H.M.S. Vanguard (1909)
| H.M.S. Vanguard | |
| Career | Details |
|---|---|
| Pendant Number: | 39 (September, 1915)[1] |
| Builder: | Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Ordered: | 1907 |
| Laid Down: | 2 April, 1908 |
| Launched: | 22 February, 1909 |
| Commissioned: | 1 March, 1910 |
| Sunk: | 9 July, 1917 |
| Fate: | Sunk by internal explosion |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 19,500 tons (normal) 21,060 (normal, 1917) |
| Length: | 500 feet |
| Beam: | 84 feet |
| Draught: | 28 feet 7 inches |
| Propulsion: | 2 Screw Parsons Turbines, 24,500 shp. 18 Babcock boilers |
| Speed: | 21 knots |
| Range: | 6,900 miles at 10 knots |
| Complement: | 758 |
| Armament: |
|
H.M.S. Vanguard (ex-Rodney) was a St. Vincent class dreadnought battleship, built at Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness.
Career
Vickers won the contract for the construction of Vanguard with a tender of £628,000 for the hull and machinery. The unsuccessful tenders were: John Brown and Company, £667,000; William Beardmore and Company, £704,000; Palmer Shipbuilding and Iron Company, £712,000; Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, £734,000; Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company, £738,000; Scott's Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, £764,000.[2]
Laid down in mid-1908, she completed in early 1910, joining the 1st Battle Squadron. She would serve with this squadron until April, 1916. At the outbreak of war, the two 4" guns on A turret were removed. On 1 September, 1914 she fired on a suspected enemy submarine at Scapa Flow in a case of friendly fire.
On 22 January, 1916 Captain J. D. Dick (late of Black Prince) became captain of Vanguard.
Jutland
At the Battle of Jutland she sailed in the 4th Division of the 4th Battle Squadron in company with the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir John Jellicoe and Vice-Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee. She fired eighty 12-inch rounds without suffering damage.
After the battle she participated in North Sea sweeps with the rest of the Grand Fleet, spending the rest of her time in the anchorage at Scapa Flow. On 15 August, 1916 she was joined by an observer from the Imperial Japanese Navy, Commander Kyosuke Eto, a decorated gunnery officer.
Gunnery Officer: Lieutenant-Commander Wilfred Neville Custance, 1913-1917
Alterations
Vanguard was fitted with a director for her main battery after December, 1915 but prior to the Battle of Jutland.[3]
Ship's Logs
- ADM 53/31468 through ADM 53/31471, for 1 March, 1910 to 29 March, 1913.
- ADM 53/66864 through ADM 53/66893 for 20 March, 1913 to 30 June, 1917.
Commanding Officers
Dates of appointment given:
- Captain John B. Eustace, 1 March, 1910.[4]
- Captain Arthur D. Ricardo, 23 September, 1911.[5]
- Captain Cecil S. Hickley, 5 June, 1913.[6]
- Captain James D. Dick, 22 January, 1916.[7]
See Also
Footnotes
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 2 January, 1908. Issue 38532, col C, pg. 8.
- ↑ The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, pp. 9-11.
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 2 March, 1910. Issue 39209, col B, pg. 4.
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 6 September, 1911. Issue 39683, col E, pg. 4.
- ↑ Navy List (October, 1915). p. 398t.
- ↑ Dick Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. p. 204.
Bibliography
- Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
- Template:BibUKFireControlInHMShips1919
- Template:BibParkesBritishBattleships
External Links
