class battleship class group british pre dreadnought battleships originally ordered chile period high tension argentina intended defeat pair armoured cruisers ordered country role meant smaller lightly armed battleships time purchased united_kingdom prior completion prevent purchase russian_empire tensions rising british ally completed following year triumph roughly similar careers decade service careers initially assigned transferred mediterranean_fleet ships rejoined home_fleet transferred abroad flagship triumph beginning world war august escorted troop convoys indian_ocean transferred canal patrol december defending canal early ottoman attacks ship transferred dardanelles february saw action bombarding ottoman fortifications triumph participated hunt campaign german colony china ship transferred mediterranean early participate torpedoed sunk german submarine assigned convoy escort duties atlantic early paid april provide crews anti submarine vessels ship disarmed stripped order proposed second raid sold scrap design description background late chile argentina brink war chile concerned navy ability counter armoured cruisers argentina ordered italy earlier year sir chief designer chile health reasons time met officials discuss idea purchasing building battleships high speed powerful armament low displacement purchase existing ships practical option asked reed design ships construction united_kingdom chile ordered ships named vickers ships considered second class battleships lightly constructed armed armoured british standards fact suffered structural weakness service required hull strengthening triumph problems chile required ships fit dock longer narrower displacement ships built british standards details mast anchor arrangements arrangement magazines shell handling rooms different british standards ended near war tensions argentina chile argentina sold armored cruisers construction italy japan sale early united_kingdom entirely interested ships international politics took precedence russian_empire offer ships british grew concerned class new ally japan prevent british purchased chilean battleships december purchase admiralty organised london firm partnership run younger brother members parliament mps role transaction meant disqualified house_of_commons old law mps accepting contracts crown triggered elections elected unopposed lost seat designed chilean british requirements required modifications construction purchase major changes needed design render suitable british service completed june entered service royal_navy hms triumph general characteristics class ships overall length feet inches beam feet inch draught feet inches deep load displaced long tons normal load long tons deep load ships long tons overweight compared designed displacement increased draught reduced crew numbered officers enlisted men result balanced rudder hull form rudder effective british battleships enter service bow enter service equipped ventilation propulsion ships powered cylinder inverted vertical triple expansion steam engines driving single propeller dozen yarrow boilers provided steam engines working pressure psi kpa cm2 engines produced total indicated horsepower intended allow ships reach speed knots mph engines proved powerful anticipated ships exceeded knots mph sea trials fastest battleships royal_navy time completion sustained speed service slightly slower older duncan class carried maximum long tons coal steam nautical miles knots mph service proved economical thought estimated range nautical miles knots armament ship armament standard royal_navy type designed meet requirements ship armed respective builder performance identical british battleships renown mount main battery inch guns ships mounted slightly different types calibre inch guns ship guns designed builder followed standard british practice time mounting main battery twin turrets forward aft royal_navy believed inch guns light effective modern battleships penetrate armour latest german russian battleships better armoured french battleships guns minor differences construction fired pound projectiles muzzle velocity provided maximum range yards gun maximum elevation firing cycle guns claimed seconds vii guns triumph seconds gun provided shells gun powerful secondary battery british battleships mount calibre inch guns different type inch guns mounted later british cruisers guns mounted central battery main deck criticized taking deck space casemates abreast upper deck problem mounted low ship feet water deep load high speed heavy weather sea rolling types guns differed slightly construction identical performance fired pound projectiles muzzle velocity rate rounds minutes maximum elevation maximum range yards ships carried rounds gun defence torpedo boats provided fourteen quick firing pounder guns firing pound shells guns modified use standard pound shell pounder cwt gun british service fired inch projectiles muzzle velocity maximum range rate fire unknown rounds gun carried ship ships equipped pair inch submerged torpedo tubes broadside provided torpedoes armour armour scheme roughly comparable duncan class waterline main belt composed krupp cemented armour inches thick feet high feet inches waterline normal load fore aft inch oblique bulkheads connected belt armour barbettes belt continued reduced thickness inches thick abreast barbettes reduced inches fore aft barbettes continued forward bow supported ship spur type ram continued aft steering gear compartment terminated inch transverse bulkhead upper inch armour covered ship rear barbettes level upper deck upper deck casemates protected inch faces sides enclosed rear inch plates inch guns main deck separated inch screens inches plating protecting funnel rear longitudinal inch bulkhead divided battery turret faces inches thick sides rear inches thick roofs inches thick sighting hood protecting gunners inches thick upper deck barbettes inches thick faces inches rear level inches respectively conning tower protected inches armour face inches rear deck armour inside central citadel ranged inches thickness outside citadel lower deck inches thick sloped meet lower belt armour naval historian assessed greatest weakness armour scheme reduction thickness barbette armour upper deck believed ships magazines vulnerable oblique hits near barbettes ships commissioned june service home_fleet channel_fleet collided triumph june suffered damage propellers aft hull ship refitted chatham dockyard june july briefly placed reserve october april recommissioned service mediterranean_fleet ship reassigned home_fleet given lengthy refit september march recommissioned march assigned flagship world war ship escorted indian troops bombay september november transferred canal patrol december help defend canal january february ship helped defend canal offensive ottoman forces transferred dardanelles february saw action bombarding ottoman fortifications assigned 9th escort duties atlantic february april ship arrived chatham paid placed reserve provide crews anti submarine vessels refitted accommodation ship february later year ship disarmed stripped order proposed second raid war ended carried briefly target ship listed sale march sold scrap june like triumph commissioned june initially assigned home_fleet later channel_fleet september ship struck dock slightly damaged following year accidentally struck sister ship sustained damage bow triumph received brief refit chatham dockyard october transferred mediterranean_fleet april ship returned home_fleet transferred august placed reserve hong_kong mobilized august beginning world war triumph participated hunt campaign german colony china november began refit hong_kong ship departed january participate torpedoed sunk german submarine bombarding ottoman fortifications dardanelles
Swiftsure-class battleship