Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:40:04-1:41:14

Why Abdiel's speed was too costly for a standard destroyer

Exceptional speed made the minelayers attractive as destroyer models, but their machinery was expensive.

Abdiel Class MinelayersDestroyersNaval ProcurementNaval Propulsion
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Question

Why were the fast Abdiel-class minelayers not used as the basis for large fleet destroyers?

Short answer

Their high-performance machinery made them too expensive for that role.

Notes

The minelayers' speed and gun armament invite comparison with a large fleet destroyer. The direct objection is cost: achieving that performance requires an unusually expensive machinery installation. A projected successor illustrates the scale, pairing about 5,000 tons with 160,000 shaft horsepower. Such ships could meet a specialist need, but the same approach would make routine destroyer construction costly.