View source for H.M.S. Invincible (1907)

<div name=fredbot:career>{{ShipCareer|fullname=H.M.S. ''Invincible'' (1907)|fate2=at the [[Battle of Jutland]]
|comm=Mar, 1909{{Conways1906|p. 24}}
|fatedate=31 May, 1916{{DittColl|p. 35}}
|order=1906 Naval Programme
|name=Invincible
|launch=13 Apr, 1907{{JohnstonClydebankBattlecruisers|p. 16}}
|builder=[[Armstrong]], Elswick{{Conways1906|p. 24}}
|laid=2 Apr, 1906{{JohnstonClydebankBattlecruisers|p. 15}}
|fate=Sunk
|pend=85 (1914){{DittColl|p. 35}}
|fg=white|bg=crimson}}</div name=fredbot:career>
'''H.M.S. ''Invincible''''' was a [[battlecruiser]] of the [[Royal Navy]], the lead ship of [[Invincible Class Battlecruiser (1907)|her class]] of three, and the first battlecruiser to be built by any country.  After an initial period of near-continual modification she became an active unit of the Battlecruiser Force.  She participated in the [[Battle of Heligoland Bight]], the [[Battle of the Falkland Islands]] and the [[Battle of Jutland]], where she was sunk in action on 31 May, 1916.

==Construction==
''Invincible'' was built at [[Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., Ltd]] on Tyneside.  She was laid down on 2 April 1906, and launched at 3 p.m. on 13 April 1907 by Lady Allendale.

{|border=1
!colspan=2 align=center|Construction Costs, pounds Sterling<ref>Johnston.  p. 16.</ref>
|-
|Hull and fittings||align=right|785,335
|-
|Propelling and Machinery||align=right|485,451
|-
|Hydraulics and Air Compressing||align=right|330,680
|-
|Gun mountings||align=right|8,897
|-
|'''Total'''||align=right|1,625,227
|}

She was constructed with a new form of turret operation, namely electrically powered mountings for the 12-inch guns - a first in British naval construction.  She was fitted with two turrets each built by [[Vickers Ltd.]] and the [[Elswick Ordnance Company]].  Her turbines were constructed by Humphreys of Tennant and was fitted with thirty-one Yarrow boilers.

On 28 December, while still fitting out, she was hit by the collier ''Oden'', which resulted in the buckling of beams and frames in the hull and five bottom plates were stove in.  On 8 September, 1908 Captain [[Mark Edward Frederic Kerr|Mark E. F. Kerr]] was appointed to command.  She ran her gun trials on 30 October, 1908 off the Isle of Wight.  She was officially completed on 16 March 1909, her completion having been delayed by the ''Oden'' incident and the installation of electric turrets.  On 17 March, she sailed from the Tyne to [[Portsmouth Royal Dockyard|Portsmouth]], where she would be commissioned.  On the way, she collided with the brigantine ''Mary Ann'', and stood by until the lifeboat ''John Birch'' arrived from Yarmouth to take the brigantine in tow. She was commissioned into the fleet on 20 March 1909 and joined the [[First Cruiser Squadron (Royal Navy)|First Cruiser Squadron]] of the First Division, [[Home Fleet (Royal Navy)|Home Fleet]].

==Service==
===Gun Trials===
Captain [[Reginald Godfrey Otway Tupper|Reginald Tupper]] of [[H.M.S. Excellent (Gunnery Training School)|H.M.S. ''Excellent'']], who conducted the gun trials, later recalled:

<blockquote>Owing to the representations of our own electrical experts and commercial firms, and the apparently successful gunnery of the new American battleships that had been fitted with electrically manipulated turrets, the Admiralty decided to fit the ''Invincible'' with this gear.  Two of the turrets were by Armstrong-Whitworth and two by Vickers, but unfortunately both of these firms lacked experience in electric fittings for turret guns, and therefore had to design them all from the beginning and manufacture them while they hoped for the best.  This caused considerable delay, and the ship was not reported ready for trial until we were approaching last fortnight of the financial year.  Then things had to be hustled, otherwise the money would have had to be returned to the Treasury.<br><br>When I went to superintend these gun trials, I was especially warned that if the ship failed to get through them a sum of about half a million pounds would be lost from the current Estimates, and that this would very seriously handicap new construction in the coming year Estimates.<br><br>Everything on board appeared to be in a very unfinished and dirty condition, but we put to sea from the Tyen with a good deal of our wiring still exposed and not all of the gear labelled.  When the order was given to train the turret, elevate or run a gun in or out, it was only necessary to press a button or move a switch, but the result was often a flash of blue flame which seemed to fill a turret.  Something had gone wrong and the fuses had burnt out, so the experts had to chase round and find out what was wrong.  Smouldering cordite and red-hot residue was left in the breech of the gun and the water-douche did not work.  Cordite from the magazine came up with a run and narrowly escaped being rammed straight on to the red-hot residue.<br><br>The trials took nearly three days, but finally we got through and saved the money.  Certainly the proverbial little cherub was looking after us marvellously.  This electric gear remained in the ''Invincible'' for some time, but it always gave trouble, and luckily, just before the War, orders were given that she was to be altered to the hydraulic gear, which we were all satisfied was much preferable to electricity for working heavy guns.<ref>Tupper.  ''Reminiscences''.  pp. 183-185.</ref></blockquote>

