Lion-class battlecruiser: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Class of British battlecruisers}} |
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| Ship image = HMS Princess Royal LOC 18244u.jpg |
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| Ship caption = {{HMS|Princess Royal|1911|2}} at anchor, before 1916 |
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{{Infobox ship class overview |
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| Builders =*[[HMNB Devonport|HM Dockyard, Devonport]] |
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* [[Vickers Limited|Vickers]], [[Barrow-in-Furness]] |
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| Operators = {{navy|UK}} |
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| Class before = {{sclass-|Indefatigable|battlecruiser|4}} |
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| Class after = {{HMS|Queen Mary||2}} |
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| Built range = 1909–1912 |
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| In commission range = 1912–1920 |
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| Total ships completed = 2 |
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| Total ships scrapped = 2 |
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{{Infobox ship characteristics |
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| Hide header = |
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| Header caption = (as built) |
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| Ship type = [[Battlecruiser]] |
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| Ship displacement =*{{convert|26270|LT|t|lk=on}} (normal) |
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* {{convert|30820|LT|t}} ([[deep load]]) |
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| Ship length = {{convert|700|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} |
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| Ship beam = {{convert|88|ft|6.75|in|m|abbr=on|0}} |
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| Ship draught = {{convert|32|ft|5|in|m|abbr=on|1}} at deep load |
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| Ship power =* 42 × [[Yarrow boiler]]s |
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* {{convert|70000|shp|abbr=on|lk=on}} |
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| Ship propulsion =4 × shafts; 2 × [[steam turbine]] sets |
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| Ship speed = {{convert|27.5|kn|lk=in}} |
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| Ship range = {{convert|5610|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}} |
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| Ship complement = 1,092 |
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| Ship armament =*4 × twin [[BL 13.5 inch /45 naval gun|13.5 in (343 mm) guns]] |
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* 16 × single [[BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII|4 in (102 mm) guns]] |
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* 2 × {{convert|21|in|mm|adj=on|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s |
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| Ship armour =*[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|4|-|9|in|mm|0}} |
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* [[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkheads]]: {{convert|4|in|mm|0}} |
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* [[Barbette]]s: {{convert|8|-|9|in|mm|0}} |
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* [[Gun turret|Turret]]s: {{convert|9|in|mm|0}} |
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* [[Deck (ship)|Decks]]: {{convert|2.5|in|mm|0}} |
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* [[Conning tower]]: {{convert|10|in|mm|0}} |
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| Ship notes = |
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The '''''Lion'' class''' were a pair of [[battlecruiser]]s built for the [[Royal Navy]] before [[World War I]]. Nicknamed the "Splendid Cats",<ref name=c24/> the ships were a significant improvement over their predecessors of the{{sclass-|Indefatigable|battlecruiser|4}} in terms of speed, armament and armour. These improvements were in response to the [[Imperial German Navy|German]] battlecruisers of the {{sclass-|Moltke|battlecruiser|4}}, which were in turn larger and more powerful than the first British battlecruisers of the {{sclass-|Invincible|battlecruiser|4}}. |
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{{HMS|Lion|1910|2}} served as the [[flagship]] of the [[Grand Fleet]]'s battlecruisers throughout World War I.<ref name=c9>Campbell, p. 29</ref> She sank the German [[light cruiser]] {{SMS|Cöln|1909|2}} during the [[Battle of Heligoland Bight (1914)|Battle of Heligoland Bight]] in August 1914 and participated in the battles of [[Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)|Dogger Bank]] in 1915 and [[Battle of Jutland|Jutland]] the following year. She was so badly damaged at the Battle of Dogger Bank that she had to be towed back to port. During the Battle of Jutland, ''Lion'' suffered a serious [[cordite]] fire that could have destroyed the ship. |
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''Lion''{{'s}} sister-ship, {{HMS|Princess Royal|1911|2}}, also fought in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, and was then sent south to the [[Caribbean]] to intercept the [[German East Asia Squadron]] in case they used the [[Panama Canal]]. After the squadron was sunk at the [[Battle of the Falkland Islands]] in December 1914, ''Princess Royal'' rejoined the [[1st Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)|1st Battlecruiser Squadron]] (BCS). During the Battle of Dogger Bank, she scored only a few hits; however, one crippled the German [[armoured cruiser]] {{SMS|Blücher||2}}, which allowed the enemy vessel to be caught and sunk by the concentrated fire of the British battlecruisers. Shortly afterwards, ''Princess Royal'' became the flagship of the 1st BCS and fought in the Battle of Jutland. Both ships were present during the inconclusive [[Action of 19 August 1916]]. |
