class battlecruiser class second class built british battlecruisers served royal_navy world war design represented modest reworking preceding invincible class featuring increased endurance improved cross deck arc fire wing turrets achieved hull like predecessor design resembled contemporary dreadnought royal_navy sacrificed armour protection turret main battery knot mph speed advantage originally ship class australia new_zealand later built scheme improve defense having dominion purchase fleet unit battlecruiser light cruisers destroyers australia fully idea forming new_zealand agreed fund battlecruiser modified design chosen lion class battlecruiser building royal_navy spent war patrolling north_sea participated battles new_zealand united_kingdom war began mediterranean pursued german warships fled turkey australia flagship australian waters helped secure german pacific colonies searched unsuccessfully sailing united_kingdom december new_zealand participated number early actions north_sea including inconclusive australia repair collision new_zealand new_zealand present destroyed magazine explosion australia new_zealand spent uneventful time sea jutland waiting appearance high_seas_fleet forbidden kaiser new_zealand conducted admiral tour india war australia returned home flagship new_zealand sold scrap australia lasted years scuttled comply terms background successor invincible class battlecruisers number options large cruisers considered naval programme including design long tons inch armour knot mph speed end programme consisted ships dreadnought type number options considered programme ranging long tons long tons end battleships favoured battlecruisers ordered subsequent programme year time final design approved admiralty moving fisher writing september got sir new mouth water design eventually emerge august self governing met imperial conference discussion imperial defense admiralty proposed creation indigenous fleet units consist invincible class battlecruiser light cruisers bristol class destroyers based australia new_zealand canada south_africa attempt secure naval defence royal_navy concentrated home waters meet german threat scheme rejected canada south_africa australia new_zealand ordering modified version originally proposed invincible class australia ship newly formed new_zealand retained european waters wholly unit eventually fleet unit formed australian squadron design ordered lone battlecruiser programme outline design prepared march final design approved november design essentially enlarged invincible revised arrangements protection main armament general characteristics slightly larger predecessors invincible class overall length beam draught deep load displaced long tons load long tons deep load long tons earlier ships metacentric height feet deep load propulsion paired set parsons direct drive steam turbines housed separate engine room drove shafts wing shaft coupled high pressure ahead astern turbines low pressure turbines inner shafts wing shaft drove propeller feet inches diameter propellers inner shafts feet inches diameter turbines powered thirty water tube boilers boiler rooms turbines designed produce total shaft horsepower reached shp forced draught trials turbines australia new_zealand slightly powerful shp designed knots mph knots mph trials ships carried approximately long tons coal additional long tons fuel oil sprayed coal increase burn rate capacity ships steam nautical miles speed knots mph armament ship carried inch guns twin turrets turrets mounted fore aft identified respectively wing turrets mounted amidships funnels identified turret mounted port normally faced forward turret mounted starboard normally faced aft turrets forward enabling fire arc starboard likewise fire port guns mounted dreadnought lord nelson class class guns initially depressed elevated turrets modified allow elevation world war fired pound projectiles muzzle velocity provided maximum range armour piercing shells elevation range extended aerodynamic slightly heavier shells rate fire guns rounds minute ships carried total rounds wartime shells gun secondary armament consisted sixteen vii guns positioned superstructure guns enclosed casemates given blast shields better protect gun crews weather enemy action guns removed time guns mounts maximum depression maximum elevation fired pound projectiles muzzle velocity gave maximum range rate fire rounds minute provided rounds gun additional inch gun fitted surviving ships anti aircraft gun mounted high angle mounting maximum elevation reduced charge muzzle velocity earlier anti aircraft guns included single inch cwt gun high angle mount added maximum depression maximum elevation fired pound shell muzzle velocity rate fire rounds minute maximum effective ceiling provided rounds new_zealand carried single pounder hotchkiss gun mounting october end maximum depression maximum elevation fired pound shell muzzle velocity rate fire rounds minute maximum ceiling effective range yards mounted inch submerged torpedo tubes aft barbette torpedoes carried fire control spotting tops modern equivalent sailing ship fighting head fore main masts controlled fire main guns data foot rangefinder input mechanical computer electrically transmitted vickers range located located beneath spotting converted range data use guns target data recorded plotting table assist gunnery officer predicting movement target gun turret transmission equipment turrets spotting tops connected combination firing trials hero revealed system vulnerability gunfire spotting hit twice large splinter severed voice pipe running mast guard possibility turret fitted foot rangefinder rear turret roof equipped control entire main armament refit australia new_zealand built different arrangement spotting main mast deleted armoured spotting tower built instead conning tower better protected improved field vision direct access primary conning position rear deleted forward consequently enlarged turrets built improvements listed fire control technology advanced quickly years immediately preceding world war development advance combined functions range clock simplified version fitted important development director firing system consisted fire control director mounted high ship electrically transmitted