===Early career===

She participated in fleet manoeuvres in April and June of 1909, the [[Fleet Review, Royal Navy|Spithead Review]] on 12 June 1909, and the [[Fleet Review, Royal Navy|Fleet Review]] off Southend on 2 July.  Periodically she had to be taken in hand at Portsmouth for repairs, alterations and additions until 27 March, 1911 when she was reduced to a nucleus crew in preparation for refit.  On 28 March Captain Kerr was replaced by Captain [[Richard Purefoy FitzGerald Purefoy|R.P.F. Purefoy]] and the ship went into refit at Portsmouth until 2 June, when she recommissioned at Portsmouth for further service in the 1st C.S..  On 1 May, 1912 Captain [[Michael Culme-Seymour, 4th Baronet|M. Culme-Seymour]] replaced Captain Purefoy.  On 1 January, 1913 the 1st C.S. became the {{UK-BCS|1}}.  On 17 March, 1913 she collided with the submarine C-34 in Stokes Bay (in the Solent), suffering no damage in the process.

In August, 1913 ''Invincible'' joined the {{UK-BCS|2}} in the [[British Mediterranean Fleet|Mediterranean Fleet]] after annual manoeuvres.  At the same time Captain [[Henry Bertram Pelly|H.B. Pelly]] was appointed to command.  From 30 October to 5 November, 1913 she was under refit at Malta.  In December she returned to Britain to undertake a major refit which began in March, 1914.  She was reduced to a nucleus crew while major work was done, Captain Pelly remaining in command until completion of work in July.

===1914 refit===
During the refit ''Invincible's'' 12" electrically-operated turrets were changed to operate on hydraulic power.  The 4-in guns atop '''A''' and '''Y''' turrets were removed to the forward superstructure, where they along with the others there were enclosed in unarmoured casemates.  Two 4-in guns were placed on the shelter deck between the fore funnels, and two 4-in guns placed either side of the [[Conning Tower]] on the conning tower platform.

Her foretop was totally reconstructed and a gyro-stabilised ''Argo'' 9 foot [[Rangefinder|rangefinder]] fitted aloft.  Her chart house and compass platform were rebuilt, and her forward searchlight battery reorganised.  Her torpedo nets and booms were removed entirely.  A rangefinder hood for a 9 foot rangefinder was added on '''A''' turret.

===First World War===
At the beginning of the [[First World War]], she took part in the action at the [[Battle of Heligoland Bight]] on 28 August 1914, before being sent along with her sister [[H.M.S. Inflexible (1907)|''Inflexible'']] to the [[South Atlantic]] where she fought in the first [[Battle of the Falkland Islands]] on 8 December 1914.

===Battle of the Falkland Islands===
{{Main|Battle of the Falkland Islands}}
{{Main|H.M.S. Invincible at the Battle of the Falkland Islands}}

After the British defeat at the [[Battle of Coronel]] on 1 November, the Admiralty swiftly assembled a force to destroy [[Maximillian Graf von Spee]]'s [[German East Asia Squadron|East Asia Squadron]].  On 5 November ''Invincible'' was detached from the Second Battle Cruiser Squadron for duty in the South Atlantic, along with her sister ship ''Inflexible''.  From 8 November to 11 November she was docked at [[Devonport Royal Dockyard]] refitting and preparing for the voyage.  On 9 November Vice-Admiral [[Frederick Charles Doveton Sturdee, First Baronet|Sir F. C. Doveton Sturdee]] hoisted his flag in ''Invincible'', with Captain [[Tufton Percy Hamilton Beamish|Tufton P. H. Beamish]] as his Flag Captain.  On 11 November ''Invincible'' sailed in company with ''Inflexible'' for South American waters.

On 7 December, Sturdee's force arrived in the Falkland Islands, the battlecruisers anchoring off Port William to draw provisions and coal.  The next morning smoke was sighted, and while the guardship ''Kent'' sailed to investigate, ''Invincible'' and ''Inflexible'' ceased coaling and proceeded to raise steam.  In the meantime Sturdee ordered the ships' companies to breakfast so as to be ready for the expected battle.

