Jump to content

HMS King Edward VII

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Parsecboy (talk | contribs) at 18:11, 19 December 2018 (no source). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

HMS King Edward VII underway
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS King Edward VII
NamesakeKing Edward VII
BuilderDevonport Dockyard
Laid down8 March 1902
Launched23 July 1903
CompletedFebruary 1905
Commissioned7 February 1905
FateMined off Cape Wrath, 6 January 1916
General characteristics
Class and typeTemplate:Sclass- pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement
  • 115,585 to 15,885 tonnes (113,760 to 15,634 long tons) (normal)
  • 17,009 to 17,290 tonnes (16,740 to 17,017 long tons) (fully loaded)
Length453 ft 9 in (138.3 m)
Beam78 ft (23.8 m)
Draught25 ft 8 in (7.82 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
  • 2 × 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engines
  • 2 × screws
Speed18.5 kn (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph)
Complement777
Armament
Armour

HMS King Edward VII, named after King Edward VII, was the lead ship of her class of Royal Navy pre-dreadnought battleships. She was commissioned in 1905, and entered service with the Atlantic Fleet as Flagship, Commander-in-chief (by request of the King, she was always to serve as a flagship). Rendered obsolete in 1906 with the commissioning of the revolutionary Dreadnought, she underwent a refit in 1907, following which she was assigned to the Channel Fleet and then to the Home Fleet. In 1912, she, together with her sister ships, formed the 3rd Battle Squadron.

During the early phase of World War I, the 3rd Battle Squadron was attached to the Grand Fleet and served on the Northern Patrol. In January 1916 she struck a mine while in transit to a scheduled refit at Belfast and sank. All but one of her crew were safely evacuated.

Design

Main article: King Edward VII-class battleship
Left elevation and deck plan as depicted in Jane's Fighting Ships

Following the development of pre-dreadnought type battleships carrying heavy secondary guns of 8-inch (200 mm) diameter in the Italian Regia Marina and the United States Navy, the Royal Navy decided to build similar ships. Initial proposals called for a battleship equipped with eight 7.5 in (190 mm) guns to support the main battery, though under the direction of William Henry White, the Director of Naval Construction, these were replaced with four 9.2 in (234 mm) guns. The new ships, though based on the general Template:Sclass- type that had formed the basis of the preceding four battleship designs, marked the first significant change in the series.[1]

King Edward VII was 453 feet 9 inches (138.30 m) long overall, with a beam of 75 ft (23 m) and a draft of 25 ft 8 in (7.82 m). The King Edward VII-class battleships displaced 15,585 to 15,885 tonnes (15,339 to 15,634 long tons) normally and up to 17,009 to 17,290 tonnes (16,740 to 17,017 long tons) fully loaded. Her crew numbered 777 officers and enlisted men. The King Edward VII-class ships were powered by a pair of 4-cylinder triple-expansion engines that drove two screws, with steam provided by sixteen water-tube boilers. The boilers were trunked into two funnels located amidships. The King Edward VII-class ships had a top speed of 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) from 18,000 indicated horsepower (13,000 kW).[2]

King Edward VII had four 12-inch (305 mm) 40-calibre guns mounted in twin gun turrets fore and aft. These were supported by a heavy secondary battery of four 9.2 in (234 mm) guns in four single turrets, two on each broadside. The ships also mounted ten 6-inch (152 mm) 45-calibre guns mounted in casemates, in addition to fourteen 12-pounder guns and fourteen 3-pounder guns for defence against torpedo boats. As was customary for battleships of the period, she was also equipped with four 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes submerged in the hull.[2]

King Edward VII had an armoured belt that was 9 inches (229 mm) thick; the transverse bulkheads on the aft end of the belt was 8 to 12 in (203 to 305 mm) thick. Her main battery turrets sides were 8 to 12 in thick, atop 12 in barbettes, and 9.2 turrets had 5 to 9 in (127 to 229 mm) sides. The casemate battery was protected with 7 in (178 mm) of armour plate. Her conning tower had 12 in thick sides. She was fitted with two armoured decks, 1 and 2.5 in (25 and 64 mm) thick, respectively.[2]

