The Royal Navy developed steam gunboats as heavily armed coastal craft capable of opposing German S-boats. Seven were completed and one was lost, with the class reaching about 35 knots before additional armor and armament reduced performance. Their large silhouette relative to their prey made them easier to spot, a serious weakness in coastal night fighting. After the war, Grey Goose received experimental Rolls-Royce gas turbines that produced more power with far less weight and machinery volume than the original steam plant. The conversion proved the propulsion concept but remained too complex and technologically immature for contemporary war service. Grey Goose anticipated the later use of marine gas turbines.
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Steam gunboats and Grey Goose's gas turbines
Royal Navy steam gunboats pursued German S-boats at high speed, while Grey Goose later became an important but premature gas-turbine experiment.