Design
These ships were of slightly larger displacement than the Orions; the extra tonnage allowed for some small enhancements that were incorporated into the design. The most obvious differences in appearance, compared to the Orions, were the repositioning of the main mast and fore-funnel, and the conspicuously slab sided funnels themselves.
They used the same 13.5-inch Mark V gun, but fired a slightly heavier (1,400 lb (635 kg) as against 1,250 lb (567 kg)) shell. Their secondary armament was re-arranged to improve fire distribution ahead, which had been indicated by tactical modelling to be the most dangerous area for torpedo boat attacks.
Armour was slightly redistributed and, it was thought, improved. Underwater protection was also improved, although these changes did not save Audacious when she struck a single German mine late in 1914.
There were slight revisions to the superstructure and masts. The powerplant was intended to give a design speed of 1 knot (2 km/h) more than the Orions. This gave them a slightly reduced overall speed, but in practice they steamed mostly in the company of slower ships anyway.
Overall, they were a successful design, although received without particular enthusiasm by the public and press. They had been substantially promoted as a great advance over the Orions. In particular, it was expected that they would carry 6 inch guns as their secondary armament. In fact it was the subsequent Iron Duke class that first received 6 inch secondaries.
Read more about this topic: King George V Class Battleship (1911)
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