india hms emperor india class battleship british_royal_navy originally named delhi renamed completed honour king george emperor india ship laid vickers shipyard launched november finished ship commissioned year later november shortly start world war armed main battery inch guns capable speed knots mph commissioning emperor india joined 4th battle squadron grand_fleet based scapa_flow took numerous sorties northern north_sea enforce blockade germany frequent training exercises gunnery drills emperor india dock refit late unavailable increased danger submarines led grand_fleet german high seas fleet pursue cautious strategies jutland led war war emperor india sent mediterranean_fleet involved allied intervention russian civil war black_sea remained mediterranean transferred london naval treaty mandated emperor india sister ships dismantled underwent series weapons tests proved highly beneficial future british battleship designs emperor india ultimately sold scrap february broken shortly design emperor india feet inches long overall beam average draught displaced long tons designed long tons combat loading propulsion system consisted parsons steam turbines steam provided eighteen boilers engines rated shaft horsepower produced speed mph cruising radius nautical miles economical mph emperor india crew officers enlisted men wartime grew emperor india armed main battery inch naval guns mounted twin gun turrets arranged superfiring pairs forward aft fifth turret located amidships funnels rear superstructure close range defence torpedo boats provided secondary battery inch vii guns ship fitted pair inch cwt anti aircraft guns pounder guns typical capital ships period equipped torpedo tubes submerged broadside emperor india protected main armoured belt thick ship deck thick main battery turret faces thick turrets supported thick barbettes service history emperor india laid vickers shipyard originally named delhi launched november christened emperor india ship commissioned royal_navy grand_fleet admiral november sea trials months outbreak world war following month assigned 4th battle squadron second division flagship served years war december emperor india sister ship arrived begin working pronounced fit service fleet december period inch guns removed iron duke class ships casemates sealed low hull permitted water continually enter ship world war december 4th 2nd squadrons conducted gunnery practice north following day entire fleet sortied sweep north_sea concluded december emperor india fleet operation round gunnery drills followed january west time entire fleet evening january bulk grand_fleet sailed support main fleet engaged took place following day march grand_fleet conducted sweep northern north_sea conducted training manoeuvres cruise took place march april grand_fleet conducted patrol central north_sea returned port april patrol area took place april followed gunnery drills april grand_fleet conducted sweep central north_sea encountering german vessels mid june fleet conducted round gunnery training september fleet went cruise northern end north_sea conducted gunnery drills rest month grand_fleet conducted numerous training exercises october majority fleet conducted sweep north_sea returning port 15th november emperor india participated fleet training operation west cruise took place december typical routine gunnery drills squadron exercises occurred january fleet departed cruise north_sea february intended use sweep bad weather prevented operations southern north_sea result operation confined northern end sea night march emperor india rest fleet sailed scapa_flow support light forces raided german base time grand_fleet approached area march british german forces severe gale threatened light craft fleet flagship guided destroyers emperor india rest fleet retired independently april grand_fleet conducted demonstration distract germans defensive minefields baltic_sea fleet returned scapa_flow april proceeding south response intelligence reports germans launch raid grand_fleet arrive area german high seas fleet withdrawn fleet conducted demonstration german attention focused north_sea emperor india available june dock refit following jutland transferred 1st battle squadron served second division flagship remained 1st squadron rest war august germans sortied time bombard vice admiral german fleet commander hoped draw battlecruisers destroy british signals intelligence german wireless allowing time deploy grand_fleet attempt engage decisive battle sides withdrew opponents submarines inflicted losses british cruisers nottingham torpedoed sunk german boats german battleship sms damaged british submarine returning port issued order prohibited fleet southern half north_sea overwhelming risk mines boats later year emperor india equipped equipment handle balloon following investigation battle jutland royal_navy determined deck protection insufficient capital ships result emperor india additional long tons short tons armour magazines october december series minor modifications followed included installation larger additional improve night combat capabilities funnel caps reduce smoke interference spotting tops rangefinder intended difficult estimate range enemy gunners later removed late germans began destroyers light cruisers raid british convoys norway forced british deploy capital ships protect convoys april german fleet sortied attempt catch isolated british squadrons convoy passed safely grand_fleet sortied late catch retreating germans battlecruiser sms torpedoed badly damaged submarine following capitulation germany november allies interned high_seas_fleet scapa_flow fleet british light cruiser cardiff led ships allied fleet escort germans scapa_flow massive fleet consisted british american french warships fleet remained captivity negotiations ultimately produced treaty versailles believed british intended seize german ships june deadline germany signed peace treaty morning grand_fleet left scapa_flow conduct training maneuvers away issued order high_seas_fleet post war career emperor india assigned mediterranean_fleet 4th battle squadron sisters class battleships period served black_sea allied intervention russian civil war support whites admiral commander british forces black_sea hoisted flag aboard ship april ship bombarded troops outside later disrupt operations railway supply assault port march emperor india provided gunfire support white russian forces outside french armoured cruiser shortly emperor india came fire armoured train prompting ship leave harbour bound ship involved observing turkish war included stops ports returned britain refit new long base installed turret followed stint mediterranean fleet lasted period took demonstration turkish demands foreign warships leave port transferred served stability tests conducted ship provided basis proposal director naval construction add anti torpedo iron duke class ships proposal sent board review concerns value ships replaced terms cost reconstruction led board cancel july september refit devonport served squadron flagship june january relieved according terms london naval treaty ships iron duke class scrapped emperor india scheduled removed service broken scrap ship provided final service navy serving gunnery target tests included firing destroyer armament upper works close range test effectiveness simulated night engagement direct hits inch shells aerial attacks experiments flash magazines main tests emperor india took place june departed portsmouth june ran aground salvage efforts proved fruitless navy decided conduct gunnery tests tests june sister hit emperor india inch shells days round shells fired yards second day range increased yards refloated later sold scrap february arrived demolition february tests provided experience incorporated lion classes hms vanguard particular importance shell struck emperor india edge main belt penetrated boiler rooms caused tremendous damage showed depth british belt armour shallow influenced design king george class addition tests emperor india highlighted weaknesses deck armour british battleship designs particularly ammunition magazines world war vintage battleships continued service additional armour installed subsequent 1930s
HMS Emperor of India