[3] Success closely resembled Doxford's Lee, ordered under the 1897–1898 programme, with the major difference being that the ship had three funnels rather than four.

[5] Four Thornycroft boilers fed two triple-expansion engines rated at 6,000 indicated horsepower (4,500 kW) which drove two propeller shafts, giving a speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).

[7][8] Success was laid down at Doxford's Sunderland shipyard as yard number 282 on 18 September 1899, launched on 21 March 1901 and completed in May 1902.

[2] Success was commissioned at Portsmouth on 9 June 1902 by Commander Douglas Nicholson and the crew of HMS Dove, which had been docked for repairs after going aground.

[9] She succeeded the latter ship in the Portsmouth instructional flotilla,[10] and took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII.