498 m). Propulsion machinery consisted of three Yarrow boilers feeding two Brown-Curtis turbines, which provided 27,000 shaft horsepower (20,000 kW) to the two propeller shafts. Maximum designed speed was 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph). Waterhen had a range of 3,560 nautical miles (6,590 km; 4,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). The ship's company consisted of 6 officers and 113 sailors.
At launch, Waterhen's main armament consisted of four single QF 4-inch Mark V guns. This was supplemented by a quad-barelled QF 2 pounder naval gun, and five .303 inch machine guns of various types. The destroyer was also fitted with two 3-tube 21-inch torpedo sets, two depth charge chutes, and four depth charge throwers. Later modifications to her armament included the installtion of a second 2 pounder gun, and the replacement of the torpedo tube sets with two 4-tube sets.
Waterhen was laid down by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company at their shipyard in Hebburn-on-Tyne on 3 July 1917. She was launched on 26 March 1918. The destroyer was completed on 17 July 1918, and was commissioned into the Royal Navy.
Read more about this topic: HMAS Waterhen (D22)
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