The C class as designated in 1913 was a heterogeneous group of torpedo boat destroyers built for the Royal Navy in the late-1890s. They were constructed to the individual designs of their builders to meet Admiralty specifications. The uniting feature of the class was a top speed of 30 knots, a "turtleback" forecastle and that they all had three funnels. The funnels were spaced equidistantly and were of equal height, but the central one was thicker. In 1913 all "30 knotter" vessels with 3 funnels were classified by the Admiralty as the "C" class to provide some system to the naming of HM destroyers. All vessels had the distinctive turtleback that was intended to clear water from the bows but actually tended to dig the bow in to anything of a sea, resulting in a very wet conning position and poor seaboats that were unable to reach top speed in anything but perfect conditions. They generally displaced around 350 tons and had a length of around 200 feet. All were powered by triple expansion steam engines for and had coal-fired water-tube boilers, except some unique "specials" that used steam turbines in addition to, or in lieu of, the reciprocating engines. Armament was one QF 12-pounder gun on a bandstand on the forecastle, five QF 6-pounder and two single tubes for 18-inch torpedoes.
Ships
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*, launched 11 August 1896, sold for breaking up 10 June 1919.
*, launched 26 August 1896, sold for breaking up 27 November 1919.
*, launched 7 October 1896, sold for breaking up 30 August 1919.
*, launched 9 November 1896, foundered 26 September 1904 after mechanical failure caused a propeller blade to penetrate the hull plating.
*, launched 17 December 1896, sold for breaking up 10 June 1919.
*, launched 4 March 1897, sold for breaking up 30 August 1919.
*, launched 13 April 1897, sold for breaking up 23 July 1919.
*, launched 15 May 1897, torpedoed and sunk by German destroyers 27 October 1916.
*, launched 10 February 1898, sold for breaking up 10 June 1919.
*, launched 21 March 1898, sold for breaking up 27 January 1920.
*, launched 3 May 1897, sold for breaking up 7 June 1920.
*, launched 3 July 1897, sold for breaking up 23 July 1919.
*, launched 9 March 1897, sold 17 March 1921 and then used as a floating pontoon at Dartmouth for many years.
*, launched 25 September 1897, foundered after damaged sustained ramming of in North Sea, 31 May 1918.
*, launched 7 April 1897, sold for breaking up 4 November 1919.
*, 370 tons, launched 28 June 1898, sold for breaking up 14 September 1920.
*, 375 tons, launched 29 December 1899, sunk in collision 1 April 1918 with trawler John Fitzgerald in the North Sea. The captain was Lieutenant Charles LightollerRNR, who previously had been second officer of.
*, 375 tons, launched 22 March 1900, sold for breaking up 29 April 1920.
John Brown private builds, purchased 31 May 1900
*, launched 17 March 1900, broken up at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1919.
*, launched 19 May 1900, sank in collision with off St. Catherine's Point 2 April 1908.
