Iron Duke class battleship
Encyclopedia
The Iron Duke-class was a group of four dreadnought battleships built for the British Royal Navy
before the First World War. The class comprised four ships: , , , and . Launched from October 1912 to November 1913, this was the third class of Royal Navy super-dreadnoughts.
The ships were essentially King George V-class
battleships; they retained the same ten 13.5 inch (34.3 cm) guns in five twin gun turret
s on the centreline. However, the Iron Dukes had improved armour and a more powerful secondary armament
of 6-inch weapons instead of the 4-inch mounted on the earlier ships.
The four ships were the most advanced battleships in the Royal Navy at the outbreak of the First World War, though they were soon surpassed by the s. They all saw extensive service during the war with the Grand Fleet, where Iron Duke acted as the flagship
for the fleet commander, Admiral John Jellicoe
. Three of the ships, Iron Duke, Benbow, and Marlborough, were present at the Battle of Jutland
, though Emperor of India was in dock for periodic refit. The four Iron Duke-class battleships saw limited active duty following the end of the war; they were all demilitarised under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty
signed in 1922. Iron Duke was reduced to a training and depot ship and lasted in that role until 1946 when she was scrapped. Benbow was scrapped in 1931 and Marlborough followed in 1932. Emperor of India was sunk as a gunnery target in 1931.
of 27.4 m (90 ft) and a draught
of 8.8 m (29 ft). This was an increase of 7.7 m (25 ft) in length and .3 m (1 ft) in width over the preceding King George V-class ships. The Iron Dukes displaced
25,400 tonne
s (25,000 long ton
s). This was some 2,032 tonnes (2,000 tons) heavier than the preceding King George Vs, and was primarily due to the increase in calibre of the secondary battery.
The ships were powered by four-shaft Parsons turbines. Steam was provided to the turbines by 18 Babcock & Wilcox or Yarrow boilers. The engines were rated at 29,000 shaft horsepower and delivered a top speed of 21.5 knots (11.7 m/s). Iron Duke and her sisters
had a fuel storage capacity of 3250 MT (3,198.7 LT) of coal and 1050 MT (1,033.4 LT) of oil. This enabled a maximum range of 7780 nautical miles (14,408.6 km) at a cruising speed of 10 kn (5.4 m/s).
The Iron Duke-class ships mounted a main battery
of ten 13.5 inch (34.3 cm) Mk V(H) guns The "(H)" denotes that the gun is the variant that fired heavy shells—these were about 635 kg (1,400 pounds) as opposed to 567 kg (1,250 pound) shells fired by the (L) variant. See Navweaps.com in five twin gun turret
s, all mounted on the centreline. Two turrets were placed in a superfiring
pair forward ("A" and "B" turrets), one turret amidships—the "Q" turret—directly after the two funnels, and two in a superfiring pair aft of the rear superstructure
("X" and "Y" turrets). The gun houses used were Mk II turrets that weighed 610 tonnes (600 tons) and allowed for depression to −3° and elevation to 20°. Despite this, the range dials on the gunsights at the time of construction were graduated to 15 degrees; super-elevating cams and prisms to allow the full elevation of the guns to be used were issued some time after the Battle of Jutland
. The forward and aft gun turrets could train 150° in either direction from the centreline, while the "Q" had a much more limited range. It could engage targets on an arc from between 30° to 150° from the centerline on either beam of the ship.
The guns had a rate of fire
of between 1.5–2 rounds per minute. The Mk V "Heavy" gun fired a variety of shells, including high explosive and armour-piercing
rounds; they all weighed 635 kg (1,400 lb). The guns were loaded with MD45 propellant
charges that weighed 135 kg (297 lb); these were stored in silk bags. This provided a muzzle velocity
of 759 meters per second (2,491 fps). At maximum elevation of 20°, the guns had a range of 21,710 m (23,740 yards), though at the maximum effective range of 15°, the range was somewhat shorter, at approximately 18,290 m (20,000 yd). At a range of 9, 144 m (10,000 yd), the gun could penetrate up to 318 mm (12.5 in) of Krupp
cemented steel armour, the type used on contemporary German dreadnoughts.The and classes had a 12 in thick armoured belt, though the subsequent , , and classes had 14 in-thick belts.
mounted in casemate
s in the hull around the forward superstructure. These guns were chosen because the 4-inch (10.2 cm) guns
on earlier battleships were deemed to be too weak and have too short a range to effectively combat torpedo boats with newer, more powerful torpedoes. Admiral Jackie Fisher had opposed the idea of increasing the secondary battery, though he retired from the post of First Sea Lord
in 1910. As a result, the Iron Dukes, which were designed in 1911, received the larger 6 inch gun.
These guns fired 45.4 kg (100 lb) shells at a rate of between 5–7 per minute. The shells were fired with a muzzle velocity of 846 mps (2,775 fps), though the guns were capable of higher velocities. It was reduced in order to standardize the performance of all the 6 inch guns in Royal Navy service, which would simplify range calculations for guns of the calibre. The guns could elevate to 20°, which enabled a maximum range of 14,450 m (15,800 yd).
There were some significant problems with the casemate guns early on, however. They were equipped with hinged plates that were designed to close off the casemate opening in heavy seas. The plates were easily washed away, though, and without them, water easily entered the ship and caused significant flooding. This problem was compounded by the fact that they had been mounted too low in the hull, which subjected them to heavier pounding from rough seas. The problem was eventually corrected by the addition of dwarf bulkheads in the gun houses and rubber seals to the hinged plates.
were fitted to the aft superstructure, primarily to defend against German airships. The guns fired between 12–14 rounds per minute, and were expected to fire approximately 1,250 shells before replacement or repair was necessary. The shells fired were 5.67 kg (12.5 lb) with a high-explosive warhead. They were manually operated, and had a maximum effective ceiling of 7,160 m (23,500 ft).
As was customary for capital ships of the period, the Iron Duke-class ships were equipped with submerged torpedo tubes. The ships carried four 21 in (53.3 cm) tubes, two on each beam. These launched Mk II torpedoes that carried a 234 kg (515 lb) TNT warhead. They had could be set at two speed settings: 31 kn (16.9 m/s) and 45 kn (24.5 m/s). At 31 knots, the range was 9,830 m (10,750 yd), though at 45 kn the range was considerably reduced, to 4,110 m (4,500 yd).
s that contained the main gun turrets were 250 mm (9.8 in) on the sides and 75 mm (3 in) on the rear, where shells were less likely to hit. The turrets themselves were 280 mm (11 in) thick on the sides. The ships' armoured deck was between 25–65 mm (1–2.5 in) thick. After the battle of Jutland in May 1916, some 820 tonnes of armour was added to the ships, primarily to thicken the deck around the main battery turrets, as well as to increase the bulkheads in the ammunition magazines.
Dockyard. She was launched exactly 10 months later, on 12 October 1912; fitting out work commenced thereafter, and was finished by March 1914. She was then commissioned into the British Home Fleet, as the flagship of Admiral George Callaghan
. Marlborough was the second ship of the class to be built. She followed Iron Duke by nearly two weeks; Marlborough was laid down at the Devonport Dockyard on 25 January 1912 and launched on 24 October 1912. Fitting out work proceeded somewhat slower on the ship, which wasn't finished until June 1914.
Benbow was laid down at Beardmore
on 30 May 1912, more than 5 months after her older sisters. She was launched on 12 November 1913 and completed by October 1914. Emperor of India, the last of the four battleships, was originally ordered under the name Delhi. She was laid down at Vickers
the day after Benbow, on 31 May 1912. She was launched on 27 November 1913, and completed by November 1914.
. After the outbreak of the First World War, the Royal Navy was reorganized; the Home Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet were combined to form the Grand Fleet; Iron Duke retained her position as fleet flagship, under John Jellicoe
. The ship took part in all of the major fleet actions, though only one of them ended in combat—the sortie on 31 May that resulted in the Battle of Jutland
. At Jutland, Iron Duke was assigned to the 3rd Division of the 4th Battle Squadron, and was stationed in the centre of the British line.
