The
C class as designated in 1913 was a heterogeneous group of
torpedo boat destroyers (TBDs) built for the
Royal Navy in the late-1890s. They were constructed to the individual designs of their builders to meet
Admiralty specifications. The uniting feature of the class was a top speed of 30 knots, a "turtleback"
forecastle and that they all had three funnels. The funnels were spaced equidistantly and were of equal height, but the central one was thicker.