HMS Haughty was one of two destroyers ordered from William Doxford & Sons on 3 November 1893 as part of the Royal Navy's 1893–1894 construction programme. The Admiralty did not specify a standard design for destroyers, laying down broad requirements, including a trial speed of, a "turtleback" forecastle and armament, which was to vary depending on whether the ship was to be used in the torpedo boat or gunboat role. As a torpedo boat, the planned armament was a single QF 12 pounder 12 cwt gun on a platform on the ship's conning tower, together with a secondary gun armament of three 6-pounder guns, and two 18 inch torpedo tubes. As a gunboat, one of the torpedo tubes could be removed to accommodate a further two six-pounders. Doxford's design had a hull of length overall and between perpendiculars, with a beam of and a draught of. Eight Yarrow boilers fed steam at to triple expansion steam engines rated at and driving two propeller shafts. Displacement was light and deep load. Unusually for the destroyers ordered under the 1893–1894 programme, the Admiralty accepted a guaranteed speed of, rather than the more normal 27 knots, possibly owing to Doxford's inexperience in building torpedo-craft. This speed dropped to at deep load. Sufficient coal was carried to give a range of at. Three funnels were fitted. The ship's complement was 50 officers and men. She was laid down as Yard Number 225 at Doxford's Sunderland shipyard on 28 May 1894, and was launched on 18 September 1895, with Miss Greta Doxford, daughter of William Theodore Doxford, serving as a sponsor. Sea trials were successful, with the ship reaching an average speed of, and she was completed in August 1896.
Service history
Haughty and her sister ship was initially considered for overseas service on the Pacific Station, but and were chosen instead owing to their greater range, and Haughty ended up serving her entire career in home waters. In 1896 Haughty was in reserve at Chatham. Later she was commissioned in the Medway Instructional Flotilla. In January 1900, under the command of Lieutenant and Commander E. Leatham, she had a breakdown in her machinery, and was paid off at Chatham to have defects made good and undergo a refit. In May 1902 she received the officers and men from the destroyer, and was commissioned on 8 May at Chatham by Lieutenant Harry Charles John Roberts West for service with the Medway Instructional Flotilla. She took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII, and Lieutenant William Boyle was appointed in command later the same month, on 28 August. She did not rejoin the Medway flotilla until the middle of October. On 2 July 1908 Haughty was taking part in the annual Naval Manoeuvres when she collided with the destroyer. While Haughtys bow was only slightly twisted, the damage to Ranger was more severe, with her hull holed. In 1910 Haughty was a member of the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla as a tender to the shore establishment. Haughty was sold for scrap on 10 April 1912.