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The [[sister ship]]s spent the rest of the war on uneventful patrols in the [[North Sea]]; they provided distant cover during the [[Second Battle of Heligoland Bight]] in 1917. In 1920, they were put into [[Reserve fleet|reserve]] and were then sold for [[Ship breaking|scrap]] a few years later in accordance with the terms of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] of 1922. |
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== Design and description == |
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{{Main|Anglo-German naval arms race}} |
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The acceleration of the German naval building programme in 1907–1908 forced [[H. H. Asquith]]'s [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Government]] to yield to public pressure and authorise more ships for the 1909–1910 Construction Programme. Only a single [[battleship]] and a battlecruiser had been authorised in 1908–1909, but three battleships and a battlecruiser were authorised in 1909–1910 with another three battleships and a battlecruiser planned as contingency ships to placate the public and the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]]. Continuing pressure forced the government to announce in July 1909 that the contingency ships would also be built. This pressure also allowed the Admiralty to gain approval to improve the size and power of its new ships so as to maintain qualitative superiority over the new German dreadnoughts then under construction.<ref>Roberts, pp. 31–32</ref> |
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The ''Lion''-class battlecruisers were designed to be as superior to the new German battlecruisers of the ''Moltke'' class as the German ships were to the ''Invincible'' class. The increase in speed, armour and gun size forced a 40% increase in size over the ''Indefatigable'' class and made them the largest warships in the world.<ref name=b1>Burt, p. 180</ref> Their layout was adapted from the design of the first "super-dreadnought" class, the {{sclass-|Orion|battleship|2}}s of 1910, with 13.5-inch (343 mm) guns. The ships were the first battlecruisers to be armed with the new [[BL 13.5 inch /45 naval gun|13.5-inch Mk V gun]]. The design of the ''Lions'' remedied some of the shortcomings of the preceding battlecruisers, which suffered from an inability of the ''[[Glossary of nautical terms#en echelon|en echelon]]'' [[amidships]] turrets to safely fire across the deck, limiting them to a three-turret [[broadside]]. This was done because the greater size and weight of the new guns rendered [[wing turret]]s impracticable. As such, all four turrets in the ''Lion''s were arranged on the [[centreline]]; 'Q' turret was located amidships and could only fire on the broadside.<ref name=b4>Burt, p. 176</ref> The [[Director of Naval Construction]], Sir [[Philip Watts (naval architect)|Philip Watts]], suggested that a fifth turret, [[superfiring]] over the rear turret, could be added if the ship was lengthened by three frames, {{convert|12|ft|0}} in total, and that this would add very little cost other than the £175,000 for the additional turret but add 25% more firepower to the ship.<ref>Roberts, p. 33</ref> This was not approved, possibly because of doubts about its feasibility.<ref name=b4/> |
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=== General characteristics === |
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[[File:Lion class battleship - Jane's Fighting Ships, 1919 - Project Gutenberg etext 24797.png|thumb|left|300px|Left elevation and deck plan from the 1919 ''Jane's Fighting Ships''|alt=Drawing of three-stacked battlecruiser]] |
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The ''Lion''s were significantly larger than their predecessors of the {{sclass-|Indefatigable|battlecruiser|4}}. They had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|700|ft|m|1}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|88|ft|6.75|in|m|0}}, and a [[draft (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|32|ft|5|in|m|1}} at [[deep load]]. They [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|26270|LT|MT|lk=on}} at normal load and {{convert|30820|LT|MT}} at deep load, over {{convert|8000|LT|MT}} more than the earlier ships. They had a [[metacentric height]] of {{convert|6|ft|1}} at deep load.<ref>Roberts, pp. 43–44</ref> |
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=== Propulsion === |
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The ''Lion''-class ships were equipped with two sets of [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] [[Direct drive mechanism|direct-drive]] [[steam turbine]]s, each of which drove two [[propeller shaft]]s.<ref>Burt, p. 178</ref> Their three-bladed [[propeller]]s were {{convert|12|ft|3|in|m}} in diameter on the inner shafts and those on the outer shafts were {{convert|11|ft|8|in|m}} in diameter. The turbines, rated at {{convert|70000|shp|lk=on|0}}, used steam provided by forty-two [[Yarrow boiler]]s that operated at a pressure of {{convert|235|psi|kPa kg/cm2|0|abbr=on|lk=on}}. ''Lion'' did not reach her designed speed of {{convert|28|kn|lk=in}} during her [[sea trials]] despite exceeding {{convert|76000|shp|abbr=on|0}}, but ''Princess Royal'' achieved {{convert|28.5|kn}}. The ships carried {{convert|3500|LT|t|0}} of coal and an additional {{convert|1135|LT|t|0}} of [[fuel oil]] that was sprayed on the coal to increase its burn rate.<ref>Roberts, pp. 70–76, 80</ref> At full capacity, they could steam for {{convert|5610|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|10|knots}}.<ref name=c24>Preston, p. 29</ref> |
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=== Armament === |
