Iron Duke Class
The Iron Duke class of ships had the 13.5 inch main and to combat the increased range of the 21 inch torpedo, had 12 × 6 inch secondary guns to engage torpedo boats at a greater range. The ships were slightly longer and had a greater beam and depth than the King George V ships, to overcome the heavier armament. All were fitted with a tripod forward mast to house the fire director control station, which was a shortcoming off the preceding ships. They were the first class of battleships to have anti-aircraft guns fitted as part of the design, with two 12 pounder guns mounted on the aft superstructure, intended to be used against airships. The ships also did away with the stern torpedo tube, having provision for only one 21 inch tube on each side. The Marlborough became the only dreadnought-type ship to be torpedoed at Jutland and had a 70 feet (21 m) by 20 feet (6.1 m) hole blown in her side. After the First World War they were all apart from Iron Duke scrapped to comply with the Washington Naval Treaty. The Iron Duke became a gunnery training ship in 1931.
| Ship | Main guns | Displacement | Propulsion | Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laid down | Commissioned | Fate | ||||
| Iron Duke | 10 × 13.5 in (34.3 cm) |
25,000 long tons (25,400 t) |
4 × shafts Parsons turbines 18 × boilers |
12 January 1912 |
March 1914 |
Sold for scrap March 1946 |
| Marlborough | 10 × 13.5 in (34.3 cm) |
25,000 long tons (25,400 t) |
4 × shafts Parsons turbines 18 × boilers |
25 January 1912 |
June 1914 |
Sold for scrap June 1932 |
| Benbow | 10 × 13.5 in (34.3 cm) |
25,000 long tons (25,400 t) |
4 × shafts Parsons turbines 18 × boilers |
30 May 1912 |
October 1914 |
Sold for scrap March 1931 |
| Emperor of India | 10 × 13.5 in (34.3 cm) |
25,000 long tons (25,400 t) |
4 × shafts Parsons turbines 18 × boilers |
31 May 1912 |
November 1914 |
Sunk as target ship 1 September 1931 |
Read more about this topic: List Of Dreadnought Battleships Of The Royal Navy
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