lead ship seven ships class pre dreadnought battleships built royal_navy 1890s ship commissioned served flagship channel_fleet years transferred mediterranean_fleet returned home briefly assigned coast guard ship began lengthy refit reduced reserve taken service ship sold scrap years later subsequently broken italy design description design royal sovereign class ships derived admiral class ironclad battleships greatly enlarged improve provide space secondary armament preceding class ironclad battleships ships displaced long tons normal load long tons deep load length perpendiculars feet overall length feet inches beam feet draught feet inches crew consisted officers ratings royal powered pair cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engines driving shaft engines designed produce total indicated horsepower maximum speed knots mph steam provided cylindrical boilers forced draught ship class completed lengthy set steam trials sets figures survived knots mph hours ihp normal draught knots mph hours ihp forced draught boiler tubes observed crack leak pressures involved result navy decided push boilers class past ihp prevent similar damage ships carried maximum long tons coal gave range nautical miles speed knots mph main armament consisted breech loading inch guns mounted twin gun barbettes fore aft superstructure gun provided rounds secondary armament consisted quick firing inch guns rounds gun carried ships sixteen pounder dozen pounder hotchkiss guns fitted defence torpedo boats pounders upper fighting removed remaining light guns lower fighting tops main deck followed royal sovereign class ships mounted seven inch torpedo tubes removed armour scheme similar waterline belt compound armour protected area barbettes inch belt transverse bulkheads inches thick closed ends belt belt inch harvey armour closed inch oblique bulkheads barbettes protected compound armour ranging thickness inches casemates inch guns protected equal thickness armour armour deck ranged inches walls forward conning tower inches thick aft conning tower protected inch plates construction career royal sovereign class ordered supplement normal naval estimates seventh ship serve royal_navy laid september drydock lacked long accommodate ship floated dock february christened queen_victoria completed sea trials commissioned cost relieved battleship flagship august served flagship annual manoeuvres coast ireland reprised role flagship july august manoeuvres western approaches reduce rolling fitted june sister ships british naval squadron attended opening germany week july ship took annual manoeuvres southwest coast england fleet june paid crew transferred battleship mars relieved day recommissioned relieve battleship mediterranean_sea departing mediterranean took june july took annual manoeuvres coast ireland finally departed england mediterranean september arrival joined mediterranean_fleet january rear admiral second command mediterranean_fleet hoisted flag aboard ship captain appointed command days later following month ship toured italian waters visiting naples genoa syracuse july visited modern croatia company battleships departing days later 28th man killed aboard gun accident buried sea evening november greece inch guns exploded breech fully closed killing officer injuring officer sir 4th seamen captain appointed command november relieved mediterranean battleship london gibraltar july arriving portsmouth england july august commissioned captain coast guard ship august ship participated manoeuvres coast portugal underwent extensive refit portsmouth inch armoured casemates added inch guns february commissioned special service vessel reserve incorporated vessels april september taken service sold scrap october ship demolished
HMS Royal Sovereign (1891)