HMS Boxer was an Ardent-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy, launched on 28 November 1894. Constructed at Thornycroft's Chiswick shipyard, she measured approximately 201 feet 8 inches in length overall, with a beam of 19 feet and a draught of 7 feet 3¼ inches. Her displacement was around 245 long tons light and 301 long tons at full load. Powered by three Thornycroft water-tube boilers feeding two four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines rated at 4,200 indicated horsepower, Boxer achieved notable speeds, with sea trials recording over 29 knots. Designed to meet broad Admiralty requirements, Boxer featured a "turtleback" forecastle and was armed as a torpedo boat destroyer, equipped with a single QF 12-pounder gun on a platform that also served as the conning tower and bridge, along with three 6-pounder guns and two 18-inch torpedo tubes. Her complement consisted of 45 officers and men. Boxer was laid down in February 1894 and launched in late 1894, with sea trials conducted in January 1895 demonstrating speeds exceeding 29 knots. She was completed by June 1895 and initially served with the Mediterranean Fleet, where she participated in trials to optimize camouflage schemes for night attacks. She remained in the Mediterranean until 1901, after which she returned to Home waters. In 1911, Boxer joined the 6th Destroyer Flotilla, which comprised older destroyers. Following the 1912 Admiralty directive, she was classified as a 27-knotter and assigned to the A class by 1913. During World War I, Boxer was part of the Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla. Her service ended when she was sunk in a collision with the merchant ship SS St Patrick on 8 February 1918 in the English Channel, resulting in the loss of one crew member. Her operational history highlights her role during a transitional period in naval destroyer design and her active service during wartime.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.