The Hu Peng class (), also known as the Hu class, Type N and Number 1 class () was a class of torpedo boat built initially for the Qing Imperial Chinese Navy from 1906 to 1907. The ships would eventually pass to the Republic of China Navy and would serve during the National Protection War, World War I, the Second Zhili–Fengtian War, Northern Expedition and Second Sino-Japanese War. A near identical, semi-sister class of torpedo boats were built for the Royal Thai Navy from 1907 to 1912.

Background After most of the Imperial Chinese Navy was destroyed in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Qing government embarked on an international campaign to obtain a loan to rebuild China's navy. After spending two year in Europe and North America, Marquess Suyi, Li Hongzhang returned to China with orders for two cruisers from the United Kingdom and three cruisers and four destroyers from Germany. To supplement this naval rearmament, private donations were made for the purchase of new warships. One such purchase was made by the Governor-General of Hubei, Zhang Zhidong (mistranslated in some sources as 'Vice Admiral Hu Peh', from his title) for four torpedo boats from Japan.Garinder (1986), p. 395 The four ships had both numbers and names. These were to be named Torpedo boat No.7/Hu Peng (), Torpedo boat No.8/Hu Oah (or in some sources Hu Ngo) (), Torpedo boat No.9/Hu Ying () and Torpedo boat No.10/Hu Chung (). All ships spelled with the Chinese character 湖 (), a nod to his Governor-Generalship of Hubei () which also contains the same character.Wright (2000), pp. 185-186

In 1907, Prince Paribatra Sukhumbandhu, ordered a destroyer based on the , (), and three Normand-type torpedo boats from Kawasaki for the Royal Thai Navy, but with oil-fired boilers rather than coal-fired. The initial ships were named numerically, as the Number 1 (), Number 2 (), and Number 3 (). In 1910, under the new King Rama VI, Prince Paribatra's began a 16-year plan to strengthen the Siamese Navy, starting with ordering a fourth torpedo boat, from Kawasaki to be named Number 4 () in 1911 along with another destroyer based on the Harusame class.

Design The Hu Peng-class ships were based on the Kawasaki Dockyard Company, Ltd. experience building the s between 1903 and 1904. The ships were built on a French steel-hull Normand-type and designed for coastal service with a low freeboard. The ships were long overall, and with a draught of . This shallow draught allowed the torpedo boats to operate on deep rivers such as the Yangtze as well as coastal operations. The ships initial armament were two single Japanese license-built 2½-pounder Yamanouchi Mk I guns, fore and aft. The torpedo armament consisted of three single torpedo tubes; two single, above-water, centre-line torpedo launchers and one fixed, underwater torpedo tube at the bow. The ships were propelled by a single shaft propeller, with one vertical triple expansion engine, powered by two Kampon boilers, making a total of with a top speed of . The ship could carry of coal.Wright (2000), p. 183

The Thai Number 1 subclass, while physically identical in dimensions to the Hu Peng ships, but carried of oil instead of coal, lightening the total displacement by roughly . The other difference was in armament, with one 47 mm QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss gun being replaced by a 57 mm QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss gun. The bow mounted torpedo tube was removed and the two single centre-line launchers were retained. Like the Hu Peng class, the Siamese ships were designed for coastal and riverine use, such as the Mekong.Garinder (1986), p. 424

Service history The Chinese Hu Peng-class ships initially served directly under Viceroyalty of Hubei on the Yangtze River and continued to do so into the Republican period.Wright (2000), p. 137 By 1933 the four ships had been reassigned to the ROCN Torpedo Boat Squadron along with the Chien Kang (建康), the two older Chen-class torpedo boats and the gunboat Yao Shu on the Yangtze.Wright (2000), p. 160 All your ships would serve in the Second Sino-Japanese War, and sustain heavy damage, with the loss of three of four of the ships to aerial bombardment. Hu Oah would be raise by the Japanese in 1938, and survived the war in Shanghai while Hu Chung would limp back with last elements of the ROCN in Chongqing would survive until 1945.Wright (2000), p. 177

Ships

Name Builder Laid down Launched Completed Notes Fate Hu Peng-subclassHu Peng (湖鵬)Torpedo Boat No.7Kawasaki Dockyard Co.February 190610 June 19061906Sunk by aircraft at the Battle of Shanghai on 1 October 1937.Wright (2000), p. 171Abandoned 2 October 1937 due to heavy damage.Hu Oah (湖鶚)Torpedo Boat No.8Kawasaki Dockyard Co.February 190610 June 19061906Sunk by aircraft at the Battle of Shanghai on 8 October 1937. 1938 refloated by Japan, commissioned as A1 and later Kawasemi (川蝉). 31 December 1938, transferred to the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China under the name Hai Ching (海靖). 1945 Returned to Republic of China, mistakenly named Hu Ying (湖鷹).Wright (2000), p. 171Wright (2000), p. 177Stricken July 1947.Hu Ying (湖鷹)Torpedo Boat No.9Kawasaki Dockyard Co.May 190617 November 19061907Sunk by aircraft at the Battle of Wuhan on 9 August 1938.Wright (2000), p. 174Hu Chung (湖隼)Torpedo Boat No.10Ateliers et Chantiers de la LoireMay 190617 November 19061907Retreated from the Battle of Shanghai 12 November 1938 to Chongqing for repairs.Fate unknown. Last mentioned in service with the Second Squadron of the ROCN, 1945.Wright (2000), p. 186 Number 1-subclassNumber 1Kawasaki Dockyard Co.19079 May 19081908Stricken April 1933.Garinder (1986), p. 424Number 2Kawasaki Dockyard Co.19079 May 19081908Stricken January 1937.Garinder (1986), p. 424Number 3Kawasaki Dockyard Co.190714 May 19081908Stricken January 1937.Garinder (1986), p. 424Number 4Kawasaki Dockyard Co.191219 April 19131913Stricken September 1937.Garinder (1986), p. 424

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