HMS Superb (1907) - Career

Career

Having been ordered on 26 December 1906 and laid down on 6 February 1907 she was only completed in May 1909. Her building was significantly delayed by labour disputes in the dockyard. She was commissioned at Portsmouth on 29 May 1909 into the first division of the Grand Fleet. She undertook normal peacetime exercises with other units of the fleet, and on 24 June 1911 was present at the Coronation fleet review. On 1 May the first division became the First Battle Squadron. She continued routine peacetime activity until 29 July 1914 when the Grand Fleet relocated to its war base at Scapa Flow. On 10 November 1915 Superb was transferred to the Fourth Battle Squadron, which changed her place in the command structure but not her geographical location. At the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 Superb was the flagship of the fourth battle squadron, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Alexander. L. Duff. She received no hits and sustained no casualties. She saw no other active service during the First World War; routine exercises continued until 1918. In October 1918 she was sent to reinforce the British Eastern Mediterranean Squadron, and in November, as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Gough-Calthorpe, led a combined Franco-British force through the Dardanelles to Constantinople (now Istanbul) after the signing by Turkey of the armistice at the conclusion of the war. In April 1919 she was relieved and sailed for England, and on 26 April 1919 was reduced to reserve status at Sheerness. In May 1922 she was used as a gunnery target, and later in the year as a target for aerial attack. In December 1922 she was sold to Stanlee Shipbreaking Company of Dover, and was towed to Dover where she was broken up.