The Fly-class river gunboats (or small China gunboats), collectively often referred to as the "Tigris gunboat flotilla", were a class of small well-armed
Royal Navy vessels designed to patrol the
Tigris river during the
Mesopotamian Campaign during the
First World War (the China name was to disguise their function).
Design
They were fitted with one triple expansion steam engine driving one propeller housed in a tunnel to facilitate a very shallow [] draught. The boats were designed to be dismantled and re-assembled.
Deployment
The vessels were built by Yarrow Shipbuilders at Scotstoun, Glasgow in 1915 and 1916 and shipped to
Abadan
Abadan ( fa, آبادان ''Ābādān'', ) is a city and capital of Abadan County, Khuzestan Province, which is located in the southwest of Iran. It lies on Abadan Island ( long, 3–19 km or 2–12 miles wide). The island is bounded ...
in sections where they were assembled. They served with the Royal Navy patrolling the Tigris River until being transferred to the Army during 1918. They were sold off beginning 1923.
The Ottomans captured ''Firefly'' in December 1915 after she grounded and a shell through her boiler disabled her; her crew was evacuated. The Ottomans took her into service as ''Suleiman Pak''. recaptured her at the
Battle of Nahr-al-Kalek
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
on 26 February 1917.
Vessels
Vessels with the prefix "HM Gunboat"
* ''Blackfly''
* ''Butterfly''
* ''Caddisfly''
* ''Cranefly''
* ''Dragonfly''
* ''Firefly''
* ''Gadfly''
* ''Grayfly''
* ''Greenfly''
* ''Hoverfly''
* ''Mayfly''
* ''Sawfly''
* ''Sedgefly''
* ''Snakefly''
* ''Stonefly''
* ''Waterfly''
See also
*
Mesopotamian campaign
*
Tigris River
Notes
Citations
References
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External links
British Forces in Mesopotamia not including Kut Al Amara 3 January 1916
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fly class gunboat
Gunboat classes
Gunboats of the United Kingdom
World War I gunboats
Gunboats of the Royal Navy