HMS Bruizer (1895)
# HMS Bruizer (1895)

HMS Bruizer was an Ardent-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched on 27 February 1895 by John Thornycroft at Chiswick, and was sold on 26 May 1914.

## Construction and design

On 12 October 1893, the British Admiralty placed an order for three torpedo boat destroyers (Ardent, Boxer and Bruizer) with the shipbuilder Thornycroft under the 1893–1894 shipbuilding programme for the Royal Navy as a follow-on to the two prototype destroyers (Daring and Decoy) ordered from Thornycroft under the 1892–1893 programme.

The Admiralty did not specify a standard design for destroyers, laying down broad requirements, including a trial speed of 27 knots (31 mph; 50 km/h), a "turtleback" forecastle and armament, which was to vary depending on whether the ship was to be used in the torpedo boat or gunboat role. As a torpedo boat, the planned armament was a single QF 12 pounder 12 cwt (3 in (76 mm) calibre) gun on a platform on the ship's conning tower (in practice the platform was also used as the ship's bridge), together with a secondary gun armament of three 6-pounder guns, and two 18 in (450 mm) torpedo tubes. As a gunboat, one of the torpedo tubes could be removed to accommodate a further two six-pounders.

Thornycroft's design (known as the Ardent-class) was 201 feet 8 inches (61.47 m) long overall and 201 feet 6 inches (61.42 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 19 feet (5.79 m) and a draught of 7 feet 3+1⁄4 inches (2.22 m). Displacement was 245 long tons (249 t) light and 301 long tons (306 t) full load. Three Thornycroft water-tube boilers fed steam to 2 four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines rated at 4,200 indicated horsepower (3,100 kW). Two funnels were fitted. The ship's complement was originally to be 45 officers and men, but in operation a complement of 53 was prescribed.

Bruizer was laid down at Thornycroft's Chiswick shipyard, as Yard number 299, in April 1894. The ship was launched on 27 February 1895, with the naming ceremony performed by Miss Kathleen Barnaby, the daughter of the S.W. Barnaby the naval architect. Bruizer underwent sea trials on 29 March 1895, reaching a speed of 27.809 knots (51.502 km/h; 32.002 mph) over the measured mile and 27.97 knots (51.80 km/h; 32.19 mph) over a three-hour run. She was completed in June 1895.

## Service history

Bruizer took part in the 1896 British Naval manoeuvres, and was transferred to the Mediterranean Squadron during that year. She remained in the Mediterranean for several years. Lieutenant Robert Cathcart Kemble Lambert was appointed in command in 1902, and in April that year she took part in gunnery and tactical exercises. On 19 April 1907 the destroyer Ariel ran aground just outside Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta. Bruizer rescued the crew of Ariel, all of whom survived.

Bruizer returned to home waters in 1911, serving with the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla in January 1912, and then with a submarine flotilla at Lamlash through to 1913.

She was sold for breaking for scrap to John Cashmore Ltd in 1914.

