HMS Dreadnought (1875): Difference between revisions
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''Dreadnought'' was originally named ''Fury'' and was designed by the [[Director of Naval Construction]] (DNC), Sir [[Edward James Reed|Edward Reed]], as an improved and enlarged version of the preceding {{sclass-|Devastation|ironclad|2}} turret ships. The ship was laid down, fully farmed and partially plated up to the bottom of the [[waterline]] [[belt armor]]<ref>Brown, location 2402</ref> when work was ordered stopped in 1871 in light of the loss of the ironclad turret ship {{HMS|Captain|1869|2}} in a heavy storm the previous year. A Committee on Designs was formed in January 1871 to evaluate existing ship designs with special consideration as to their [[ship stability|stability and buoyancy]] and found that the designs of ''Devastation'' and ''Fury'' were lacking in both qualities and needed to be modified.<ref>Parkes, pp. 192–94</ref> Reed had resigned before ''Captain'' was lost and he vehemently opposed the changes made by the new DNC, [[Nathaniel Barnaby]] and his assistant, [[William Henry White|William White]], himself a future DNC.<ref>Gardiner, p. 82</ref> |
''Dreadnought'' was originally named ''Fury'' and was designed by the [[Director of Naval Construction]] (DNC), Sir [[Edward James Reed|Edward Reed]], as an improved and enlarged version of the preceding {{sclass-|Devastation|ironclad|2}} turret ships. The ship was laid down, fully farmed and partially plated up to the bottom of the [[waterline]] [[belt armor]]<ref>Brown, location 2402</ref> when work was ordered stopped in 1871 in light of the loss of the ironclad turret ship {{HMS|Captain|1869|2}} in a heavy storm the previous year. A Committee on Designs was formed in January 1871 to evaluate existing ship designs with special consideration as to their [[ship stability|stability and buoyancy]] and found that the designs of ''Devastation'' and ''Fury'' were lacking in both qualities and needed to be modified.<ref>Parkes, pp. 192–94</ref> Reed had resigned before ''Captain'' was lost and he vehemently opposed the changes made by the new DNC, [[Nathaniel Barnaby]] and his assistant, [[William Henry White|William White]], himself a future DNC.<ref>Gardiner, p. 82</ref> |
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The main changes were to increase the [[beam (nautical)|beam]] by {{convert|18|in|mm|0}} and widen Reed's armoured [[breastwork (fortification)|breastwork]] to cover the full width of the hull; this increased the ship's [[freeboard (nautical)|freeboard]] [[amidships]] which improved buoyancy and stability and provided additional, badly needed, accommodation for the crew. In addition, the maximum thickness of the armour was increased from {{convert|12|to|14|in|mm|0}}, it was extended all the way to the [[bow (ship)|bow]] and reinforced the [[naval ram|ram]]. Barnaby and White's initial plan was to extend the breastwork fore and aft, almost to the ends of the ship, but this was changed to run all the way to the ends after the results of {{HMS|Devastation|1871|2}}'s [[sea trials]] in 1873–74 revealed that her low bow caused major problems in [[head sea]]s. Other changes was the substitution of inverted vertical [[Marine steam engine#Compound engine|compound-expansion steam engines]] for Reed's original horizontal low-pressure engines, more powerful {{convert|12.5|in|adj=on}} guns for the {{convert|12|in|0|adj=on}} ones first chosen, and the fitting of [[hydraulic pump]]s to work the [[gun turret]]s.<ref>Parkes, pp. 206–08</ref> |
The main changes were to increase the [[beam (nautical)|beam]] by {{convert|18|in|mm|0}} and widen Reed's armoured [[breastwork (fortification)|breastwork]] to cover the full width of the hull; this increased the ship's [[freeboard (nautical)|freeboard]] [[amidships]] which improved buoyancy and stability and provided additional, badly needed, accommodation for the crew. In addition, the maximum thickness of the armour was increased from {{convert|12|to|14|in|mm|0}}, it was extended all the way to the [[bow (ship)|bow]] and reinforced the [[naval ram|ram]]. Barnaby and White's initial plan was to extend the breastwork fore and aft, almost to the ends of the ship, but this was changed to run all the way to the ends after the results of {{HMS|Devastation|1871|2}}'s [[sea trials]] in 1873–74 revealed that her low bow caused major problems in [[head sea]]s. Other changes was the substitution of more economical inverted vertical [[Marine steam engine#Compound engine|compound-expansion steam engines]] for Reed's original horizontal, low-pressure engines, more powerful {{convert|12.5|in|adj=on}} guns for the {{convert|12|in|0|adj=on}} ones first chosen, and the fitting of [[hydraulic pump]]s to work the [[gun turret]]s.<ref>Parkes, pp. 206–08</ref> |
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==Description== |
==Description== |
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Revision as of 15:30, 18 April 2016
 Bow view of Dreadnought being fitted with Nordenfelt guns (visible abaft the bridge), probably after 1894
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Template:Sclass- |
| Succeeded by | HMS Neptune |
| Completed | 1 |
| Scrapped | 1 |
| History | |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Dreadnought |
| Ordered | 1870 Naval Programme |
| Builder | Pembroke Dockyard |
| Laid down | 10 September 1870 |
| Launched | 8 March 1875 |
| Completed | 15 February 1879 |
| Out of service | 1905 |
| Stricken | 1908 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, July 1908 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Type | Ironclad turret ship |
| Displacement | 10,886 long tons (11,061 t) |
| Length | 320 ft (97.5 m) (pp) 343 ft (105 m) (oa) |
| Beam | 63 ft 10 in (19.5 m) |
| Draught | 26 ft 6 in (8.1 m) |
| Installed power | 8,206 ihp (6,119 kW); 12 cylindrical boilers |
| Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2 compound-expansion steam engines |
| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Range | 5,700 nmi (10,600 km; 6,600 mi) @ 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 369 |
| Armament | 4 × 12.5-inch (317 mm) rifled muzzle-loading guns |
| Armour |
|
HMS Dreadnought was an ironclad turret ship built for the Royal Navy during the 1870s.
