Duncan Class Battleship

World War 1 Naval Combat

World War 1 Naval Combat

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hms duncan Duncan Class.  Distinguishable from the generally similar predecessors by the equally sized funnels, lower freeboard and lack of prominent ventilation cowls.  Armour had to be  sacrificed in order to increase speed whilst at the same time reducing size.  The armour layout was generally similar to the Formidable class although it was increased in the bow to protect against flooding in this area which would reduce speed.

HMS Duncan
Built Thames Iron Works, laid down July 1899, completed October 1903, cost £1,088,897.

HMS Albemarle
Built Chatham Dockyard, laid down January 1900, completed November 1903, cost £1,078,395.

HMS Cornwallis
Built Thames Iron Works, laid down July 1899, completed February 1904, cost £1,098,159.

HMS Exmouth
Built Laird, Birkenhead, laid down August 1899, completed May 1903, cost £1,098,159.

HMS Montagu
Built Devonport Dockyard, laid down November 1899, completed October 1903.

HMS Russell
Built Palmer, Jarrow, laid down March 1899, completed February 1903, cost £1,104,051.

Size:
Length 418 feet waterline 432 feet overall, beam 75 feet 10 inches, draught 25 feet 3 inches, displacement 13,272 normal 14,272 tons deep.

Propulsion:
2 shaft Triple Expansion, 18,000 ihp, 19kts

Trials:
Duncan 18,262 ihp = 19.11 knots
Cornwallis 18,056 ihp = 18.98 knots
Exmouth 18,604 ihp = 19.01 knots

Armour:
7in belt, 11in barbettes, 10in gun houses, 2-1in decks

Armament:
4 x 12in 40 cal BL (2 x 2), 12 x 6in QF (12 x 1), 10 x 12pounder QF (16 x 1), 6 x 3pounder (6 x 1), 4 x 18in TT

Comments:
Designed as fast battleships, sacrificing armour for speed, in response to reported Russian fast battleships. At the same time the ships were reduced in size in a effort to reduce costs.Crew 762.

World War 1 Service:
Duncan
3rd Battle Squadron Grand Fleet.
November 1914 attached to Channel Fleet.
February-July 1915 reserve and then refit.
19 July 1915 attached to 9th Cruiser Squadron Finisterre-Azores- Madeira Station.
26 April 1915 2nd Detached Squadron based at Taranto to reinforce the Italian Fleet in the Adriatic.
June 1916 3rd Detached Squadron based at Salonika in the Aegean.
October-December took part in actions against the Greek Royalists.
January 1917 rejoined squadron in Adriatic.
February 1917 returned to UK to pay off to release crew for newer ships.
1920 sold for scrapping.

Albemarle
3rd Battle Squadron Grand Fleet.
Supported cruisers of the Northern Patrol.
November 1914 attached to 5th Battle Squadron Channel Fleet.
April 1915 rejoined 3rd Battle Squadron Grand Fleet.
October 1915 refit at Chatham.
November 1915 ordered to Mediterranean to reinforce Dardanelles squadron but on 6 November damaged in a storm and had to undergo repairs until December when she rejoined the Grand Fleet.
January 1916 sent to Murmansk to act as an icebreaker and guard ship.
September 1916 returned home and paid off to release crew.
1919 Sold for scrap.

Cornwallis
3rd Battle Squadron Grand Fleet.
December 1914-Janaury 1915 operated in West Ireland area.
January 1915 sent to Dardanelles.
18 February 1915 bombardment of forts.
February-March 1915 supported landings.
18-20 December 1915 covered withdrawal of troops from Sulva Bay.
December 1915-March 1916 part of Suez Canal Patrol.
March 1916 eastern Mediterranean.
7 January 1917 torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U32.

Exmouth
3rd Battle Squadron Grand Fleet.
Supported cruisers of the Northern Patrol.
November 1914 attached to Channel Fleet.
23 November bombarded Zeebrugge.
May 1915 transferred to the Dardanelles and supported landings.
November 1915-March 1917 Detached Squadron at Salonika.
March 1917 East Indies, convoying in the Indian Ocean.
August 1917 paid off to release crews.
1920 Sold for scrap.

Montagu
30 May 1906 ran aground and wrecked  on Lunday Island in fog.

Russell
3rd Battle Squadron Grand Fleet.
November 1914 attached to Channel Fleet as flag ship of 6th Battle Squadron.
23 November bombarded Zeebrugge.
April 1915 rejoined 3rd Battle Squadron Grand Fleet.
October-November 1915 under refit.
6 November 1915 sent to eastern Mediterranean.
7-9 January 1916 took part in the evacuation of Helles.  Last British battleship to leave the Dardanelles.
27 April 1916 mined and sunk near Malta.

HMS Exmouth.  Although subdivision was improved in this class they were also given an centre-line bulkhead between the engine rooms.  This was shown to be a weakness in the design as it made the ships prone to rapid development of a list when they had suffered underwater damage with both Cornwallis and Russell being sunk by underwater damage. HMS Exmouth

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