Swift displaced about 1,854 tons, reached roughly 34 knots, and served first as a torpedo-boat flotilla leader before transferring to Dover. Her forward four-inch weapons were replaced by a single six-inch gun intended to outrange German 105 mm weapons. The heavier weapon required deck reinforcement, yet the refit reduced top weight enough to permit additional anti-aircraft guns near the bridge. Combat experience in 1917 judged the large gun unsatisfactory, and two quick-firing four-inch guns replaced it. Swift's scale anticipated the 1936 Tribal-class destroyers, whose surface-fighting performance revived the large-destroyer idea.
Chapter · 1:10:44-1:15:58
HMS Swift and the experiment with a six-inch destroyer gun
The unusually large and fast HMS Swift received a six-inch gun for Channel fighting, but the weapon's poor performance led to its replacement.