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The ''Lion''-class ships mounted eight [[List of British ordnance terms#BL|BL]] 13.5-inch Mark V guns in four twin hydraulically powered [[gun turret]]s, designated 'A', 'B', 'Q' and 'Y'. Unlike the two previous classes of battlecruiser in the Royal Navy, which had turrets fore, aft and on each side of the ship, the ''Lion''-class ships had their main armament mounted in a single line from front to rear, with 'B' turret superfiring over 'A' turret, 'Q' turret mounted amidships, and 'Y' turret aft. The guns had [[elevation (ballistics)|elevation]] ranges from −3° to +20°; their [[gunsight]]s were limited to +15° until super-elevating [[prism]]s were installed before the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 to allow full elevation.<ref>{{cite book | title = The Sight Manual ADM 186/216| publisher = Admiralty, Gunnery Branch | date = 1916 |pages= 4, 29–31, 106, 109 }}</ref> They fired {{convert|1250|lb|kg|adj=on|0}} projectiles at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|2540|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}; at +20° elevation, they had a range of {{convert|23820|yd|m|0}}. Their rate of fire was two [[Cartridge (firearms)|rounds]] per minute.<ref>Friedman, pp. 49–52</ref> The ships carried a total of 880 rounds during wartime for 110 shells per gun.<ref name=r3>Roberts, p. 83</ref> |
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The [[Battleship secondary armament|secondary armament]] of the ''Lion'' class consisted of sixteen [[BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII|BL 4-inch Mark VII guns]], most of which were mounted in [[casemate]]s in single mounts.<ref name="r3" /> The guns had maximum elevations of +15°, which gave them a range of {{convert|11400|yd|m|abbr=on|0}}. They fired {{convert|31|lb|kg|adj=on|1}} projectiles at muzzle velocities of {{convert|2821|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}.<ref name=nav>Friedman, pp. 97–98</ref> They were provided with 150 rounds per gun.<ref name=c27>Campbell, p. 27</ref> The ships were fitted with two {{convert|21|in|adj=on|0}} submerged [[torpedo tube]]s, one on each broadside.<ref name=c24/> |
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=== Fire control === |
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The main guns were controlled from the [[conning tower]]. Data from a {{convert|9|ft|m|adj=on|spell=in}} Argo [[rangefinder]] located on top of the conning tower was input into a Mk I [[Frederic Charles Dreyer#Dreyer Fire Control Table|Dreyer Fire-Control Table]] located in the [[Glossary of nautical terms#T|transmitting station]] (TS) below the conning tower where it was converted into range and deflection data for use by the guns. The target's data was also graphically recorded on a plotting table to assist the gunnery officer in predicting the movement of the target. 'B' and 'X' turrets were provided with nine-foot rangefinders and were fitted as secondary control positions.<ref>Roberts, pp. 91–92</ref> |
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Fire-control technology advanced quickly during the years immediately preceding World War I and the development of the [[director (military)|director]] firing system was a major advance. This consisted of a fire-control director mounted high in the ship which electrically provided gun data to the turrets via a pointer on a [[dial (measurement)|dial]], which the turret crewmen only had to follow. The director layer fired the guns simultaneously which aided in spotting the shell splashes and minimised the effects of the [[ship motions|roll]] on the dispersion of the shells.<ref>Roberts, pp. 92–93</ref> ''Lion'' received her system in early 1915 while undergoing repairs after the [[Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)|Battle of Dogger Bank]]<ref>Burt, p. 179</ref> and ''Princess Royal'' got hers in early 1916. A second director was added to each ship in 1918.<ref name=c27/> |
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=== Armour === |
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The armour protection given to the ''Lion''s was heavier than that of the ''Indefatigable''s; their waterline [[Belt armor|belt]] of [[Krupp armour|Krupp Cemented Armour]] measured {{convert|9|in|mm|0}} thick amidships in contrast to the {{convert|6|in|mm|0|adj=on}} belt of their predecessors. It thinned to 4 inches towards the ships' ends, but did not reach either the bow or the stern. They were also given upper armour belts with maximum thicknesses of 6 inches over the same length as the thickest part of the waterline armour and thinned to {{convert|5|in|mm|0}} abreast the end turrets. The ends of the [[armoured citadel]] were closed off by 4-inch transverse [[Bulkhead (partition)|bulkheads]]. Nickel-steel plating was used for the protective decks. The lower armoured deck was generally only {{convert|1|in|1}} thick except outside the citadel where it was {{convert|2.5|in|0}}. The upper armoured deck was situated at the top of the upper armour belt and was also only 1 inch thick. The forecastle deck armour ranged from {{convert|1.25|to|1.5|in|0}}.<ref>Roberts, pp. 102–103</ref> |
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The gun turrets had 9-inch fronts and sides and their roofs were {{convert|2.5|to|3.25|in|mm|0}} thick. The [[barbette]]s were protected by 9 inches of armour above the deck, thinning to {{convert|8|in|mm|0}} above the upper armour deck and {{convert|3|in|0}} below it. The sides of the conning tower were {{convert|10|in|0}} thick and it had a three-inch roof and communication tube. Nickel-steel [[torpedo bulkhead]]s {{convert|2.5|in|mm|0}} thick were fitted abreast the [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]] and shell rooms. Their [[funnel (ship)|funnel]] uptakes were protected by nickel-steel splinter armour {{convert|1.5|in|0}} thick on the sides and 1 inch on the ends between the upper and forecastle decks. After the Battle of Jutland revealed their vulnerability to plunging shellfire, 1 inch of additional armour, weighing approximately {{convert|130|LT|t|0}},<ref name=c8/> was added to the magazine crowns and turret roofs.<ref>Roberts, pp. 109, 112–113</ref> |
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== Construction == |
