HMS King Edward VII

HMS "King Edward VII", named after King Edward VII, was the lead ship of the "King Edward VII" class of British Royal Navy predreadnought battleships.

Technical Characteristics

HMS "King Edward VII" was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 8 March 1902. She was launched by King Edward VII on 23 July 1903, and completed in February 1905.

Although "King Edward VII" and her seven sister ships of the "King Edward VII" class were a direct descendant of the "Majestic" class, they were also the first class to make a significant departure from the "Majestic" design, displacing about 1,000 tons more and mounting for the first time an intermediate battery of four 9.2-inch (234-mm) guns in addition to the standard outfit of 6-inch (152-mm) guns. The 9.2-inch was a quick-firing gun like the 6-inch, and its heavier shell made it a formidable weapon by the standards of the day when "King Edward VII" and her sisters were designed; it was adopted out of concerns that British battleships were undergunned for their displacement and were becoming outgunned by foreign battleships that had begun to mount 8-inch (203-mm) intermediate batteries. The four 9.2-inch were mounted in single turrets abreast the foremast and mainmast, and "King Edward VII" thus could bring two of them to bear on either broadside. Even then, "King Edward VII" and her sisters were criticized for not having, a uniform secondary battery of 9.2-inch guns, something considered but rejected because of the length of time it would have taken to design the ships with such a radical revision of the secondary armament layout. In the end, it proved impossible to distinguish 12-inch and 9.2-inch shell splashes from one another, making fire control impractical for ships mounting both calibers, although "King Edward VII" had fire-control platforms on her fore- and mainmasts rather than the fighting tops of earlier classes. ["Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905", p. 38]

Like all British battleships since the "Majestic" class, the "King Edward VII"-class ships had four 12-inch (305-mm) guns in two twin turrets (one forward and one aft), the first five "King Edwards", including "King Edward VII" herself, mounted the Mark IX 12-inch gun. Mounting of the 6-inch guns in casemates was abandoned in "King Edward VII" and her sister ships, the 6-inch instead being placed in a central battery amidships protected by 7-inch (178-mm) armored walls. Otherwise, "King Edward VII's" armor was much as in the "London" class battleships, although there were various differences in detail from the "London"s. ["Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905", p. 38]

"King Edward VII" and her sisters were the first British battleships with balanced rudders since the 1870s and were very maneuverable, with a tactical diameter of 340 yards (311 m) at 15 knots (27.75 km/h). However, they were difficult to keep on a straight course, and this characteristic led to them being nicknamed "the Wobbly Eight" during their 1914-1916 service in the Grand Fleet. They had a slightly faster roll than previous British battleship classes, but were good gun platforms, although very wet in bad weather. ["Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905", p. 38]

Primarily powered by coal, "King Edward VII" had oil sprayers installed during her construction, as did all of her sisters except HMS "New Zealand", the first time this had been done in British battleships. These allowed steam pressure to be rapidly increased, improving "King Edward VII's" acceleration. The eight ships between them were given four different boiler installations for comparative purposes; "King Edward VII's" is variously reported to have had 10 Babcock and Wilcox boilers and six cylindrical boilers ["Conway's All the World's Fightig Ships, 1860-1905", p. 38] or 10 Babcock and Wilcox boilers and three cylindrical boilers. [urt, p. 232] She exceeded her designed speed on trials. ["Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905", p. 38]

"King Edward VII" was a powerful ship when she was designed, and completely fulfilled the goals set for her at that time. However, she was unlucky in that the years of her design and construction were ones of revolutionary advancement in naval guns, fire control, armor, and propulsion. She joined the fleet in early 1905, but was made obsolete in less than two years by the commissioning of the revolutionary battleship HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6 at the end of 1906 and the large numbers of the new dreadnought battleships that commissioned in succeeding years. By 1914, "King Edward VII" and her sister ships were, like all predreadnoughts, so outclassed that they spent much of their 1914-1916 Grand Fleet service steaming at the heads of divisions of the far more valuable dreadnoughts, protecting the dreadnoughts from naval mines by being the first battleships to either sight or strike them. [Burt, p. 235]

Operational History

King Edward VII consented to having "King Edward VII" carry his name on the condition that she always serve as a flagship. The Royal Navy honored this wish throughout her career. [Burt, p. 246]

HMS "King Edward VII" commissioned on 7 February 1905 at Devonport Dockyard for service as Flagship, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet. She underwent a refit in 1906-1907. Her Atlantic Fleet service ended when she paid off at Portsmouth Dockyard on 4 March 1907. [Burt, p. 246]

On 5 March 1907, "King Edward VII" recommissioned as flagship of Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, Commander-in-Chief, Channel Fleet. She underwent another refit at Portsmouth in 1907-1908. [Burt, p. 246]

