HMQS ''Midge'' was a torpedo launch that served with the Queensland Maritime Defence Force, the

Commonwealth Naval Forces The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

and the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

. After entering service in 1887, ''Midge'' served as "picquet boat" along the Brisbane River until

Federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-govern ...

in 1901, when she was transferred to the Commonwealth. After this, she served as a training boat until 1912 when she was decommissioned.

Construction and design

Following the formation of the Queensland Maritime Defence Force the colonial government decided to supplement the recently acquired vessels with a small torpedo launch. HMQS ''Midge'' was specifically built in England by

J. Samuel White J. Samuel White was a British shipbuilding firm based in Cowes, taking its name from John Samuel White (1838–1915). It came to prominence during the Victorian era. During the 20th century it built destroyers and other naval craft for both the ...

, Cowes, for this purpose and shipped out to Australia in 1887. She was of wooden construction using a combination of teak and mahogany, and cost 5,000 pounds sterling. Displacing 12 tons, she was long, had a

beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...

and a draught of . The ship was armed with one 3-pounder gun and two machine guns. Originally she carried one

spar torpedo A spar torpedo is a weapon consisting of a bomb placed at the end of a long pole, or spar, and attached to a boat. The weapon is used by running the end of the spar into the enemy ship. Spar torpedoes were often equipped with a barbed spear at ...

and later had two sets of dropping gear for 14 inch torpedoes.

Service history

Like HMQS ''Mosquito'', she was never commissioned but simply placed into service when required and therefore was usually moored at the Naval Stores Depot at Kangaroo Point on the Brisbane River. She served as a "picquet boat" until

in 1901 when she was transferred to the Commonwealth and served as a training ship. ''Midge'' was still on strength in 1911 when the Royal Australian Navy was formed but she was stripped and paid off the next year. ''Midge''s engines were found to be in such good condition that they went on to be used for many years at the Royal Australian Navy's engineering school. The hull was sold as a private yacht in 1912, and was renamed ''Nola II''.

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Midge Torpedo boats of the Queensland Maritime Defence Force Torpedo boats of the Royal Australian Navy 1887 ships

Construction and design

Service history

See also

References

Bibliography