hms prince wales hms prince wales formidable class pre dreadnought battleship built royal_navy decade 20th century ships queen sub class shortly completion ship assigned mediterranean_fleet atlantic home fleets year later prince wales served flagship career ship assigned channel_fleet beginning world war august ferried belgium month early ordered mediterranean support allied forces prince wales remained briefly ordered adriatic reinforce italian forces case attack ship ordered home early reduced reserve arrival prince wales served accommodation ship listed sale late ship sold scrap broken design description director naval construction sir proposed pair round tactical squadron ships naval programme admiralty agreed despite going construction smaller faster duncan class controversy rear admiral lord second command mediterranean_fleet retention obsolete ironclads fleet largely responsible decision ships virtually identical preceding london sub class generally considered formidable london class difference distribution pounder inches guns lower displacement later construction lead authors view queen class separate formidable london classes prince wales overall length feet inches beam feet mean draught feet inches deep load displaced long tons normal load long tons deep load long tons lighter deep load ship metacentric height feet prince wales complement officers ratings completed ship powered cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engines driving propeller produced total indicated horsepower steam provided belleville boilers boilers working pressure psi kpa cm2 british battleship built belleville boilers proven problematic earlier ships designed reach speed knots mph prince wales slightly exceeded sea trials february reaching knots mph carried maximum long tons coal steam nautical miles speed knots mph armament armour formidable class ships main armament consisted breech loading inch guns mounted twin gun turrets fore aft superstructure gun provided rounds guns maximum range yards pound shells secondary armament consisted dozen inch vii guns single mounts positioned casemates amidships broadside mounted main deck remainder upper deck main deck guns difficult work heavy weather rounds gun carried ship maximum range approximately yards pound shells fourteen quick firing pounder inch cwt guns fitted defence torpedo boats main deck pair end ship remaining upper deck prince wales carried pounder hotchkiss guns fighting turret roof ship fitted submerged inch torpedo tubes broadside abreast barbettes armour scheme similar unlike earlier ships waterline armour belt krupp cemented armour extended length ship inch thick portion feet long ran aft forward barbette point abreast aft barbette total height feet feet inches water remainder water normal load thickness forward belt armour reduced inch steps inch stem inch belt running aft barbette stern inch bulkhead extended aft end main belt rear face aft barbette gun turrets protected krupp armour inches faces inches backs roofs inches thick krupp armour barbettes inches thick main deck inches face sides inches rear casemates protected inches krupp armour mild steel decks ranged inches walls forward conning tower inches harvey armour inch roof aft conning tower inches steel construction career prince wales named title conferred eldest son monarch fifth ship serve royal_navy ship laid chatham dockyard march keel plate laid wife rear admiral sir admiralty launched princess wales later queen mary march presence later king george ship named completion march hms prince wales immediately went reserve chatham dockyard ship commissioned service mediterranean_fleet mediterranean collided merchant steamer french north_africa july anchor pushed main deck plating april prince wales engine room explosion men killed injured ended mediterranean tour paying refit lasted june november september ship commissioned mediterranean_fleet service flagship second command fleet august underwent refit malta prince wales transferred flagship fleet commander february damaged explosion july december rear admiral later commander grand_fleet sea lord hoisted flag prince wales ship underwent refit gibraltar february transferred initially prince wales flagship fleet reverted private ship squadron ship later flagship second command portsmouth 5th battle squadron february serving flagship second command 5th battle squadron june accidentally rammed submarine participating exercises suffered damage prince wales relieved sister ship queen flagship 5th battle squadron world war world war broke august squadron assigned newly channel_fleet november based portland patrolled english channel prince wales flagship rear admiral task squadron protect transfer france patrolled eastern end channel 7th 8th covered cruiser squadron western entrance germans significant effort interfere traffic channel 5th allowed return portland bulk august days later squadron ferried november squadron transferred guard possible german invasion united_kingdom transferred portland december march prince wales ordered dardanelles participate departed portland march assigned british 5th squadron dardanelles arrived march prince wales supported landings australian_army april time dardanelles destined short anglo french italian naval convention required british squadron battleships reinforce italy declared war austria-hungary admiral italian naval chief staff believed threat austro hungarian submarines naval mines narrow waters adriatic use fleet active way kept modern battleships plus british ones taranto blockade austro hungarians adriatic_sea prince wales battleships london queen transferred adriatic form 2nd detached squadron arrived new base ship flagship squadron march ended flagship duties june went gibraltar refit returned adriatic february prince wales ordered return united_kingdom voyage home called gibraltar february march arrived later march placed reserve arrival accommodation ship prince wales placed disposal list november sold scrap april ship arrived wales broken june
HMS Prince of Wales (1902)