Under a fleet reorganization on 24 March 1909, the Channel Fleet became the 2nd Division, Home Fleet. Accordingly, "King Edward VII" recommissioned as Flagship, Vice Admiral, Home Fleet on 27 March 1909. She underwent a refit at Portsmouth from December 1909 to February 1910. She recommissioned at Portsmouth on 1 August 1911 as Flagship, Vice Admiral, Third and Fourth Divisions, Home Fleet. [Burt, p. 246]

Under a fleet reorganization in May 1912, "King Edward VII" and all seven of her sisters of the "King Edward VII" class ("Africa", "Britannia", "Commonwealth", "Dominion", "Hibernia", "Hindustan", and "Zealandia") were assigned to form the 3rd Battle Squadron, assigned to the First Fleet, Home Fleet. "King Edward VII" commissioned at Sheerness as Flagship, Vice Admiral, 3rd Battle Squadron, First Fleet, Home Fleet, on 14 May 1912.

The 3rd Battle Squadron was detached to the Mediterranean in November 1912 because of the First Balkan War (October 1912-May 1913); it arrived at Malta on 27 November 1912 and subsequently participated in a blockade by an international force of Montenegro and in an occupation of Scutari. The squadron returned to the United Kingdom in 1913 and rejoined the Home Fleet on 27 June 1913 [Burt, p. 255]

Upon the outbreak of World War I, the 3rd Battle Squadron was assigned to the Grand Fleet and based at Rosyth, with "King Edward VII" continuing her service as squadron flagship. The squadron was used to supplement the Grand Fleet's cruisers on the Northern Patrol. On 2 November 1914, the squadron was detached to reinforce the Channel Fleet and was rebased at Portland. The squadron returned to the Grand Fleet on 13 November 1914, although "King Edward VII" remained behind temporarily, not returning to the Grand Fleet until 30 November 1914. [Burt, pp. 246-247]

"King Edward VII" served in the Grand Fleet until her loss in January 1916. [Burt, p. 247] During sweeps by the fleet, she and her sister ships often steamed at the heads of divisions of the far more valuable dreadnoughts, where they could protect the dreadnoughts by watching for mines or by being the first to strike them. [Burt, p. 235]

On 6 January 1916, "King Edward VII", having transferred her flag temporarily, departed Scapa Flow at 0712 hours on a voyage around the northern coast of Scotland to Belfast, where she was scheduled to undergo a refit. At 1047 hours she struck a mine that had been laid by the German auxiliary cruiser SMS "Möwe" off Cape Wrath. The explosion occurred under the starboard engine room, and "King Edward VII" listed eight degrees to starboard. Her commanding officer, Captain MacLachlin, ordered her helm put over to starboard to close the coast and beach the ship if necessary, but the helm jammed hard to starboard and the engine rooms quickly flooded, stopping the engines. Counterflooding reduced her list to five degrees. [Burt, p. 247-248]

Signals to the passing collier "Princess Melita" induced her to close with "King Edward VII" and attempt to tow the battleship; soon flotilla leader HMS "Kempfenfelt" also arrived and joined the tow attempt. Towing began at 1415 hours, but "King Edward VII" settled deeper in the water and took on a 15-degee list in a rising sea and strong winds and proved unmanageable. "Princess Melita's" towline parted at 1440 hours, after which Captain MacLachlin ordered "Kempfenfelt" to slip her tow as well. [Burt, p. 247-248]

that had arrived to assist. After "Nessus" departed, the tugs continued to stand by, and saw "King Edward VII" capsize at 2010 hours and sink around nine hours after the explosion. [Burt, pp. 249, 251]

At the time it was not clear whether "King Edward VII" had hit a naval mine or a been torpedoed. The presence of the minefield was determined from an examination of German records after the war.

The wreck of "King Edward VII", in 115 meters (377 ft) of water, was first visited by divers in April 1997.

Notes

References

* Burt, R. A. "British Battleships 1889-1904". Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1988. ISBN 0870210610.
* Chesneau, Roger, and Eugene M. Kolesnik, eds. "Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905". New York: Mayflower Books, Inc., 1979. ISBN 0831703024.
* Dittmar, F. J. & Colledge, J. J. "British Warships 1914-1919". London: Ian Allen, 1972. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7
* Gibbons, Tony. "The Complete Encyclopedia of Battleships and Battlecruisers: A Technical Directory of All the World's Capital Ships From 1860 to the Present Day". London: Salamander Books Ltd., 1983.
* Gray, Randal, Ed. "Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921." Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985. ISBN 0870219073.

External links

* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/battleships/king_edward_7/hms_king_edward_7.htm Maritimequest HMS King Edward VII Photo Gallery]
* [http://website.lineone.net/~britannic98/prevexp/kedwexp.htm 1997 diving expedition] (Link Broken)