Service history

Pre-World War I

King Edward VII passing New Brighton, Canada

When HMS King Edward VII was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 8 March 1902, the first plate was laid by King Edward VII, who with his wife Queen Alexandra had just attended the naming and launching ceremony of HMS Queen.[3] King Edward VII was launched by her namesake on 23 July 1903 and was completed in February 1905. Edward VII consented to having King Edward VII carry his name on the condition that she always serve as a flagship. The Royal Navy honoured this wish throughout her career. King Edward VII commissioned on 7 February 1905 at Devonport Dockyard for service as Flagship, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet. She underwent a refit in 1906–1907, during which her superstructure 12-pounder guns were temporarily relocated to the top of her main battery turrets. Her Atlantic Fleet service ended when she paid off at Portsmouth Dockyard on 4 March 1907.[2][4]

On 5 March 1907, King Edward VII recommissioned as flagship of Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, Commander-in-Chief, Channel Fleet. She underwent another refit at Portsmouth in 1907–1908. During this refit, her 12-pounders returned to their original locations, and the 3-pounders on her bridge were removed. [4] Under a fleet reorganisation on 24 March 1909, the Channel Fleet became the 2nd Division, Home Fleet. Accordingly, King Edward VII recommissioned as Flagship, Vice Admiral, Home Fleet on 27 March. She underwent a refit at Portsmouth from December 1909 – February 1910. She recommissioned at Portsmouth on 1 August 1911 as Flagship, Vice Admiral, Third and Fourth Divisions, Home Fleet.[5]

Under a fleet reorganisation in May 1912, King Edward VII and all seven of her sisters (Africa, Britannia, Commonwealth, Dominion, Hibernia, Hindustan, and Zealandia) were assigned to form the 3rd Battle Squadron, assigned to the First Fleet, Home Fleet. King Edward VII commissioned at Sheerness as Flagship, Vice Admiral, 3rd Battle Squadron, First Fleet, Home Fleet, on 14 May 1912. The 3rd Battle Squadron was detached to the Mediterranean in November 1912 because of the First Balkan War (October 1912 – May 1913); it arrived at Malta on 27 November 1912 and subsequently participated in a blockade by an international force of Montenegro and in an occupation of Scutari. The squadron returned to the United Kingdom in 1913 and rejoined the Home Fleet on 27 June 1913.[5]

World War I

Painting of King Edward VII underway

Upon the outbreak of the World War I, the 3rd Battle Squadron was assigned to the Grand Fleet and based at Rosyth, with King Edward VII continuing her service as squadron flagship, at the time under the command of Vice Admiral Edward Bradford. The squadron was reinforced with the five Template:Sclass-s,[6][7] and was used to supplement the Grand Fleet's cruisers on the Northern Patrol.[5] In late August, King Edward VII reported that two of her four 12-inch guns had developed cracks in the inner tubes, necessitating replacement. She accordingly left Scapa Flow for Devonport to have the guns replaced, Bradford shifting his flag to her sister ship Dominion temporarily. King Edward VII returned to the fleet on 2 September, at which point Dominion was sent to have her guns replaced.[8] On 2 November 1914, the squadron was detached to reinforce the Channel Fleet and was rebased at Portland. The squadron returned to the Grand Fleet on 13 November, although King Edward VII remained behind temporarily, not returning to the Grand Fleet until 30 November 1914.[5][9]

King Edward VII served in the Grand Fleet until her loss in January 1916.[5] During sweeps by the fleet, she and her sisters often steamed at the heads of divisions of the far more valuable dreadnoughts, where they could protect the dreadnoughts by watching for mines or by being the first to strike them.[10]

Loss

King Edward VII sinking off Cape Wrath on the afternoon of 6 January 1916.

