Construction and Description
HMS Agamemnon was ordered in 1904 and was the first warship built by the William Beardmore and Company's Dalmuir Naval Construction Works. She was laid down on 15 May 1905 and launched on 23 June 1906 before the dockyards themselves were finished. Her completion was greatly delayed by labour troubles and by the diversion of the 12-inch (305 mm) guns intended for her to expedite completion of HMS Dreadnought, and she was not finally completed until June 1908, six months before her sister Lord Nelson.
Agamemnon displaced 17,683 long tons (17,967 t) at deep load as built, with a length of 443 feet 6 inches (135.2 m), a beam of 79 feet 6 inches (24.2 m) and a draft of 26 feet 9 inches (8.2 m). She was powered by two inverted vertical triple expansion four-cylinder steam engines, which developed a total of 16,750 indicated horsepower (12,490 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).
The ship was armed with four BL 12-inch Mk X guns arranged in two twin gun turrets, one each fore and aft. Her secondary armament consisted of ten BL 9.2-inch Mk XI guns, in twin gun turrets on each corner of the superstructure, and a single gun turret between them, plus 24 QF 12-pounder 18 cwt guns. She also mounted five submerged 17.7-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes for which 23 torpedoes were stowed aboard.
Agamemnon had an armour belt at her waterline that was 12 inches (305 mm) thick, as were the faces and sides of her gun turrets.
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