HMS Peterel (1927)

History
Royal Navy EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Peterel
BuilderYarrow Shipbuilders
Launched18 July 1927
FateSunk in combat, 8 December 1941, Shanghai
General characteristics
TypeRiver gunboat
Displacement310 tons
Length177 ft (53.9 m)
Beam29 ft (8.8 m)
Draught3.2 ft (1.0 m)
PropulsionYarrow boilers, steam turbine 2,250 hp
Speed16 knots
Complement55
Armament2×3-inch (76 mm) guns, 8×machine guns

HMS Peterel was a river gunboat built by Yarrow Shipbuilders at Scotstoun and she was the sixth ship of the Royal Navy to carry the name and the lead ship of her class. Her name used an archaic spelling for consistency with previous Royal Navy Ships of the same name, in contrast to the modern accepted spelling petrel (as in the bird).

After completion, she was dismantled and shipped to Hong Kong for re-assembly before being deployed for service on the China station, on the Yang Tse River to provide protection for British commerce and nationals. HMS Peterel was designed and equipped to patrol the upper reaches of the river (she had a shallow draft and her primary armament was a pair of 3-inch guns).