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Only ''Lion'' was completed to the original design, which had the fore funnel placed between the forward [[superstructure]] and the tripod [[foremast]]. This meant that hot [[Clinker (waste)|clinkers]] and [[flue]] gases from the boilers made the spotting top on the foremast completely unworkable when the ships were steaming at high speed, that the upper [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]] could easily be rendered uninhabitable, depending on the wind, and that the signal flags and [[halyard]]s were at risk of burning.<ref>Roberts, p. 34</ref> Both ships were altered to correct this problem, ''Lion'' before being [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]], and ''Princess Royal'' as she was [[fitting out]], at a total cost of £68,170.<ref name=b1/> The fore funnel was moved aft, the original fore and mainmasts exchanged position, and the foremast was now just a pole mast, not a tripod. The spotting tower at the rear of the conning tower was removed, the conning tower enlarged, the nine-foot Argo rangefinder was moved from the foremast spotting top to the roof of the conning tower, and all the funnels were raised to the same height.<ref>Roberts, p. 35</ref> As part of these modifications, the two 4-inch guns mounted above the forward group of casemates were enclosed in casemates of their own to protect the gun crews from weather and enemy actions.<ref name=b4/> |
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{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
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|+ Construction data |
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!| Name |
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! scope="col" | Builder |
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! scope="col" | [[Laid down]]<ref name=c24/> |
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! scope="col" | [[Ceremonial ship launching|Launched]]<ref name=c24/> |
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! scope="col" | Completed<ref name=c24/> |
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! scope="col" | Cost (including armament)<ref>Parkes, pp. 531–536</ref> |
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| scope="row"| {{HMS|Lion|1910|2}} |
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| align="center" | [[HMNB Devonport|HM Dockyard, Devonport]] |
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| align="center" | 29 September 1909 |
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| align="center" | 6 August 1910 |
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| align="center" | May 1912 |
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| align="center" | £2,086,458 |
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|class="lead_normal upper_lead"| |
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| scope="row"| {{HMS|Princess Royal|1911|2}} |
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| align="center" | 2 May 1910 |
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| align="center" | 24 April 1911 |
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| align="center" | November 1912 |
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| align="center" | £2,089,178 |
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== Modifications == |
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The ''Lion''-class ships were built without [[Anti-aircraft gun|anti-aircraft (AA) guns]], but a variety of weapons were fitted over the course of the war. These included the [[List of British ordnance terms#QF|quick-firing (QF)]] [[QF 6 pounder Hotchkiss|6-pounder (57 mm) Hotchkiss]] gun on a High Angle (HA) Mk Ic mounting that had a maximum elevation of 60°. Each ship was fitted with one in October 1914, but ''Lion''{{'}}s gun was removed in July 1915, and ''Princess Royal''{{'}}s was removed in December 1916.<ref name="r3"/> It fired a {{convert|6|lb|kg|adj=on}} shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|1773|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}.<ref>Friedman, pp. 116–117</ref> [[QF 3 inch 20 cwt|QF 3-inch (76 mm) 20 cwt]]{{refn|Cwt is the abbreviation for [[hundredweight]], 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.|group=Note}} AA guns on high-angle Mk II mounts were also used that had an elevation range between -10° and +90°. They fired a {{convert|12.5|lb|kg|adj=on}} shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2604|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}. The guns had a maximum ceiling of {{convert|23000|ft|m|abbr=on}}.<ref>Friedman, pp. 108–109</ref> ''Lion'' received a pair of these weapons in 1915 and retained them for the rest of the war. ''Princess Royal'' was fitted with one gun in January 1915 and it was removed in April 1917. She received two 4-inch Mark VII guns on HA Mk II mounts capable of 60° of elevation in April 1917<ref name="r3"/> and a pair of single [[QF 2 pounder naval gun#QF 2-pounder Mark II|2-pounder Mk II "pom-poms"]] were added in April 1919.<ref name=c8>Campbell, p. 28</ref> They fired {{convert|40|mm|1|adj=on}} shells weighing {{convert|2|lb|1}} at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2040|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} to a maximum range of {{convert|6900|yd|0}}. Their [[cyclic rate]] of fire was 200 rounds per minute; the actual rate was significantly less.<ref>Friedman, p. 119</ref> |
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The pole foremast was modified to a tripod after 1916. This was due to the increased weight of masthead fire-control equipment associated with director firing. In 1917 ''Lion'' and ''Princess Royal'' received [[searchlight]] towers on the aft funnel and mainmast while losing one four-inch gun each from the aft battery. In early 1918, both ships received flying-off platforms on 'Q' and 'X' turrets for [[Sopwith Pup]] and [[Sopwith 1½ Strutter]] aircraft, and ''Lion'' was fitted with a torpedo control station at the aft end of her aft superstructure.<ref name=b61>Burt, p. 161</ref> |
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== Service == |
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=== Pre-war career === |
