Forward class machinery, armament, and endurance

Forward and Foresight displaced 2,896 tons and measured 111.3 metres between perpendiculars, with an 11.9-metre beam and a 4.3-metre draught. Twelve Thornycroft boilers supplied two triple-expansion engines and two shafts, producing 16,500 indicated horsepower for 25 knots. Their economical range was 3,400 nautical miles at 10 knots. The battery comprised ten quick-firing 12-pounders, eight lighter quick-firing guns, and two 18-inch torpedo tubes. A crew of 289 shows how labour-intensive a small steam warship could be compared with a modern destroyer. The two-inch waterline belt and three-inch conning tower left them as lightly protected flotilla ships rather than armoured cruisers.