Director-class tugboat

*Director* class
Class overview
Operators	Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service
Built	1956–1958
Planned	7
Completed	7
Scrapped	7
General characteristics
Length	157 ft (48 m)
Beam	30 ft (9.1 m); 60 ft (18 m) over sponsons;
Draught	12 ft (3.7 m)
Installed power	Paxman Diesel 12 YHAXZ
Propulsion	electrically driven paddle wheels
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Range	5,900 mi (9,500 km)
Complement	22

The Director class was a class of diesel-electric paddle tugboats ordered by the British Admiralty's Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service and constructed in 1957–1958.^[3]^[2] Each paddle wheel was driven by an individual electric motor, giving outstanding manoeuvrability. Paddle tugs were able to more easily make use of the inherent advantage of side wheel paddle propulsion, having the option to disconnect the clutches that connected the paddle drive shafts as one. This enabled them to turn one paddle ahead and one astern to turn and manoeuvre quickly.^[4]

The class was principally designed to assist the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers when manoeuvring in port. The masts were designed to fold to allow the tugs to operate under the overhang of the flight deck.^[4] They were also equipped for fire fighting and salvage as well as combatting oil spills.^[5]

List of ships

Name^[6]	Pennant No.^[7]	Station^[4]	In Service^[6]	Withdrawn	Fate	Builder^[6]
Dexterous	A93	Gibraltar	1957			Yarrow Shipbuilders
Director	A94	Malta	1957	1980	Scrapped in Spain^[4]	Yarrow Shipbuilders
Faithful	A85	Devonport	1957			Yarrow Shipbuilders
Favourite	A87	Devonport	1959^[8]			Ferguson Bros
Forceful	A86	Portsmouth	1957			Yarrow Shipbuilders
Grinder	A92	Portsmouth	1958			William Simons and Co
Griper	A89	Portsmouth	1958			William Simons and Co

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Talbot-Booth, E C; Greenman, David G (1971). Warship Identification. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 1325. SBN 7110 0166 9.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Director Class". rfanostalgia.org. Archived from the original on 2016-07-16.
^ Desmond 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Director Class paddle tugs". Paddleduck. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
^ Desmond 2017, p. 84.
^ ^a ^b ^c Desmond 2017, p. 88.
^ Bush, Steve; Warlow, Ben (2021). Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978 1 5267 9378 2.
^ Critchley, Mike (1979). British Warships & Auxiliaries. Liskeard: Maritime Books. p. 71. ISBN 0 9506323 0 9.

Bibliography

Desmond, Kevin (21 September 2017). Electric Boats and Ships: A History. McFarland. ISBN 9781476665153.
Hannan, Bill (1987). Fifty Years of Naval Tugs. Liskeard: Maritime Books. pp. 116–119. ISBN 0-907771-25-4.

[WID-1] Talbot-Booth, E C; Greenman, David G (1971). Warship Identification. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 1325. SBN 7110 0166 9.

[rfa-2] "Director Class". rfanostalgia.org. Archived from the original on 2016-07-16.

[FOOTNOTEDesmond2017-3] Desmond 2017.

[Paddleduck-4] "Director Class paddle tugs". Paddleduck. Retrieved 28 November 2024.

[FOOTNOTEDesmond201784-5] Desmond 2017, p. 84.

[FOOTNOTEDesmond201788-6] Desmond 2017, p. 88.

[7] Bush, Steve; Warlow, Ben (2021). Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978 1 5267 9378 2.

[8] Critchley, Mike (1979). British Warships & Auxiliaries. Liskeard: Maritime Books. p. 71. ISBN 0 9506323 0 9.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

Director-class tugboat

List of ships

References

Bibliography

Portal di Ensiklopedia Dunia