training elevation angles gun turrets turret crewmen follow director layer trigger fired guns simultaneously aided spotting shell effects roll shells gun turret equipped backup function directing gun provision gun battery split main director directing gun received director equipment armour ways armour protection given weaker predecessors armour reduced thickness number places spread greater extent main belt ran stem stern inches thick middle feet ship reduced inches abreast end inch gun barbettes magazines inches ends ship inches bulkhead met barbette turret forward bulkhead inches thickness gun turrets barbettes protected armour turret roofs cemented armour supporting beams turret roofs reinforced based lessons learned firing trials conducted thickness main deck generally steel increased inches base barbettes lower deck armour steel flat inches thick slope increased inches ship ends sides forward conning tower thick spotting tower inches roof floor towers armour inches thick conning tower communication tube inches torpedo director tower inch steel steel torpedo bulkheads inch thickness fitted abreast magazines shell rooms funnel protected inches steel sides inch ends krupp cemented armour mentioned australia new_zealand built different arrangement waterline belt extend ends terminated feet short bow feet short stern sections abreast barbettes inches sections end increased inches main deck armour increased inches barbettes extended feet past rear barbette lower deck armour decreased inches inch flat slope ends inches jutland inch armour added magazine crowns turret roofs total weight long tons construction following table gives build details purchase cost members class whilst standard british practice time costs exclude armament stores reason cost quoted naval annual includes armament estimated cost including guns service initially assigned 1st cruiser squadron home_fleet commissioning transferred 2nd mediterranean_fleet december new_zealand briefly assigned home_fleet sailed new_zealand february returned portsmouth following december assigned home_fleet number port visits france russia war began australia set sail australia immediately commissioned june assume duties flagship accompanied command admiral sir encountered german battlecruiser light cruiser morning august headed east bombardment french port britain germany war turned shadow germans headed battlecruisers problems boilers able break contact reached morning 5th time war declared german invasion belgium admiralty order respect italian neutrality stay outside mile limit italian coast entrance passage observe port directly stationed northern exit expecting germans break west attack french troop transports stationed light cruiser gloucester southern exit sent better positioned react german sortie germans sortied august headed east constantinople trailed gloucester expecting turn west kept battlecruisers malta shortly midnight august set sail spotted hours earlier knots received incorrect signal admiralty stating britain war austria war declared august order hours later followed standing orders guard adriatic austrian breakout attempt seek finally august given clear orders chase passed 7th steering north east believe heading dardanelles resolved guard exit unaware intend come november churchill ordered british attack dardanelles following opening hostilities turkey russia attack carried french pre dreadnought battleships intention attack test fortifications measure turkish response results encouraging minute bombardment single shell struck magazine fort tip gallipoli peninsula displacing destroying guns killing turkish soldiers significant consequence attention turks drawn strengthening defences set expanding field attack actually took place formal declaration war britain ottoman_empire happen november remained mediterranean relieved january proceeded malta refit having completed refit sailed england february joined 2nd arrival australia pacific following declaration war australia assigned find central powers naval force note pacific hunt attached australian naval military expeditionary force provided support force invasion case german squadron present squadron commander vice admiral wary australia described superior squadron following withdrawal pacific australia ordered november join japanese cruisers mexico resume hunt german cruisers time german squadron way early december destroyed british squadron australia sent join 2nd scotland flagship squadron short refit battle bight new_zealand action battlecruiser force command admiral battle bight operation august ships originally intended distant support british cruisers destroyers closer german coast case large units high_seas_fleet sortied response british attacks turned south speed british light forces failed schedule rising tide meant german capital ships able clear bar mouth jade estuary brand new light cruiser crippled earlier battle fire light cruisers battlecruisers mist able duck evade fire remained visible quickly crippled fire squadron distracted task finishing sudden appearance elderly light cruiser directly turned pursuit reduced hulk range yards turned north general signal retire shortly turning north main body encountered crippled sunk lion raid german_navy decided strategy bombarding british towns north_sea coast attempt draw royal_navy destroy elements detail earlier raid november partially successful larger scale operation devised admiral fast battlecruisers actually conduct bombardment entire high seas fleet station east provide cover return destroy elements royal_navy responded raid germans know british reading german naval codes planning catch raiding force return journey aware high_seas_fleet sea admiral reduced ships including new_zealand 2nd battle squadron dreadnoughts detached grand_fleet attempt intercept germans near admiral hipper set sail december raid successfully bombarded english towns british destroyers escorting 1st encountered german destroyers high_seas_fleet fought inconclusive action vice admiral sir commanding 2nd received signal engaging enemy destroyers destroyer shark spotted german armoured cruiser escorts transmit message admiral received signal new_zealand despite fact new_zealand specifically tasked relay messages destroyers attempted