Following the end of the war, Iron Duke was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet. During 1919–20, the ship operated in the Black Sea
in support of the White Russians
during the Russian Civil War
. The Washington Naval Treaty
of 1922 mandated that Iron Duke be removed from the active roster. However, she remained with the fleet for a short time, having been transferred to the Atlantic Fleet in 1926. This duty assignment lasted 3 years, after which she was removed from active service. She was demilitarised, to be used as a training ship. Two of her gun turrets and a good deal of her armour were removed, and her speed was reduced to 18 kn (9.8 m/s) through the removal of some of her boilers. She was later used as a depot ship in Scapa Flow
, starting in 1939. After the outbreak of the Second World War that year, her remaining guns were removed to be used in shore defences. The Luftwaffe
attempted to bomb her on 17 October 1939; several near misses caused significant damage. After repairs were effected, the ship resumed her duties as a depot vessel until the end of the war. She was finally sold for scrapping in 1946.
, towards the rear of the British line. She served as the flagship of Vice Admiral Cecil Burney
. During the battle, she was hit by a torpedo amidships; the torpedo tore a hole that was 21 m by 6 m (70 ft by 20 ft). Despite the damage, she was able to keep her position in the line, though her speed was reduced to 17 kn (9.3 m/s). Marlborough continued to fire her main guns until the list increased to the point that prevented her guns from being effectively employed. The ship eventually withdrew to the Humber
, where she undertook 3 months of repairs.
Post-war, Marlborough joined Iron Duke in the Mediterranean, where she remained until 1926. She was then transferred to the Atlantic Fleet; her tour of duty there lasted until 1929, at which point she was withdrawn from active duty. The ship was sold for scrapping in 1932.
Like her sisters, was assigned to the Grand Fleet for the duration of the First World War. She was assigned to the 4th Battle Squadron
on 10 December 1914. Benbow was the flagship of Admiral Doveton Sturdee
, the commander of the 4th Division of the 4th Battle Squadron, during the battle of Jutland. The 4th Division was directly ahead of the 3rd Division, where Admiral Jellicoe commanded the fleet from Benbows sister Iron Duke. Throughout the battle the ship remained undamaged. Like Iron Duke and Marlborough, Benbow was transferred to the Mediterranean in 1919, and she provided artillery support to White Russian forces in the Black Sea. She followed Marlborough to the Atlantic Fleet in 1926; she too was stricken in 1929 and sold for scrap.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
before the First World War. The class comprised four ships: , , , and . Launched from October 1912 to November 1913, this was the third class of Royal Navy super-dreadnoughts.
The ships were essentially King George V-class
King George V class battleship (1911)
The King George V class battleships were a series of four Royal Navy super-dreadnought battleships built just prior to and serving in the First World War.The King George V class immediately followed the Orion class upon which they were based....
battleships; they retained the same ten 13.5 inch (34.3 cm) guns in five twin gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s on the centreline. However, the Iron Dukes had improved armour and a more powerful secondary armament
Battleship secondary armament
The secondary armament of a capital ship are smaller, faster-firing weapons that are typically effective at a shorter range than the main weapons...
of 6-inch weapons instead of the 4-inch mounted on the earlier ships.
The four ships were the most advanced battleships in the Royal Navy at the outbreak of the First World War, though they were soon surpassed by the s. They all saw extensive service during the war with the Grand Fleet, where Iron Duke acted as the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
for the fleet commander, Admiral John Jellicoe
John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe
Admiral of the Fleet John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, GCB, OM, GCVO was a British Royal Navy admiral who commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland in World War I...
. Three of the ships, Iron Duke, Benbow, and Marlborough, were present at the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
, though Emperor of India was in dock for periodic refit. The four Iron Duke-class battleships saw limited active duty following the end of the war; they were all demilitarised under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
signed in 1922. Iron Duke was reduced to a training and depot ship and lasted in that role until 1946 when she was scrapped. Benbow was scrapped in 1931 and Marlborough followed in 1932. Emperor of India was sunk as a gunnery target in 1931.
Design
General characteristics
The Iron Duke-class ships were 189.9 metres (622 feet 9 inches) long overall, and had a beamBeam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 27.4 m (90 ft) and a draught
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 8.8 m (29 ft). This was an increase of 7.7 m (25 ft) in length and .3 m (1 ft) in width over the preceding King George V-class ships. The Iron Dukes displaced
Displacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
25,400 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s (25,000 long ton
Long ton
Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton...
s). This was some 2,032 tonnes (2,000 tons) heavier than the preceding King George Vs, and was primarily due to the increase in calibre of the secondary battery.
