History
Cobra was constructed by Armstrong Whitworth and company as a private venture and was one of two which they offered for sale to the British Admiralty on 12 December 1899. Ship number 674 was fitted with Parsons Marine turbines similar to those installed in the destroyer Viper. Such engines were expected to be 60% more powerful than reciprocating engines usually fitted to similar ships at that time. There were four shafts from the engines, each driving three propellors. The overall design was based on that for the destroyers Swordfish and Spitfire recently built in the same yard. The Director of Naval Construction, Sir William Henry White inspected the vessel and although considering it to be less strong than would have been the case had it been specified by the navy, could find no particular objections to its hull design. It was considered that the Admiralty should purchase it rather than permit its sale to a foreign navy.
Read more about this topic: HMS Cobra (1899)
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