pass shark message manage contact reversed course got message dispatched new_zealand search overhauled new_zealand received messages shelled ordered new_zealand rejoin squadron turned west british forces split going shallow southwest patch ships passed north passed south headed west block main route minefields defending english coast left nautical miles gap german light forces began light cruisers began pass british forces searching hipper southampton spotted light cruiser signalled report turned battlecruisers german ships presumed german cruisers advance screen hipper ships 2nd screening ships detached pursue german cruisers signal british battlecruisers sent screening positions confusion allowed german light cruisers escape alerted hipper location british battlecruisers german battlecruisers wheeled northeast british forces good escape january force german battlecruisers command admiral sortied clear british fishing boats small craft collect intelligence german movements british reading coded messages sailed intercept larger force british battlecruisers command admiral included new_zealand contact initiated 24th british light cruiser spotted german light cruiser sms germans spotted force hipper ordered turn south knots mph believing ships saw northwest british battleships increased speed maximum speed knots mph british battlecruisers ordered battlecruisers speed catch germans escape new_zealand slowest ships gradually fell newer faster battlecruisers new_zealand able open fire continued engage faster battlecruisers switched targets german battlecruisers hour new_zealand knocked forward turret began fire inch shells pierced armoured deck exploded ammunition room started fire amidships destroyed port turrets concussion damaged engines speed dropped knots mph steering gear jammed ordered attack combination mistake flag lieutenant signalling heavy damage flagship lion knocked radio caused smoke obscure signal communicate ships caused rest battlecruisers temporarily command rear admiral sir new_zealand believe signal applied turned away hipper main body engaged new_zealand fired shells capsized sank torpedoed battle jutland 2nd consisted new_zealand flagship rear admiral australia repair following collision new_zealand april assigned admiral sea intercept sortie high_seas_fleet north_sea british able german radio messages left bases germans sea hipper battlecruisers spotted west ships spot germans east immediately ordered course change east south east position german line retreat called ships crews action stations ordered 2nd leading fall astern 1st hipper ordered ships turn starboard away british assume south easterly course reduced speed knots mph allow light cruisers 2nd catch turn hipper falling high_seas_fleet miles time altered course east quickly apparent far north cut hipper began called run south changed course steer east south east paralleling hipper course range closed yards germans opened fire followed immediately british british ships process making turn leading ships lion princess royal course germans opened fire british formation right rear west new_zealand ahead slightly east german fire accurate beginning british range german ships blended aimed von der new_zealand aimed remaining range yards ordered course change points starboard open range hit shells von der rear turret immediately fell starboard stern listing port hit twice volley forecastle forward turret blew magazines exploded likely cause loss low order explosion magazine blew severed control shafts steering engines steering gear followed explosion forward magazines second volley von der fired shells exploded taking men survivors rescued german torpedo boat loss new_zealand shifted fire von der accordance standing instructions range grown far accurate shooting altered course points port close range time 5th battle squadron queen class battleships close engaging von der inch shell tiger hit near von der rear turret started fire practice targets completely ship caused new_zealand shift fire light cruiser southampton scouting ships spotted lead elements high seas fleet charging north speed minutes later sighted vice admiral battleships transmit message minutes continued south minutes confirm sighting ordering sixteen point turn starboard succession new_zealand ship fleet turned prematurely stay outside range oncoming battleships entire run south hit turret shell little effect new_zealand engaged battleship beginning came called run north hit times ships maintained speed try separation high_seas_fleet gradually moved range turned north northeast try rendezvous main body grand_fleet opened fire german battlecruisers setting sun blinded german gunners british ships turned away northeast gradually turned east allow cover deployment grand fleet battle formation ahead forced leading division fall east away germans following 3rd steering east southeast leading grand_fleet continuing engage hipper battlecruisers southwest minutes earlier ordered simultaneous starboard turn lost sight minutes later ordered turn course grand_fleet altered course south allowed grand_fleet cross badly damaged leading ships ordered turn attempt high seas fleet trap sent successful british lost sight germans spotted smoke bearing west northwest minutes later closed range identify german torpedo boats engaged turned west hearing sounds gunfire spotted german battlecruisers yards away opened fire followed immediately rest battlecruisers new_zealand concentrated fire hit times turned west shortly pre dreadnought battleships spotted fire switched germans able fire rounds poor visibility turned away west british battlecruisers hit german ships times blended changed course south southeast maintained course ahead grand_fleet high_seas_fleet morning order given reverse course careers australia rejoined 2nd june squadron flagship little significant naval activity routine patrolling thanks kaiser order ships allowed sea assured victory australia collided december repair following month present high seas fleet scapa_flow november new_zealand refitted december february admiral year long tour india paid return march reserve sold scrap december australia sailed australia april flagship arrival terms scuttled east sydney april
Indefatigable-class battlecruiser