During the battle ''Invincible'' fired 513 rounds of 12-inch ammunition.  At the end of the action the following amount of ammunition remained in each turret: "A" turret, 12 rounds; "P" turret, 112 rounds; "Q" turret, 104 rounds; "X" turret, 29 rounds.<ref>{{TNA|ADM 137/304}}.  ff. 161-162.</ref>  One gun had fired 109 rounds.{{GFGTO|No. 50}}

She exercised primary control from the fore top except for two or three short periods when primary control came from "A" turret or all turrets relied on local control due to funnel smoke.  The fore conning tower and "A" turret never lost sight of the enemy, but fore control had minor problems with smoke and the other three turrets had serious smoke issues.{{GFGTO|No. 50}}

===Battle of Jutland===
{{Main|H.M.S. Invincible at the Battle of Jutland}}
At the end of May, 1916 the {{UK-BCS|3}} had joined the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow.  When the fleet put to sea on 30 May the Commander-in-Chief Admiral [[Jellicoe]] ordered it twenty miles ahead of the battle fleet as a scouting force.

At the beginning of the [[Battle of Jutland]] on 31 May 1916 ''Invincible'' with the rest of the 3rd B.C.S. was steaming S.50ºE at 14 knots.  At 14:23 {{UK-Indomitable}} intercepted a signal from {{UK-Galatea|f=p}} heralding [[David Beatty, First Earl Beatty|Beatty]]'s [[Battle Cruiser Fleet]]'s (B.C.F.) sighting of the [[High Sea Fleet]].  At 16:00, after the B.C.F. had joined battle, Hood led the 3rd B.C.S. S.S.E. at full speed in order to reinforce Beatty, anticipating Jellicoe's order by five minutes.

By 17:35 the 3rd B.C.S., with ''Invincible'' in the van, was within earshot of the fighting.  Having heard firing on his starboard beam Hood ordered his squadron turn through eight points.  At 17:55 ''Invincible'' opened fire on a force of German light cruisers, followed by her sister ships a few minutes later.  In a few minutes {{DE-Pillau|f=p}}, {{DE-Frankfurt|f=p}} were damaged and {{DE-Wiesbaden|f=p}} was reduced to a floating wreck.

{{UK-Lion}} appeared on ''Invincible's'' port side, heavily engaged with Vizeadmiral [[Franz Ritter von Hipper|Hipper's]] [[I. Aufklärungsgruppe|I Scouting Group]].  Having reformed the 3rd B.C.S. in the aftermath of a German torpedo attack Hood's ships joined the B.C.F. from the east, whence Beatty ordered him to take the van.  At 18:26 they took position and were taken under fire by Hipper's battlecruisers.  Hood's vessels returned fire, and having the advantage of the light ''Invincible'' scored two hits on {{DE-Lutzow}} which ultimately led to Hipper's flagship sinking.

While engaging {{DE-Derfflinger}} and {{DE-Lutzow}} she received at 18:32 a hit on the front of "Q" turret, which penetrated and detonated in the gunhouse, blowing off the roof and causing the "Q" magazine to explode, followed by that of "P".  The resulting explosion raised debris four hundred feet into the air and forced ''Invincible'' to break in two and sink.  Rear-Admiral [[Horace Lambert Alexander Hood|Hood]] was killed along with sixty-one officers, nine hundred and sixty-five men and five civilians.  Six men survived, among them the Commander (who was also the Gunnery Officer).  Four of the five civilians were canteen staff. 

H.M.S. ''Invincible'' was officially paid off by the Royal Navy on 3 June, 1916.

After the war, the wreckage was located by a minesweeper at 57-02-40 North Latitude, 06-07-15 East Longitude, 180&nbsp;feet down.

Commander [[Hubert Edward Dannreuther]] was the gunnery officer.  He survived the sinking.  Lieutenant [[Cecil Stanley Sandford]].

===Photos of Her Loss===
[[Hubert Edward Dannreuther|Hubert Dannreuther]]'s papers at the National Maritime Museum contain two letters, the second of which has three small photographs.   The signatures are not very legible, and it is a bit of a mystery who wrote them, though one has plenty of context from which to work.