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Upon commissioning, both ''Lion'' and ''Princess Royal'' were assigned to the [[1st Cruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)|1st Cruiser Squadron]], which was renamed the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron (BCS) in January 1913, of which ''Lion'' became the flagship. [[Rear-Admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]] [[David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty|David Beatty]] assumed command of the 1st BCS on 1 March 1913. The sisters, along with the rest of the 1st BCS, made a port visit to [[Brest, France|Brest]] in February 1914 and the squadron visited Russia in June.<ref name="b1"/> |
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=== World War I === |
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==== Battle of Heligoland Bight ==== |
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{{main|Battle of Heligoland Bight (1914)}} |
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[[File:LionSP 001672.jpg|thumb|''Lion'' underway]] |
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The first action for ''Lion'' and ''Princess Royal'' was during the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914. Beatty's ships had originally been intended as distant support of the British cruisers and destroyers closer to the German coast in case the large ships of the [[High Seas Fleet]] sortied in response to the British attacks. They turned south at full speed at 11:35{{refn|The times used in this article are in [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]], which is one hour behind [[Central European Time|CET]], which is often used in German works.|group=Note}} when the British light forces failed to disengage on schedule and the rising tide meant that German capital ships would be able to clear the [[sand bar]] at the mouth of the [[Jade Estuary]]. The brand-new [[light cruiser]] {{HMS|Arethusa|1913|2}} had been crippled earlier in the battle and was under fire from the German light cruisers {{SMS|Strassburg||2}} and {{SMS|Cöln|1909|2}} when the battlecruisers loomed out of the mist at 12:37. ''Strassburg'' was able to duck into the mists and evade fire, but ''Cöln'' remained visible and was quickly crippled by fire from the squadron. Beatty was distracted from the task of finishing her off by the sudden appearance of the elderly light cruiser {{SMS|Ariadne||2}} directly to his front. He turned in pursuit and reduced her to a flaming hulk. The battlecruisers encountered the crippled ''Cöln'' shortly after turning north and she was sunk by ''Lion'' after a few [[salvo]]es.<ref>Massie, pp. 109–113</ref> |
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''Princess Royal'' was detached in November to reinforce the [[North America and West Indies Station|North Atlantic and Caribbean Squadrons]] in the search for Admiral [[Maximilian von Spee|Graf Spee]]'s East Asia Squadron after it destroyed the West Indies Squadron of Rear-Admiral [[Christopher Cradock]] during the [[Battle of Coronel]]. She returned home the next month after the German ships had been sunk at the [[Battle of the Falkland Islands]].<ref name=r23>Roberts, p. 123</ref> |
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==== Raid on Scarborough ==== |
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{{main|Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby}} |
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The German Navy had decided on a strategy of bombarding British towns on the North Sea coast in an attempt to draw out the [[Royal Navy]] and destroy elements of it in detail. An earlier [[raid on Yarmouth]] on 3 November 1914 had been partially successful, but a larger-scale operation was devised by Admiral [[Franz von Hipper]] afterwards. The fast battlecruisers would conduct the bombardment while the entire High Seas Fleet was to station itself east of [[Dogger Bank]] to provide cover for their return and to destroy any elements of the Royal Navy that responded to the raid. The Germans did not know that the British were reading the German naval codes and were planning to catch the raiding force on its return journey; they were not aware that the High Seas Fleet would be at sea as well. Admiral Beatty's 1st BCS, now reduced to four ships, including ''Lion'', as well as the [[2nd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|2nd Battle Squadron]] with six dreadnoughts, was detached from the Grand Fleet in an attempt to intercept the Germans near Dogger Bank.<ref>Massie, pp. 333–334</ref> |
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Hipper set sail on 15 December for another raid and successfully bombarded several English towns, but British [[destroyer]]s escorting the 1st BCS had already encountered German destroyers of the High Seas Fleet in the early morning and fought an inconclusive action with them. Communications failures meant that Beatty was not notified of this encounter for several hours afterwards, but he turned in pursuit of the German ships once he learned of their presence. The lead British ships were closing in on the Germans when Beatty learned that [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]] was being shelled later that morning and he turned west to intercept the other German force.<ref>Massie, pp. 342–343</ref> |
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[[File:Scheer's illustration of I SG disposition 16 Dec. 1916 en.SVG|thumb|left|300px|Relative positions of the British and German forces at about 12:00 hours]] |
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The British forces split going around the shallow Southwest Patch of the Dogger Bank; Beatty's ships passed to the north while the 2nd Battle Squadron passed to the south as they headed west to block the main route through the minefields defending the English coast. This left a {{convert|15|nmi|km|0|adj=on}} gap between them through which the German light forces began to move. At 12:25, the light cruisers of the II Scouting Group began to pass the British forces searching for Hipper. They spotted a German cruiser a few minutes later and Beatty turned his battlecruisers towards the German ships, thinking they were the advance screen for Hipper's ships. Those were 50 km (31 mi) behind. Another British communications failure allowed the German light cruisers to escape and they alerted Hipper to the location of the British battlecruisers. The German battlecruisers wheeled to the northeast of the British forces and escaped.<ref>Tarrant, p. 34</ref> |
