The first Daring, Havoc, and Ferret pairs came from Thornycroft, Yarrow, and Laird. HMS Daring was laid down in 1892 and launched in 1893, while HMS Charger followed in 1894 as a more settled design. Charger displaced about 260 tons. The Hawthorn Leslie River-class Eden, launched in 1903, is described as displacing roughly 560 tons at standard displacement and 640 tons fully loaded. Faster fleets and the need to operate in rougher seas encouraged that growth. Larger hulls gave the guns a steadier platform, while additional engine power helped compensate for reduced manoeuvrability.
Notable Point · 13:12-16:49
Charger and Eden show how quickly destroyers grew
The move from the 260-ton Charger to the much larger River-class Eden connects rapid construction with faster fleets, rougher seas, and steadier guns.