HMS Goldfinch was an Acorn-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy, completed in 1911. Displacing approximately 778 long tons at normal load, she measured 246 feet in length, with a beam of 25 feet 8 inches and a draught of 9 feet 2 inches. Her propulsion system consisted of a single Parsons steam turbine set, which drove three propeller shafts using steam generated by four Yarrow boilers. This configuration delivered 13,500 shaft horsepower, enabling her to achieve a maximum speed of 28.1 knots during sea trials, surpassing her intended speed of at least 26 knots. Her fuel capacity of 153 long tons of oil provided a range of about 1,620 nautical miles at 15 knots, allowing for operational flexibility in home waters. Armament on HMS Goldfinch included two BL 4-inch Mk VIII guns, positioned fore and aft, and a pair of QF 12-pounder guns mounted on broadside positions between the funnels. She was also equipped with two 21-inch torpedo tubes for torpedoes located amidships, making her a versatile vessel for fleet actions and torpedo attacks. Constructed at Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company's Govan yard, she was laid down on 23 February 1910, launched on 12 July 1910, and completed by February 1911. Upon commissioning, she joined the Second Destroyer Flotilla, where she served until the outbreak of World War I. During her service, she experienced a fire in her radio room in March 1911 while at Devonport, which destroyed her communication equipment. In August 1914, at the start of the war, HMS Goldfinch became part of the Grand Fleet, operating primarily in home waters. Her service ended tragically when she ran aground in fog on Start Point, Sanday, in the Orkney Islands on the night of 18–19 February 1915. Fortunately, her crew was not lost, but the ship was wrecked. Her remains were subsequently sold for scrap in April 1919, marking the end of her brief but active career in the Royal Navy.

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