Admiral Class Battleship (1882)
Overview of 6 vessels | |||||
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Citations for this data available on individual ship pages | |||||
Name | Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
Collingwood | Pembroke Royal Dockyard | 12 Jul, 1880 | 22 Nov, 1882 | Jul, 1887 | Sold 1909 |
Anson | Pembroke Royal Dockyard | 24 Apr, 1883 | 17 Feb, 1886 | May, 1889 | Sold 13 Jul, 1909 |
Benbow | Thames Ironworks, Shipbuilding and Engineering Company | 1 Nov, 1882 | 15 Jun, 1885 | 14 Jun, 1888 | Sold 13 Jul, 1909 |
Camperdown | Portsmouth Royal Dockyard | 18 Dec, 1882 | 24 Nov, 1885 | Jul, 1889 | Sold 11 Jul, 1911 |
Howe | Pembroke Royal Dockyard | 7 Jun, 1882 | 28 Apr, 1885 | Jul, 1889 | Sold 11 Oct, 1910 |
Rodney | Chatham Royal Dockyard | 6 Feb, 1882 | 8 Oct, 1884 | Jun, 1888 | Sold 11 May, 1909 |
Armament
Main Battery
Secondary Battery
Torpedoes
Five tubes, one forward and four beam. The forward torpedo tube was above water. The aft tubes were angled fully 70 degrees abaft the beam.[1]
Anson, along with both ships of the Trafalgar class lost torpedoes fired from their above-water stem tubes on a single day on 20 November 1895. The issue arose when the mouths of these tubes became submerged above certain speeds, prompting a cessation of practice and a review of whether these tubes should be used in practice, action, or simply abolished. The consensus was that battleships did not require these tubes, but "cruizers" and torpedo boats might yet. The thinking was that these ships were not strong enough for safely ramming, and the bow tubes, when fired at slow to moderate speeds offered, in effect, an extended ram and the only torpedo fire into undisturbed water. The Admiral class was noted as being keenly afflicted by this fault. The decision was made to stop most practice and to leave combat use of these tubes to the discretion of the commanders, probably to be limited to low speeds in mild seas.[2]
Second Class Torpedo Boats
Camperdown could carry two second-class torpedo boats.[3]
See Also
Footnotes
Bibliography
- Beeler, John (2001). Birth of the Battleship: British Capital Ship Design 1870-1885. London: Caxton Editions. 1-84067-5349.
- Parkes, O.B.E., Ass.I.N.A., Dr. Oscar (1990). British Battleships 1860–1950. London: Pen & Sword Ltd. ISBN 0850526043. (on Bookfinder.com).
Admiral Class Second Class Battleship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Collingwood | Anson | Benbow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Camperdown | Howe | Rodney | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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