Torpedo boat destroyer Afridi...

http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/A-Ships/afridi1909.html

one of the five all turbine oil ocean going Tribal class of the 1905/06 construction programme with Cossack, Ghurka, Mohawk and Tartar.

With an old company connection from Charles Mitchell's days with Armstrong, his grand daughter Kathleen performed the naming ceremony at Elswick that afternoon of 8th May 1907 whereby 2 Tribals now lay in the Tyne, Leslie's Ghurka launched 9 days prior laying down stream.

Both builders had an equal opportunity to suitably impress their Lordships at the Admiralty and a further 7 of the type were now under construction.

There was no room for error amongst the builders of these highly sophisticated new destroyers, the likes of which had never been attempted before.

All the Tribals were contracted for 33 knots by the Admiralty, how the builders achieved this was their decision within all the vague specifications each had to adhere to.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=9173
We can see that Afridi would present certain challenges to her builder, previous efforts had been somewhat farcical as in that link.

Afridi did her official full speed trial on the shallow Maplin Sands measured mile in the Thames estuary on 16 February 1909 achieving 33.254 knots.

Great sighs of relief for attaining her contract speed very rapidly turned to despair within the Armstrong offices, she had failed with an adjusted deep water speed of only 32.75 knots, consequently she willl not be accepted by the Admiralty as not in accordance with the contract. All the other 11 Tribals exceeded the contracted 33 knots.

Needless to say, she was due to complete that June 1909, and after the appropriate monies were witheld by the Admiralty Afridi did enter service that September, there now being no love lost between the two regards the destroyer type. However, A W continued working on many other naval projects over the following years, almost as if this Afridi affair had never occured.

Armstrong Whitworth never built another destroyer for the British Admiralty, which bearing in mind the hundreds that followed in the next decade with the Great War is a damning indictment of their abilities in destroyer construction.

Afridi. 1907...this will cost...she certainly did.

The fate of Afridi in written publications has seen the self perpetuating tale of being sold on 9 December 1919 to a gentleman F Wilkinson and nothing further.

I now need to ensure the facts are laid bare but who Mr Wilkinson was, his age, trade and intended intentions are unknown to me.

Having apparently acquired Afridi post war from the Admiralty she was rapidly gutted, replacement 3 cylinder triple expansion engine installed driving a single screw and prepared for new post war endeavours. Where this work was done is not clear, probably in a Thames or Medway yard.

With a small crew of approx 8 she steamed north from an unknown port up the north sea, destination not recorded where off the river Tees during the night of 28/29 Jan 1920 she foundered 1.76 miles 076 degrees off the South Gare Light in approx 60' of water with all hands.

Her wreck was dispersed by the Tees Conservancy Commission in 1929, duly becoming almost level with the seabed and sanded over by 2000.

When lost it is not even certain her name was still Afridi. Lloyds reveals nothing. And Mr Wilkinson, did he perish in his purchase ?

Nice looking design for the period, the Admiralty (or its Agents) during the height of the Cold War 1950's went around the coast of G.B. flattening wrecks near to Ports and Anchorages as a precaution against Soviet 'X' type Craft hiding in their shadow and confusing Sonar returns.

Great information Sean, but is there any published information to add to this? Everything seems to be "unknown" and even the foundering with all hands is another unknown as everyone died. I thought I had found something in the local papers but the mystery foundering off the Tees that night turned out to be an auxiliary schooner.

To add another twist, the Wikipedia entries for her says sunk as a target as late as 1930!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Afridi_(1907)

Ships of the Royal Navy by J J Colledge et al, has the same as Sean.
Sold 9th December 1919 to F Wilkinson and wrecked off Redcar in January 1920.
Larn has "This ex Royal Navy destroyer, sold out of service on 9th December 1919 was reported sunk off South Gare Light in a depth of 18m. The wreck was dispersed by the Tees Consevancy Commission in 1929, and is reported to be nearly level with the seabed and slightly sanded over."
Location. Redcar, South Gare Light, 1.76 miles 076 degrees.
Owner. F Wilkinson. January 1920.

Larn also has her as fitted with a 3Cy triple expansion engine with a single boiler, as apposed to Parsons Turbines driving 3 shafts, 5 x Yarrow Boilers developing 21,320 SHP, giving a trials speed of 33.254 knots.

Another tit bit..
AFRIDI did not join the fleet until the 10th September, 1909, 26 months, later than contract date. Three days afterwards the Flag Captain at the Nore reported that she had developed a list to starboard of about 3 degrees going astern and retains it until after being at rest for a few days, gradually coming upright......rolled about 70 degrees to starboard in a moderate sea and when necessary to bring her head to sea, dipped starboard whaler and stove her in. Bet that caused a few pairs of Brown Underpants!

Wilkinsons were /are a long standing Scrap Merchants and local to the North East?, sounds like the sort of operation a Scrappy would run, just a serving suggestion?

I'm not aware of a Wilkinson's scrap merchants of any size in the NE. Also my version of Colledge dated 1969 has only Sold 09/12/1919 to F Wilkinson. - (the assumption being for scrap) This version of Colledge was priced at 105s with a tear off strip that says "Before 01/01/1970 84s"