The ships were powered by four-shaft Parsons turbines. Steam was provided to the turbines by 18 Babcock & Wilcox or Yarrow boilers. The engines were rated at 29,000 shaft horsepower and delivered a top speed of 21.5 knots (11.7 m/s). Iron Duke and her sisters
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
had a fuel storage capacity of 3250 MT (3,198.7 LT) of coal and 1050 MT (1,033.4 LT) of oil. This enabled a maximum range of 7780 nautical miles (14,408.6 km) at a cruising speed of 10 kn (5.4 m/s).
Primary battery
Main battery
Generally used only in the terms of naval warfare, the main battery is the primary weapon around which a ship was designed. "Battery" is in itself a common term in the military science of artillery. For example, the United States Navy battleship USS Washington had a main battery of nine guns...
of ten 13.5 inch (34.3 cm) Mk V(H) guns The "(H)" denotes that the gun is the variant that fired heavy shells—these were about 635 kg (1,400 pounds) as opposed to 567 kg (1,250 pound) shells fired by the (L) variant. See Navweaps.com in five twin gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s, all mounted on the centreline. Two turrets were placed in a superfiring
Superfire
The idea of superfire is to locate two turrets in a row, one behind the other, but with the second turret located above the one in front so that the second turret could fire over the first...
pair forward ("A" and "B" turrets), one turret amidships—the "Q" turret—directly after the two funnels, and two in a superfiring pair aft of the rear superstructure
Superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
("X" and "Y" turrets). The gun houses used were Mk II turrets that weighed 610 tonnes (600 tons) and allowed for depression to −3° and elevation to 20°. Despite this, the range dials on the gunsights at the time of construction were graduated to 15 degrees; super-elevating cams and prisms to allow the full elevation of the guns to be used were issued some time after the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
. The forward and aft gun turrets could train 150° in either direction from the centreline, while the "Q" had a much more limited range. It could engage targets on an arc from between 30° to 150° from the centerline on either beam of the ship.
The guns had a rate of fire
Rate of fire
Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. It is usually measured in rounds per minute , or per second .-Overview:...
of between 1.5–2 rounds per minute. The Mk V "Heavy" gun fired a variety of shells, including high explosive and armour-piercing
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
rounds; they all weighed 635 kg (1,400 lb). The guns were loaded with MD45 propellant
Propellant
A propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...
charges that weighed 135 kg (297 lb); these were stored in silk bags. This provided a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 759 meters per second (2,491 fps). At maximum elevation of 20°, the guns had a range of 21,710 m (23,740 yards), though at the maximum effective range of 15°, the range was somewhat shorter, at approximately 18,290 m (20,000 yd). At a range of 9, 144 m (10,000 yd), the gun could penetrate up to 318 mm (12.5 in) of Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
cemented steel armour, the type used on contemporary German dreadnoughts.The and classes had a 12 in thick armoured belt, though the subsequent , , and classes had 14 in-thick belts.
Secondary battery
The secondary battery consisted of twelve 6-inch (15.2 cm) Mk VII gunsBL 6 inch Mk VII naval gun
The BL 6 inch Gun Mark VII was a British naval gun dating from 1899, which was mounted on a heavy traveling carriage in 1915 for British Army service to become one of the main heavy field guns in the First World War, and also served as one of the main coast defence guns throughout the British...
mounted in casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s in the hull around the forward superstructure. These guns were chosen because the 4-inch (10.2 cm) guns
BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII
The BL 4-inch gun Mk VII was a British high-velocity naval gun introduced in 1908 as an anti-torpedo boat gun in large ships, and in the main armament of smaller ships...
on earlier battleships were deemed to be too weak and have too short a range to effectively combat torpedo boats with newer, more powerful torpedoes. Admiral Jackie Fisher had opposed the idea of increasing the secondary battery, though he retired from the post of First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
in 1910. As a result, the Iron Dukes, which were designed in 1911, received the larger 6 inch gun.
These guns fired 45.4 kg (100 lb) shells at a rate of between 5–7 per minute. The shells were fired with a muzzle velocity of 846 mps (2,775 fps), though the guns were capable of higher velocities. It was reduced in order to standardize the performance of all the 6 inch guns in Royal Navy service, which would simplify range calculations for guns of the calibre. The guns could elevate to 20°, which enabled a maximum range of 14,450 m (15,800 yd).