On 6 January 1916, King Edward VII—having transferred her flag temporarily—departed Scapa Flow at 07:12 on a voyage around the northern coast of Scotland to Belfast, where she was scheduled to undergo a refit. At 10:47, she struck a mine that had been laid by the German auxiliary cruiser SMS Möwe off Cape Wrath five days before. Möwe had slipped past British patrols and laid 252 mines under cover of darkness and a snow storm. The explosion occurred under the starboard engine room, and King Edward VII took on a list of 8° to starboard. Her commanding officer, Captain Maclachlan, ordered her helm put over to starboard to close the coast and beach the ship if necessary, but the helm jammed hard to starboard and the engine rooms quickly flooded, stopping the engines. Counterflooding reduced her list to 5°.[11][12]

Signals to the passing collier Princess Melita induced her to close with King Edward VII and attempt to tow the battleship. Initially believing the attack to have been from a German U-boat, the flotilla leader Kempenfelt and twelve destroyers sortied to come to King Edward VII's aid. After arriving on the scene, Kempenfelt joined the tow attempt. Towing began at 14:15, but King Edward VII settled deeper in the water and took on a 15° list in a rising sea and strong winds and soon proved to be unmanageable. Princess Melita's towline parted at 14:40, after which Captain Maclachlan ordered Kempenfelt to slip her tow as well.[11][13]

With flooding continuing and darkness approaching, Captain Maclachlan ordered King Edward VII abandoned. The destroyer Musketeer came alongside at 14:45, and she and destroyers Fortune and Marne, took off the crew with the loss of only one life (a man fell between the battleship and one of the rescue vessels), the last man off being Captain Maclachlan, who boarded destroyer Nessus at 16:10. Fortune, Marne, and Musketeer departed to take the battleship's crew to port, while Nessus stayed on the scene until 17:20 with tugs that had arrived to assist. After Nessus departed, the tugs continued to stand by, and saw King Edward VII capsize at 20:10 and sink around nine hours after the explosion.[11]

The cause of her loss was initially unknown, as the British were at that time unaware of Möwe's minefield, and the battleship Africa had passed through the area earlier that day without incident. A shortage of minesweepers also delayed discovery of the minefield.[14][13]

Notes

  1. ^ Burt, pp. 264–266.
  2. ^ a b c d Gardiner, p. 38.
  3. ^ "The King and Queen in Devon". The Times. No. 36711. London. 10 March 1902. p. 10. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
  4. ^ a b Burt, pp. 283, 287.
  5. ^ a b c d e Burt, p. 287.
  6. ^ Corbett 1920, pp. 39–40, 457.
  7. ^ Jellicoe, p. 24.
  8. ^ Jellicoe, pp. 107–108, 118–119.
  9. ^ Corbett 1921, pp. 9–10.
  10. ^ Burt, pp. 277–278.
  11. ^ a b c Burt, pp. 287–288.
  12. ^ Corbett 1923, pp. 266–267.
  13. ^ a b Corbett 1923, p. 266.
  14. ^ Burt, p. 288.

References

  • Burt, R. A. (2013) [1988]. British Battleships 1889–1904. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781848321731.
  • Corbett, Julian Stafford (1920). Naval Operations: To The Battle of the Falklands, December 1914. Vol. I. London: Longmans, Green & Co. OCLC 174823980.
  • Corbett, Julian Stafford (1921). Naval Operations: From The Battle of the Falklands to the Entry of Italy Into the War in May 1915. Vol. II. London: Longmans, Green & Co. OCLC 924170059.
  • Corbett, Julian Stafford (1923). Naval Operations: The Dardanelles Campaign. Vol. III. London: Longmans, Green & Co. OCLC 174824081.
  • Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-133-5.
  • Jellicoe, John (1919). The Grand Fleet, 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development, and Work. New York: George H. Doran Company.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMS King Edward VII (ship, 1903).

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HMS_King_Edward_VII&oldid=874506905"