A revised and updated second edition of a title previously published in 1981 expanded with new information to bring it up to date. In 1870 the Admiralty commended to Parliament the weapon known as the ‘Hydrostatic Torpedo’; a weapon of surprise and stealth, the torpedo required a small, speedy craft to launch it, and thus came to be built HMS Lightning, the first torpedo boat for the Royal Navy. The potential for the weapon was soon realised and the Admiralty was forced to find a new design to accommodate it. In 1873 a new design known as the ‘torpedo boat destroyer’ was born. The TBD became indispensable to the navies of the world and in two world wars its importance both as an offensive and defensive weapon for fleet and convoy escort duties showed that no task at sea was too much for the destroyer. Maurice Cocker charts the history of the destroyer, providing much new information and a comprehensive record of the history and appearance of each class.