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==== Battle of Dogger Bank ==== |
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{{main|Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)}} |
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On 23 January 1915, a force of German battlecruisers under the command of Hipper [[sortie]]d to clear the Dogger Bank of any British fishing boats or small craft that might be there to collect intelligence on German movements. The British were reading their coded messages and sailed to intercept them with a larger force of British battlecruisers. Contact was initiated the following morning when ''Arethusa'' spotted the German light cruiser {{SMS|Kolberg}} and the Germans had spotted Beatty's force a few minutes later. Hipper ordered a turn to the south at {{convert|20|kn}}, believing that this would suffice if the ships that he saw to his northwest were British battleships and that he could always increase speed to ''Blücher''{{'}}s maximum speed of {{convert|23|kn}} if they were British battlecruisers.<ref>Massie, pp. 376–384</ref> |
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Beatty ordered his battlecruisers to make all practicable speed to catch the Germans before they could escape. The leading ships, ''Lion'', ''Princess Royal'' and {{HMS|Tiger|1913|2}}, were doing {{convert|27|kn}} in pursuit and ''Lion'' opened fire at very long range. The German battlecruisers opened fire themselves about 20 minutes later and concentrated their fire on ''Lion''. {{SMS|Moltke||2}} and {{SMS|Derfflinger||2}} combined their fire to cripple ''Lion'' over the next hour even though ''Princess Royal'' engaged ''Derfflinger'' during this period.<ref>Tarrant, pp. 35–36</ref> Another [[Maritime flag signalling|signalling]] failure caused the British ships to focus on sinking ''Blücher'' when Beatty intended most of his ships to continue the pursuit of the battlecruisers.<ref>Massie, pp. 398–402</ref> During this time ''Princess Royal'' hit ''Blücher'' at least twice, including the hit that crippled her and allowed the other British ships to engage.<ref name=c32>Campbell, p. 32</ref> Beatty tried to correct the mistake, but he was so far behind the leading battlecruisers that his signals could not be read amidst the smoke and haze. He then transferred to a destroyer and set off in pursuit of his battlecruisers. He caught up to them shortly before ''Blücher'' sank and boarded ''Princess Royal''. Beatty ordered the pursuit resumed of the German battlecruisers, but rescinded the order when it became clear that too much time had been wasted sinking ''Blücher'' and that Hipper's ships would be able to reach German waters before the British could catch them. ''Lion'' was headed home at {{convert|10|kn}} when the rest of the battlecruisers caught up with her.<ref>Tarrant, p. 38</ref> Later that afternoon, the battlecruiser {{HMS|Indomitable|1907|2}} was ordered to take ''Lion'' under tow. It took almost two days to reach port.<ref>Massie, pp. 409–412</ref> The ship was under repair for the next three months and did not rejoin the fleet until 7 April.<ref name="r23" /> ''Princess Royal'' was not damaged during the battle.<ref name="Burt, p. 162">Burt, p. 162</ref> |
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==== Battle of Jutland ==== |
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[[File:Map of the Battle of Jutland, 1916.svg|thumb|upright=1.7|Maps showing the manoeuvres of the British (blue) and German (red) fleets on 31 May – 1 June 1916|alt=The British fleet sailed from northern Britain to the east while the Germans sailed from Germany in the south; the opposing fleets met off the Danish coast]] |
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{{main|Battle of Jutland}} |
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On 31 May 1916, ''Princess Royal'' was the flagship of the 1st BCS, under the command of [[Rear-Admiral]] [[Osmond Brock]].<ref name=c32/> The squadron had put to sea with the rest of the Battlecruiser Fleet, led by Beatty in ''Lion'', to intercept a sortie by the High Seas Fleet into the North Sea. Hipper's battlecruisers spotted the British ships to their west by mid-afternoon and turned about to fall back on the German battleships, then about {{convert|60|mi}} behind him. Beatty turned to cut him off but was out of position to do that and had to settle for a pursuit. This began what was to be called the "Run to the South" as Beatty changed course to steer east south-east at 15:45, paralleling Hipper's course. The Germans opened fire first, three minutes later, followed almost immediately afterward by the British. The sisters were in the lead and were engaged by their opposite numbers, the battlecruisers, {{SMS|Lützow||2}} and ''Derfflinger''. Fire from both German ships was very accurate, and both ''Lion'' and ''Princess Royal'' were hit twice within three minutes of the Germans' opening fire.<ref>Tarrant, pp. 69, 71, 75, 80–83</ref> |