There were some significant problems with the casemate guns early on, however. They were equipped with hinged plates that were designed to close off the casemate opening in heavy seas. The plates were easily washed away, though, and without them, water easily entered the ship and caused significant flooding. This problem was compounded by the fact that they had been mounted too low in the hull, which subjected them to heavier pounding from rough seas. The problem was eventually corrected by the addition of dwarf bulkheads in the gun houses and rubber seals to the hinged plates.
Other armament
Iron Duke was the first British battleship to be mounted with anti-aircraft weaponry. In 1914, two 3 in (7.62 cm) QF gunsQF 3 inch 20 cwt
The QF 3 inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft gun became the standard anti-aircraft gun used in the home defence of the United Kingdom against German airships and bombers and on the Western Front in World War I. It was also common on British warships in World War I and submarines in World War II...
were fitted to the aft superstructure, primarily to defend against German airships. The guns fired between 12–14 rounds per minute, and were expected to fire approximately 1,250 shells before replacement or repair was necessary. The shells fired were 5.67 kg (12.5 lb) with a high-explosive warhead. They were manually operated, and had a maximum effective ceiling of 7,160 m (23,500 ft).
As was customary for capital ships of the period, the Iron Duke-class ships were equipped with submerged torpedo tubes. The ships carried four 21 in (53.3 cm) tubes, two on each beam. These launched Mk II torpedoes that carried a 234 kg (515 lb) TNT warhead. They had could be set at two speed settings: 31 kn (16.9 m/s) and 45 kn (24.5 m/s). At 31 knots, the range was 9,830 m (10,750 yd), though at 45 kn the range was considerably reduced, to 4,110 m (4,500 yd).
Armour
The Iron Duke-class battleships had an armour belt that was 300 mm (11.8 in) thick in the central area of the ship, where the ammunition magazines, machinery spaces, and other vital parts of the ship were located. The belt tapered down to 100 mm (3.9 in) towards the bow and stern. The barbetteBarbette
A barbette is a protective circular armour feature around a cannon or heavy artillery gun. The name comes from the French phrase en barbette referring to the practice of firing a field gun over a parapet rather than through an opening . The former gives better angles of fire but less protection...
s that contained the main gun turrets were 250 mm (9.8 in) on the sides and 75 mm (3 in) on the rear, where shells were less likely to hit. The turrets themselves were 280 mm (11 in) thick on the sides. The ships' armoured deck was between 25–65 mm (1–2.5 in) thick. After the battle of Jutland in May 1916, some 820 tonnes of armour was added to the ships, primarily to thicken the deck around the main battery turrets, as well as to increase the bulkheads in the ammunition magazines.
Construction
Iron Duke was laid down on 12 January 1912 in the PortsmouthPortsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
Dockyard. She was launched exactly 10 months later, on 12 October 1912; fitting out work commenced thereafter, and was finished by March 1914. She was then commissioned into the British Home Fleet, as the flagship of Admiral George Callaghan
George Callaghan
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Astley Callaghan GCB GCVO was a senior officer in the Royal Navy.-Naval career:...
. Marlborough was the second ship of the class to be built. She followed Iron Duke by nearly two weeks; Marlborough was laid down at the Devonport Dockyard on 25 January 1912 and launched on 24 October 1912. Fitting out work proceeded somewhat slower on the ship, which wasn't finished until June 1914.
Benbow was laid down at Beardmore
William Beardmore and Company
William Beardmore and Company was a Scottish engineering and shipbuilding conglomerate based in Glasgow and the surrounding Clydeside area. It was active between about 1890 and 1930 and at its peak employed about 40,000 people...
on 30 May 1912, more than 5 months after her older sisters. She was launched on 12 November 1913 and completed by October 1914. Emperor of India, the last of the four battleships, was originally ordered under the name Delhi. She was laid down at Vickers
Vickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
the day after Benbow, on 31 May 1912. She was launched on 27 November 1913, and completed by November 1914.