The first letter is mailed from "H.M. T.B. No. 33." and is dated July 24th 1918.<ref>Letter at National Maritime Museum, DAN/464</ref>
<blockquote><i>
I only received your letter yesterday or I should have answered it sooner.
<br><br>
I will send you both of my plates of the Invincible as soon as I can get home as they are there with the remainder of my collection.
<br><br>
With regard to their history they were taken for me by one of the 4" gun control snotties in the [[H.M.S. Inflexible (1907)|Inflex]] about 6.12. pm in the Jutland scrap.  The 2nd one of the Invincibles bow &stern end up was taken about {{Frac|3|10}} of a minute after.
<br><br>
I shall probably forward them to you about Aug 26th or within a few days of that date.
<br><br>
My Uncle Commodore [[Charles Edward Le Mesurier|Le Mesurier]] had quite a good one taken broadside on from the [[H.M.S. Calliope (1914)|Calliope]] but I can not say who has the negative probably the navigator took it unfortunately I do not remember who it was. but I shall try and find out &let you know.  I think the midshipman who took the Invincible photoes [sic] was R. Locock<ref>There was a Midshipman, R.N.R., Reginald Locock serving in Inflexible from 16 May, 1915, onwards, per Simon Harley</ref> does not wish to have any of these photoes published.
<br><br>
Yours sincerely,
<br><br>
E.D. O'Connor<ref>In T.B. 33 at the end of the war there was an Acting Sub-Lieutenant, R.N.R., Edward D. O'Connor, who by the look of things had also been a Midshipman, R.N.R., in ''Inflexible'' at Jutland before being appointed to ''Onslow'' in September, 1916, per Simon Harley</ref>
</i>
</blockquote>

The second letter contains three small photographs, and is posted to Dannreuther in {{UK-Renown}} from ''Constance'' on 21 November, 1918.<ref>Letter at National Maritime Museum, DAN/455</ref>  Simon Harley's analysis of the signature and of service records suggests that the photos were taken from ''Constance'' during the battle by Warrant Shipwright Harry L. Metters.

<blockquote>
<i>
Dear Sir/
<br><br>
As it is not possable </i>[sic]<i> for me to send along the films as promised, I am doing the next best thing in sending along three prints which I happen to have here in the ship, from which you could make a larger picture[.]
<br><br>
Hoping this will meet your requirements, also that you will keep same for your own personal use.  also sorry to have kept you waiting so long.
<br><br>
Yours Sincerely,
<br><br>
H L Metters</i><ref>Simon Harley offers that "The signature would appear to belong to Warrant Shipwright Harry L. Metters, who was appointed to ''Constance'' on 11 September, 1915."</ref></blockquote>

==Alterations==
In 1913, ''Invincible'' was slated as part of the [[British Adoption of the Director#Early Orders|seventeen ship order]] to receive a director.  It was fitted sometime after the war started but prior to May, 1915.<ref>''The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships'', pp. 9-10.</ref>

==Captains==
Dates of appointment are provided when known.
<div name=fredbot:officeCapt title="Captain of {{UK-Invincible|f=p}}">
*  {{CaptRN}} [[Mark Edward Frederic Kerr|Mark E. F. Kerr]], 8 September, 1908.{{RobertsBattlecruisers|p. 122}}
*  Captain [[Richard Purefoy FitzGerald Purefoy|Richard P. F. Purefoy]], 28 March, 1911.{{RobertsBattlecruisers|p. 122}}
*  Captain [[Henry James Langford Clarke|Henry J. L. Clarke]], 9 January, 1912.<ref>Clarke Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}}  f. 352.</ref>
*  Captain [[Michael Culme-Seymour, Fourth Baronet|Michael Culme-Seymour]], 1 May, 1912.<ref>''The Navy List'' (July, 1913), p. 333.</ref>
*  Captain [[Henry Bertram Pelly|Henry B. Pelly]], 10 August, 1913.<ref>Pelly Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}}  f. 483.</ref>
*  Captain [[Charles Martin-de-Bartolomé|Charles Martin-de-Bartolomé]], 1 August, 1914.{{RobertsBattlecruisers|p. 122}}
*  Captain [[Tufton Percy Hamilton Beamish|Percy T. H. Beamish]], 31 October, 1914.<ref>''The Navy List'' (December, 1914).  p. 338.</ref>
*  Captain [[Arthur Lindesay Cay|Arthur L. Cay]], 19 February, 1915.<ref>''The Navy List'' (October, 1915).  p. 395''b''.</ref>
</div name=fredbot:officeCapt>

==See Also==
{{refbegin}}
{{WP|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Invincible_(1907)}}
{{refend}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{DittColl}}
*{{FCHMShips}}
*{{ParkesBritishBattleships}}
*{{RobertsBattlecruisers}}
*{{JohnstonClydebankBattlecruisers}}
{{refend}}

{{Footer Invincible Class Battlecruiser (1907)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Invincible}}

{{CatShipBattlecruiser|UK}}

{{CatShipLostInAction|UK}}