After HMS Spiteful was converted for oil burning in 1904, comparative trials with her coal-burning sister HMS Peterel quantified the practical gain. With suitable modifications, the oil-fired destroyer produced no more smoke, answering one practical concern about the new fuel. Peterel needed six stokers, produced about one and a half tons of ash and clinker, and took roughly ninety minutes to prepare for steaming; Spiteful needed three boiler-room crew, produced no ash or clinker, and was ready in about ten minutes. The Admiralty then used Spiteful to train crews on oil-burning equipment. Oil also moved through pipes rather than by cranes, shovels, and manual bunker trimming, reducing both the direct fuel-handling burden and the food, accommodation, and support required by a larger crew.
Chapter · 47:01-50:54
HMS Spiteful demonstrated oil's operating advantages
Trials against coal-burning HMS Peterel showed that Spiteful could raise steam faster, use fewer boiler-room hands, and eliminate ash and clinker.