The Insect-class gunboats (or large China gunboats) were a class of small but well-armed
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
ships designed for use in shallow rivers or inshore. They were intended for use on the
Danube
The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
against
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
(the China name was to disguise their function; however, they did see service on the Yangtze river in China). The first four ships—''Gnat'', ''Mantis'', ''Moth'' and ''Tarantula''—were first employed during the
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign or Mesopotamian front () was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the British Empire, with troops from United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Britain, Australia and the vast major ...
of the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
on the
Euphrates
The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...
and
Tigris
The Tigris ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the eastern of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian Desert, Syrian and Arabia ...
rivers.
Design
The ships were designed by
Yarrow
''Achillea millefolium'', commonly known as yarrow () or common yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Growing to tall, it is characterized by small whitish flowers, a tall stem of fernlike leaves, and a pungent odor.
The plan ...
to operate in shallow, fast-flowing rivers, with a shallow
draught and a good turn of speed to counter river flow. They were fitted with two
vertical triple expansion engines operating two propeller shafts to offer some redundancy. The propellers were housed in tunnels to minimise the operating draught. The main armament consisted of two 6-inch guns in single mountings fore and aft.
Deployment
''Aphis'', ''Bee,'' ''Ladybird'' and ''Scarab'' were deployed to Port Said, Egypt, in 1915–16, ''Gnat'', ''Mantis'', ''Moth'' and ''Tarantula'' were sent to the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
in 1916. ''Glowworm'', ''Cicala'', ''Cockchafer'' and ''Cricket'' were deployed to the east coast of England in 1916 and had their main armament mountings modified to give higher elevation for anti-Zeppelin work.
In 1919, during the
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...
, ''Glowworm'', ''Cicala'', ''Cockchafer'', ''Cricket'', ''Moth'' and ''Mantis'' served on the
Dvina River (northern Russia, in
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast ( rus, Архангельская область, p=ɐrˈxanɡʲɪlʲskəjə ˈobɫəsʲtʲ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It includes the Arctic Ocean, Arctic archipelagos of Franz ...
), fighting in support of
White Russian forces. ''Glowworm''s captain and some other crew members were killed when a nearby ammunition barge exploded. The crew of ''Cicala'' mutinied as part of a wider wave of unrest in the Royal Navy and five "ringleaders" were sentenced to death, later
commuted to five years' imprisonment.
Between the two world wars, the class were mainly used in the
Far East
The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...
and they were present during the Japanese invasion of China. In 1937, on the
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...
river, the Japanese attacked , firing on her from a shore battery. US gunboat was also
attacked by Japanese aircraft and sunk. ''Ladybird'' sailed the to the scene of the sinking, rescued some of the ''Panay'' survivors and took them to
Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
. ''Scarab'' and ''Cricket'' were off Nanking in 1937 as the Japanese started to bomb the city.
In 1939, the original two
6 inch Mk VII 45-calibre guns on and ''Ladybird'' were replaced by more modern and longer
6-inch Mk XIII 50-calibre guns from the decommissioned
battleship
A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
.
At the start of the Second World War, three vessels, ''Cricket'', ''Gnat'' and ''Ladybird'', were transferred to the Inshore Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet. They joined the
monitor
Monitor or monitor may refer to:
Places
* Monitor, Alberta
* Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States
* Monitor, Kentucky
* Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States
* Monitor, Washington
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and provided bombardment support for the
Eighth Army. Their shallow draught allowed them to act also as supply and landing vessels, able to get close to beaches. In June 1943, ''Aphis'' took part in the bombardment of
Pantelleria
Pantelleria (; ), known in ancient times as Cossyra or Cossura, is an Italian island and comune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and east of the Tunisian coast. On clear days Tunisia is visible from the ...
(
Operation Corkscrew).
Ships in class
* : built by
Ailsa shipbuilding, scrapped
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, 1947.
* : built by
Ailsa shipbuilding, flagship of Rear Admiral, Yangtze (RAY), sold in March 1939.
* : built by
Barclay Curle, sunk by Japanese bombs on 21 December 1941.
* : built by
Barclay Curle, sold for scrap in 1949, the last surviving member of the class.
* : built by
Barclay Curle, heavily damaged by bombs on 29 June 1941; used as target by Royal Navy and sunk off Cyprus 1944.
* : built by
Barclay Curle, scrapped September 1928.
* : built by
Lobnitz, damaged by U-boat 21 October 1941, declared total loss, and then used as anti-aircraft platform. Scrapped 1946.
* : built by
Lobnitz, sunk on 12 May 1941 off
Tobruk
Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclop� ...
during World War II, then used as an anti-aircraft position
* : built by Sunderland Shipbuilding Company Ltd, sold in January 1940 and subsequently scrapped.
* : built by Sunderland Shipbuilding Company Ltd, scuttled in Hong Kong 1941, captured and repaired by the Japanese and renamed ''Suma'', sunk by mines in Yangtze River on 19 March 1945.
* : built by Wood, Skinner & Co, scrapped in 1948.
* built by Wood, Skinner & Co, briefly flagship of the
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was a Royal Navy formation that saw action against Japan during the Second World War. It was formed from aircraft carriers, other surface warships, submarines and supply vessels of the RN and British Commonwealth ...
, expended as a target 1946.
Notes
Footnotes
References
*
External links
Summary of the China gunboats of various nations* Transcription of ships' logbooks available for several members of the class.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Insect Class Gunboat
Gunboat classes
World War I gunboats
Riverine warfare