Gabriel Charmes was conceived by her namesake as the prototype for a fleet of "fast gunboats" - torpedo boat-sized vessels each carrying two cruiser-sized guns. The vessel was authorized in April 1886 and went to sea in September 1886. She was named in October 1886, following Gabriel Charmes' untimely death. Gabriel Charmes was 42 feet in length, displaced 73 tons, and carried a single 5.5 inch gun. She carried out trials during February and March 1887, but was deemed to be unsatisfactory. Charmes' death, coupled with the departure of an influential Admiral who had supported the concept, lead to the desmise of the "fast gunboat" idea in 1887. The odd little gunboat was converted to a torpedo boat by August of 1887 and was renamed No. 151. She was finally stricken in 1907.

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