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''Lion'' scored her first hit on ''Lützow'' two minutes later, but one of ''Lützow''{{'}}s 305 mm (12 in) shells hit 'Q' turret at 16:00.<ref>Massie, p. 592</ref> It blew the front roof and the centre face plates off the turret, killed or wounded everyone inside, and started a fire that continued to smoulder despite efforts to put it out. Accounts of subsequent events differ, but the magazine doors had been closed and the magazine flooded when the smouldering fire ignited the propellant charges in the turret working room at 04:28. They burnt violently, with the flames reaching as high as the masthead, and killed most of the magazine and shell room crews still in the lower part of the mounting. The gas pressure severely buckled the magazine doors, and it is probable that the magazine would have exploded, sinking the ship, if it had not already been flooded.<ref>Roberts, p. 116</ref> At 16:30 the light cruiser {{HMS|Southampton|1912|2}}, scouting in front of Beatty's ships, spotted the lead elements of the High Seas Fleet charging north at top speed. After confirming the sighting himself, Beatty ordered his ships to turn around and fall back upon the oncoming Grand Fleet.<ref>Massie, pp. 598–600</ref> During the Run to the South. ''Princess Royal'' was hit a total of six times by ''Derfflinger'', but none of them were serious.<ref>Tarrant, p. 97</ref> |
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[[File:HMSLiondamagetoQturret1916.jpg|left|thumb|''Lion''{{'}}s 'Q' turret showing the armour plate blown off by the ammunition fire|alt=Two-gun turret with front section of armoured roof missing]] |
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''Lion'' was hit twice more, during what came to be called the "Run to the North", after the German battlecruisers made their own turn north.<ref>Massie, p. 601</ref> Beatty's ships slowly moved out of range and rendezvoused with the main body of the [[Grand Fleet]]. Beatty gradually turned more towards the east to allow him to cover the deployment of the Grand Fleet into its battle formation and to move ahead of it, but he mistimed his manoeuvre. By 18:35 Beatty was following the [[3rd Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)|3rd Battlecruiser Squadron]] as they were steering east-southeast, leading the Grand Fleet, and continuing to engage Hipper's battlecruisers to their southwest. A few minutes earlier Scheer had ordered a simultaneous 180° turn and Beatty lost sight of them in the haze. Beatty then turned his ships southeast and to the south-southeast to search for Hipper's ships.<ref>Tarrant, pp. 130–138, 145</ref> |
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[[File:HMSLion besideHMSQueenMaryblowingup1916.jpg|thumb|''Queen Mary'' blowing up at the Battle of Jutland; she is hidden by the explosion and smoke. To the left is ''Lion'', surrounded by waterspouts from enemy shots falling short.]] |
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Scheer finally disengaged around 19:15 and the British lost sight of the Germans until 20:05 when the light cruiser {{HMS|Castor|1915|2}} spotted smoke bearing west-northwest. Ten minutes later she closed the range enough to identify German torpedo boats and engaged them. Beatty turned west upon hearing the sounds of gunfire and spotted the German battlecruisers only {{convert|8500|yd}} away. ''Inflexible'' opened fire at 20:20, followed almost immediately by the rest of Beatty's battlecruisers.<ref>Tarrant, p. 175</ref> Shortly after 20:30 the [[pre-dreadnought battleship]]s of Rear Admiral Mauve's II Battle Squadron were spotted and fire switched to them. The Germans were able to fire only a few rounds in reply because of the poor visibility and turned away to the west. The British battlecruisers hit the German ships several times before they blended into the haze around 20:40.<ref>Tarrant, pp. 177–178</ref> After this Beatty changed course to south-southeast and maintained that course, ahead of both the Grand Fleet and the High Seas Fleet, until 02:55 the next morning when the order was given to reverse course.<ref>Tarrant, pp. 178, 224</ref> |
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[[File:HMS Lion hit at Jutland.jpg|thumb|''Lion'' hit by shellfire during the Battle of Jutland|alt=Large ship at sea billowing dark smoke]] |
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''Lion'', ''Princess Royal'' and the rest of the battlecruisers reached Rosyth on the morning of 2 June<ref>Massie, p. 657</ref> where ''Lion'' began repairs that lasted until 19 July. The remains of 'Q' turret were removed during this period and not replaced until a visit to [[Armstrong Whitworth]] at [[Elswick, Tyne and Wear|Elswick]] that lasted from 6 to 23 September. ''Princess Royal'' began repairs that lasted until 10 June. She sailed later that day for Devonport Royal Dockyard where more permanent repairs were made and was back at Rosyth by 21 July.<ref>Campbell, pp. 30, 32</ref> |
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==== Post-Jutland career ==== |
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{{main|Action of 19 August 1916}} |
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''Lion'' rejoined the Battlecruiser Fleet, again as Beatty's flagship, on 19{{nbsp}}July. On the evening of 18{{nbsp}}August the Grand Fleet put to sea in response to a message deciphered by [[Room 40]] which indicated that the High Seas Fleet, less the II [[Squadron (naval)|Squadron]], would be leaving harbour that night. The German objective was to bombard [[Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland]] the following day, with extensive reconnaissance provided by [[airship]]s and [[submarine]]s. The Grand Fleet sailed with 29{{nbsp}}dreadnoughts and 6{{nbsp}}battlecruisers.{{refn|While no sources explicitly state that ''Lion'' and ''Princess Royal'' were part of the fleet at this time, of the seven Royal Navy battlecruisers then in commission, ''Indomitable'' was under refit through August and the only one unavailable for action.<ref>Roberts, p. 122</ref>|group=Note}} Throughout the 19th, Jellicoe and Scheer received conflicting intelligence, with the result that having reached its rendezvous in the North Sea, the Grand Fleet steered north in the erroneous belief that it had entered a minefield before turning south again. Scheer steered south-eastward pursuing a lone British battle squadron reported by an airship, which was in fact the Harwich Force under Commodore [[Reginald Tyrwhitt|Tyrwhitt]]. Having realised their mistake the Germans then turned for home. The only contact came in the evening when Tyrwhitt sighted the High Seas Fleet but was unable to achieve an advantageous attack position before dark, and broke off contact. Both the British and the German fleets returned home, the British having lost two cruisers to submarine attacks and the Germans having a dreadnought battleship damaged by a torpedo.<ref>Marder, III, pp. 287–296</ref> |
