The Modern Warship 131 



the Channel, when, but for them, the 

 submarines would have taken a fearful 

 toll of the comparatively few ships with 

 which we were left towards the close of 

 the conflict. 



If you will go back to our " family tree >; 

 for a moment you will find the remaining 

 entry on our warship branch which has 

 still to be mentioned. This is the Swift, 

 date 1909. The Swift was a super-des- 

 troyer, and when she put up a record of 

 over forty-one miles an hour in her speed 

 trials, it was thought that the limit of 

 ocean travelling had been reached at any 

 rate for steam-driven craft. Contrasted 

 with the earlier destroyers, with a tonnage 

 of about 200, the Swift and her sisters 

 marked an enormous step forward. Apart 

 from speed, their tonnage ranged to within 

 measurable distance of what a cruiser used 

 to be, i.e. i ,000 tons. Of course these grey- 

 hounds were oil-fired, and they set the 

 fashion, which is now copied for all 

 new, fast ships, and which has proved 