Iron Duke
Upon commissioning, was assigned to the Home Fleet as the fleet flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
. After the outbreak of the First World War, the Royal Navy was reorganized; the Home Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet were combined to form the Grand Fleet; Iron Duke retained her position as fleet flagship, under John Jellicoe
John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe
Admiral of the Fleet John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, GCB, OM, GCVO was a British Royal Navy admiral who commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland in World War I...
. The ship took part in all of the major fleet actions, though only one of them ended in combat—the sortie on 31 May that resulted in the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
. At Jutland, Iron Duke was assigned to the 3rd Division of the 4th Battle Squadron, and was stationed in the centre of the British line.
Following the end of the war, Iron Duke was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet. During 1919–20, the ship operated in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
in support of the White Russians
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
during the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
. The Washington Naval Treaty
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
of 1922 mandated that Iron Duke be removed from the active roster. However, she remained with the fleet for a short time, having been transferred to the Atlantic Fleet in 1926. This duty assignment lasted 3 years, after which she was removed from active service. She was demilitarised, to be used as a training ship. Two of her gun turrets and a good deal of her armour were removed, and her speed was reduced to 18 kn (9.8 m/s) through the removal of some of her boilers. She was later used as a depot ship in Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, starting in 1939. After the outbreak of the Second World War that year, her remaining guns were removed to be used in shore defences. The Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
attempted to bomb her on 17 October 1939; several near misses caused significant damage. After repairs were effected, the ship resumed her duties as a depot vessel until the end of the war. She was finally sold for scrapping in 1946.
Marlborough
was the most heavily engaged ship of the class during the battle of Jutland; she fired a total of 162 heavy-calibre shells, out of a total of 292 for the entire class. She was assigned to the 6th Division of the 1st Battle Squadron1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)
The British 1st Battle Squadron was a squadron of battleships, initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, renamed the Grand Fleet during World War I...
, towards the rear of the British line. She served as the flagship of Vice Admiral Cecil Burney
Cecil Burney
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cecil Burney, 1st Baronet GCB GCMG was a British Royal Navy admiral.-Early life and service before flag rank:...
. During the battle, she was hit by a torpedo amidships; the torpedo tore a hole that was 21 m by 6 m (70 ft by 20 ft). Despite the damage, she was able to keep her position in the line, though her speed was reduced to 17 kn (9.3 m/s). Marlborough continued to fire her main guns until the list increased to the point that prevented her guns from being effectively employed. The ship eventually withdrew to the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
, where she undertook 3 months of repairs.
Post-war, Marlborough joined Iron Duke in the Mediterranean, where she remained until 1926. She was then transferred to the Atlantic Fleet; her tour of duty there lasted until 1929, at which point she was withdrawn from active duty. The ship was sold for scrapping in 1932.
Benbow
4th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)
The British Royal Navy 4th Battle Squadron was a squadron consisting of battleships. The 4th Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. During World War I the Home Fleet was renamed the Grand Fleet...
on 10 December 1914. Benbow was the flagship of Admiral Doveton Sturdee
Doveton Sturdee
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick Charles Doveton Sturdee, 1st Baronet, GCB, KCMG, CVO was a British admiral.-Naval career:...
, the commander of the 4th Division of the 4th Battle Squadron, during the battle of Jutland. The 4th Division was directly ahead of the 3rd Division, where Admiral Jellicoe commanded the fleet from Benbows sister Iron Duke. Throughout the battle the ship remained undamaged. Like Iron Duke and Marlborough, Benbow was transferred to the Mediterranean in 1919, and she provided artillery support to White Russian forces in the Black Sea. She followed Marlborough to the Atlantic Fleet in 1926; she too was stricken in 1929 and sold for scrap.
Emperor of India
was also assigned to the 4th Battle Squadron, in December 1914. She missed Jutland because she was in dock for a periodic refit. After the end of the war, she was transferred to the Mediterranean along with the other three ships of the class. Emperor of India returned to England in 1922 for a refit, after which she resumed her duties in the Mediterranean. She likewise joined the Atlantic Fleet in 1926, alongside her sisters, and stricken in 1929. Instead of being scrapped, however, she was used as a gunnery target, and sunk in 1931. She was raised shortly thereafter and sold to ship breakers on 6 February 1932.External links
- Dreadnought Project Technical material on the weaponry and fire control for the ships