The Director class was a class of diesel-electric paddle tugboats ordered by the British Admiralty's Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service and constructed in 1957–1958.[3][2] Each paddle wheel was driven by an individual electric motor, giving outstanding maneuverability. Paddle tugs were able to more easily make use of the inherent advantage of side wheel paddle propulsion, having the option to disconnect the clutches that connected the paddle drive shafts as one. This enabled them to turn one paddle ahead and one astern to turn and maneuver quickly.[4]
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators | Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service |
| Built | 1956–1958 |
| Planned | 7 |
| Completed | 7 |
| Scrapped | 7 |
| General characteristics | |
| Length | 157 ft (48 m)[1] |
| Beam |
|
| Draught | 12 ft (3.7 m)[2] |
| Installed power | Paxman Diesel 12 YHAXZ[2] |
| Propulsion | electrically driven paddle wheels |
| Speed | 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)[1] |
| Range | 5,900 mi (9,500 km)[2] |
| Complement | 22[2] |
The class was principally designed to assist the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers when manouvering in port. The masts were designed to fold to allow the tugs to operate under the overhang of the flight deck.[4] They were also equipped for fire fighting and salvage as well as combatting oil spills.[5]
List of ships
edit| Name[6] | Pennant No.[7] | Station[4] | In Service[6] | Withdrawn | Fate | Builder[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexterous | A93 | Gibraltar | 1957 | Yarrow Shipbuilders | ||
| Director | A94 | Malta | 1957 | 1980 | Scrapped in Spain[4] | Yarrow Shipbuilders |
| Faithful | A85 | Devonport | 1957 | Yarrow Shipbuilders | ||
| Favourite | A87 | Devonport | 1959[8] | Ferguson Bros | ||
| Forceful | A86 | Portsmouth | 1957 | Yarrow Shipbuilders | ||
| Grinder | A92 | Portsmouth | 1958 | William Simons and Co | ||
| Griper | A89 | Portsmouth | 1958 | William Simons and Co |
References
edit- ^ a b c Talbot-Booth, E C; Greenman, David G (1971). Warship Identification. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 1325. SBN 7110 0166 9.
- ^ a b c d e "Director Class". rfanostalgia.org. Archived from the original on 2016-07-16.
- ^ Desmond 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Director Class paddle tugs". Paddleduck. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ^ Desmond 2017, p. 84.
- ^ a b c Desmond 2017, p. 88.
- ^ Bush, Steve; Warlow, Ben (2021). Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978 1 5267 9378 2.
- ^ Critchley, Mike (1979). British Warships & Auxiliaries. Liskeard: Maritime Books. p. 71. ISBN 0 9506323 0 9.
Biography
edit- Desmond, Kevin (21 September 2017). Electric Boats and Ships: A History. McFarland. ISBN 9781476665153.