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[[File:HMS Lion takes shells aboard 1917 LAC 3398549.jpg|thumb|''Lion'' loading 13.5-inch shells aboard, February 1917]] |
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''Lion'' became the flagship of Vice-Admiral [[William Christopher Pakenham|W. C. Pakenham]] in December 1916 when he assumed command of the Battlecruiser Fleet upon Beatty's promotion to command of the Grand Fleet.<ref name="r23"/> ''Lion'' had an uneventful time for the rest of the war conducting patrols of the [[North Sea]] as the High Seas Fleet was forbidden to risk any more losses. She provided support for British light forces involved in the [[Second Battle of Heligoland Bight]] on 17 November 1917, but never came within range of any German forces. ''Lion'' and ''Princess Royal'', along with the rest of the Grand Fleet, sortied on the afternoon of 23{{nbsp}}March 1918 after radio transmissions had revealed that the High Seas Fleet was at sea after a failed attempt to intercept the regular British convoy to Norway. The Germans were too far ahead of the British and escaped without firing a shot.<ref>Massie, p. 748</ref> When the High Seas Fleet sailed for [[Scapa Flow]] on 21 November 1918 to be interned, ''Lion'' was among the escorting ships. Along with the rest of the 1st BCS, ''Lion'' and ''Princess Royal'' guarded the interned ships<ref>Marder, V, p. 273</ref> until both ships were assigned to the Atlantic Fleet in April 1919.<ref name="r23"/> |
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''Lion'' was placed in reserve in March 1920, [[Ship decommissioning|paid off]] on 30 March 1922, and sold for scrap on 31{{nbsp}}January 1924 for £77,000.<ref name="Burt, p. 162"/> ''Princess Royal'' was placed in reserve in 1920 and an attempt to sell her to [[Chile]] in mid-1920 was unsuccessful. She became the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief Scottish Coast on 22{{nbsp}}February 1922, but was sold for [[scrap]] in December 1922.<ref name=c9/> Both ships were scrapped to meet the tonnage limitations of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]].<ref name=c24/> |
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== Notes == |
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{{reflist|group=Note}} |
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== Footnotes == |
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{{reflist|20em}} |
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== Bibliography == |
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* {{cite book|last=Burt|first=R. A.|title=British Battleships of World War One|year=2012|edition=2nd|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=978-1-59114-053-5}} |
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* {{cite book | last = Campbell | first = N. J. M. | title = Battle Cruisers | publisher = Conway Maritime Press | location = Greenwich | year = 1978 | series = Warship Special | volume = 1 | isbn = 978-0-85177-130-4}} |
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* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=Naval Weapons of World War One|publisher=Seaforth|location=Barnsley, UK|year=2011|isbn=978-1-84832-100-7|author-link=Norman Friedman}} |
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* {{cite book |title=From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, The Royal Navy in the Fisher Era, 1904–1919 |edition=Second |volume=III: Jutland and After, May 1916 – December 1916 |last=Marder |first=Arthur J. |year=1978 | publisher=Oxford University Press |location=London |isbn=978-0-19-215841-3|author-link=Arthur Marder}} |
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* {{cite book|last=Marder|first=Arthur J.|title=From Dreadnought to Scapa Flow: The Royal Navy in the Fisher Era, 1904–1919|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=London|year=1970|volume=V: Victory and Aftermath (January 1918 – June 1919)|isbn=978-0-19-215187-2}} |
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* {{cite book|title=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War|location=New York|last=Massie |first=Robert |author-link=Robert K. Massie|publisher=Random House |isbn=978-0-224-04092-1|year=2004|title-link=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War}} |
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* {{cite book | last = Parkes | first = Oscar | title = British Battleships | publisher = Naval Institute Press | location = Annapolis, Maryland | year = 1990 |orig-year=1957 | isbn = 978-1-55750-075-5}} |
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*{{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Gray|editor2-first=Randal|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=0-85177-245-5 |name-list-style=amp|chapter=Great Britain and Empire Forces|first1=Antony|last1=Preston|author-link=Antony Preston|pp=1–104}} |
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* {{cite book | last = Roberts | first = John | title = Battlecruisers | publisher = Naval Institute Press | location = Annapolis, Maryland | year = 1997 | isbn = 978-1-55750-068-7}} |
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* {{cite book | last = Tarrant | first = V. E. | title = Jutland: The German Perspective: A New View of the Great Battle, 31 May 1916 |publisher=Brockhampton Press|location=London|year=1999|orig-year=1995|isbn=978-1-86019-917-2}} |
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== External links == |
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{{Portal|Battleships}} |
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{{Commons category|Lion class battlecruiser}} |
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* [http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Lion_Class_Battlecruiser_(1910) Dreadnought Project] Technical material on the weaponry and fire control for the ships |
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