class battleship class series dreadnought battleships built construction ships particularly vessel significantly delayed shortages supplied great_britain world war particularly armament class comprised spain ships spanish dreadnoughts built smallest battleships type constructed owing weak spanish economy ships armed inch guns small displacement metric tons long tons short tons forced designers compromise armor protection speed served 1st squadron training squadron 1920s saw action war early 1920s supporting spanish ground forces north_africa ran aground august navy salvage instead broke tidal forces renamed namesake king forced exile surviving ships served opposite sides spanish civil war destroyed conflict struck naval laid april sank destroyed internal explosion june development spanish public blamed disastrous losses spanish american war navy recognized need rebuild attempt rebuild navy came fleet plan called fleet centered seven metric ton long ton battleships metric ton long ton cruisers plan proved far ambitious weak spanish economy unstable spanish parliament proved unable provide funding followed fleet plan proposed fleet long tons battleships number torpedo boats submarines fell victim weaknesses spanish government early strong cabinet led came power question naval construction settled fleet plan proposed battleships destroyers torpedo boats craft construction plan years debates plan took place spanish legislature november final approval vote december fleet plan formally signed law january delay enabled spain advantage experience gained britain world commissioned big gun battleship united_states new battleship uss south_carolina principally concerned defending main naval bases secondary importance need new battleship design tightly constrained spanish economy industrial sector need build ships small fit existing dockyard facilities insufficient funds build larger battleships navy result design requirements called relatively heavy offensive power minimal range armor protection navy began discussing design requirements vickers law actually passed september vickers provided proposed design ton battleship armed inch guns design basis requirements design competition issued april submitted bids italian led group included french firm partnered spanish naval formed vickers group spanish backed company proposals seriously considered fourth considered vague navy staff navy minister responsible reviewing proposals prepared design variants called twin gun turrets main battery forward aft offset amidships second proposal triple turrets fore aft twin turret centerline amidships artillery experts navy rejected second variant designs featured arrangement proposal october met recommendations superior committee concluded proposals superior version marked advantage following month met evaluate proposals recommended design followed evaluated proposals november advised superior bid met design requirements legal administrative cost problems february navy requested revised design incorporate alterations including increased improve increased height length main belt armor addition individual gun turret agreed changes march company received contract april constraints imposed spanish economy resulting design produced smallest dreadnought type battleships built completion rapid technological change significantly rise battleships lengthy delays completion later units class general characteristics ships class long waterline long overall beam draft amidships lower normal battleships period displaced metric tons long tons designed long tons combat load vessels masts small superstructure equipped ships reasonably stable compared foreign designs low metacentric height loading caused low stability damaged ship crew officers enlisted men enlisted crew spaces located forward upper deck cramped non commissioned officers located superstructure included senior officers ships initially painted black 1920s gray wore white identification band funnel wore ships removed start civil war dark gray time machinery propulsion system consisted shaft parsons steam turbines coal fired water tube yarrow boilers turbines drove bladed screw propellers wide diameter spare screws kept aboard ship boilers single funnel placed amidships location funnel far foremast kept spotting free smoke interference rendered spotting mainmast essentially useless engines rated shaft horsepower produced speed knots mph according design contract engines capable normal maximum shp speed knots mph shp knots mph forced draft ships exceeded knots mph speed trials ship store long tons coal permitted cruising radius nautical miles speed knots mph armament main armament consisted inch caliber guns manufactured vickers weighed metric tons long tons fired pound shell muzzle velocity guns maximum range yards rate fire round minute guns housed twin turrets arranged centerline fore aft wings turrets operated loaded angle elevation arrangement chosen superfiring turrets american dreadnoughts save weight cost turrets theory fire broadside fire ahead astern blast effects wing turrets generally prohibited firing deck directly ahead astern secondary battery comprised caliber guns mounted individually casemates length hull fired pound shell guns close waterline heavy seas suffered insufficient elevation limited range guns weak effective contemporary destroyers increasingly powerful ships carried pounder guns machine guns landing guns taken ashore armor armor layout class essentially scaled version british class reductions primarily heavy armament vessel limited displacement main belt armor thick tapered end central citadel upper belt protected guns thick turret sides sat barbette protected thick plating conning tower inch thick sides armored deck torpedo bulkhead thick ships heavy armor plating consisted krupp cemented steel krupp steel armor thinner types manufactured britain ships poorly armored compared foreign designs general ships underwater protection greatest weakness armor scheme torpedo bulkhead placed close outer hull reduced ability absorb damage weakness played central role loss grounding sinking single modifications limited modifications possible technical constraints imposed need displacement low insufficient funds effect major reconstruction free uses navy considered proposals battleships early 1920s spanish military budget consumed costs war north_africa came proposed modernization plans called installing new fire control equipment effective additional newer anti aircraft guns building anti torpedo hull improve underwater protection loss knot speed deck armor strengthened ultimately minor modifications possible pair vickers millimeter anti aircraft guns installed turret numbers 1930s foremast reduced slightly surviving ships seized nationalists guns removed use ashore replaced german guns anti aircraft guns remained republicans vickers caliber anti aircraft guns twin hotchkiss mounting construction new drydock built accommodate construction battleships material save armor plate heavy guns fire control equipment manufactured spain contract specified build time years ship years second seven years despite longer construction times later units completion particularly unit held lack materials britain result outbreak world war importantly main guns delivered history member class completed outbreak world war august action spain remained neutral duration war august participated opening ceremonies panama canal joined august 1st squadron spanish fleet late finally completed early 1920s ships served training squadron period spain involved war morocco ships saw action conflict primarily providing artillery support spanish ground forces engaging rebels august bombarding positions ran aground lengthy salvage operation failed free ship november stress repeated tidal broke wreck half overthrow king namesake battleship renamed mid-1930s considered modernization programs surviving battleships came fruition primarily result outbreak spanish civil war ships found opposite sides conflict served nationalists fought republicans coastal bombardment enforce blockade republican ports unsuccessfully attempted disrupt blockade ship engaged august attacked moderately damaged nationalist bombers undergoing repairs destroyed internal explosion june sunk april striking laid coast northern spain guns recovered employed coastal fortifications remained service inch guns salvaged similarly employed broken 1940s remained service decommissioned mid-1990s second raised wreck discovered early 1980s expeditions survey wreck took place february
España-class battleship