Background and design
Dreadnought was originally named Fury and was designed by the Director of Naval Construction (DNC), Sir Edward Reed, as an improved and enlarged version of the preceding Template:Sclass- turret ships. The ship was laid down, fully farmed and partially plated up to the bottom of the waterline belt armor[1] when work was ordered stopped in 1871 in light of the loss of the ironclad turret ship Captain in a heavy storm the previous year. A Committee on Designs was formed in January 1871 to evaluate existing ship designs with special consideration as to their stability and buoyancy and found that the designs of Devastation and Fury were lacking in both qualities and needed to be modified.[2] Reed had resigned before Captain was lost and he vehemently opposed the changes made by the new DNC, Nathaniel Barnaby and his assistant, William White, himself a future DNC.[3]
The main changes were to increase the beam by 18 inches (457 mm) and widen Reed's armoured breastwork to cover the full width of the hull; this increased the ship's freeboard amidships which improved buoyancy and stability and provided additional, badly needed, accommodation for the crew. In addition, the maximum thickness of the armour was increased from 12 to 14 inches (305 to 356 mm), it was extended all the way to the bow and reinforced the ram. Barnaby and White's initial plan was to extend the breastwork fore and aft, almost to the ends of the ship, but this was changed to run all the way to the ends after the results of Devastation's sea trials in 1873–74 revealed that her low bow caused major problems in head seas. Other changes was the substitution of more economical inverted vertical compound-expansion steam engines for Reed's original horizontal, low-pressure engines, more powerful 12.5-inch (320 mm) guns for the 12-inch (305 mm) ones first chosen, and the fitting of hydraulic pumps to work the gun turrets.[4]
Description
Dreadnought had a length between perpendiculars of 320 feet (97.5 m) and was 343 feet (104.5 m) long overall, some 35 feet (10.7 m) longer than the Devastation class. She had a beam of 63 feet 10 inches (19.5 m), and a draught of 26 feet 6 inches (8.1 m). The ship displaced 10,886 long tons (11,061 t).[5] Dreadnought was the first ship to have a longitudinal watertight bulkhead that divided the engine and boiler rooms down the centreline. Her crew consisted of 369 officers and ratings. She proved to be a very steady ship with minimal rolling, although she was very wet as high seas usually swept her deck from end to end.[6]
The ship was the first large ironclad to have two 3-cylinder inverted vertical compound-expansion steam engines. These were built by Humphry & Tennant and each drove a single four-bladed, 20-foot (6.1 m) propeller. Dreadnought's engines were powered by a dozen cylindrical boilers with a working pressure of 60 psi (414 kPa; 4 kgf/cm2).[7] The engines were designed to produce a total of 8,000 indicated horsepower (6,000 kW) for a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph), this was 2,400 ihp (1,800 kW) more and 1.5 knots (2.8 km/h; 1.7 mph) faster than the Devastation class. Dreadnought reached a maximum speed of 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph) from 8,216 ihp (6,127 kW) during her sea trials. The ship carried a maximum of 1,800 long tons (1,829 t) of coal, enough to steam 5,650 nautical miles (10,460 km; 6,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[8]
Construction
The original design was recast for heavier armour and higher speed. The renamed ship was laid down in 1872 at Pembroke Dockyard, Wales and was subsequently launched in March 1875, with final completion at Portsmouth in 1879. She carried her four muzzle-loading guns in two twin turrets, and had a very heavily armored hull, low freeboard, and no sailing rig. Her secondary armament was very light, though it varied in detail throughout her career. Despite their obsolescence,[citation needed] she retained her muzzle-loading big guns to the end of her days.
Service history
After completion, Dreadnought remained in reserve until 1884, when she was commissioned for service in the Mediterranean Sea. The battleship returned to British waters in 1894 and, after refit, served in 1895-1897 as a coast guard ship at Bantry Bay, Ireland.
Dreadnought was partially modernized in 1897-1899 and took part in British fleet manoeuvres in 1900 and 1901 as a second-class battleship. In June 1902, she was refitted at Chatham, to serve as a tender to the HMS Defiance, torpedo school ship at Devonport,[9] and later as a depot ship. She was placed out of service in 1905, and sold for scrapping in July 1908.
Footnotes
- ^ Brown, location 2402
- ^ Parkes, pp. 192–94
- ^ Gardiner, p. 82
- ^ Parkes, pp. 206–08
- ^ Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 24
- ^ Parkes, pp. 207, 210
- ^ Parkes, p. 207
- ^ Burt, pp. 12–15
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36793. London. 13 June 1902. p. 10. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
References
- Brown, David K. (2010). Warrior to Dreadnought: Warship Development 1860–1905. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78383-019-0.
{{cite book}}:|format=requires|url=(help) - Burt, R. A. (2013). British Battleships 1889–1904. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-065-8.
- Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|lastauthoramp=ignored (|name-list-style=suggested) (help) - Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1992). Steam, Steel and Shellfire: The Steam Warship 1815–1905. Conway's History of the Ship. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 1-55750-774-0.
- Parkes, Oscar (1990). British Battleships (reprint of the 1957 ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-075-4.
- Phillips, Lawrie; Lieutenant Commander (2014). Pembroke Dockyard and the Old Navy: A Bicentennial History. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-5214-9.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Silverstone, Paul H. (1984). Directory of the World's Capital Ships. New York: Hippocrene Books. ISBN 0-88254-979-0.
- Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.
External links
