Orion class battleship
Encyclopedia
The Orion class battleships were four super-dreadnought
s — the first ships of that type — of the Royal Navy
. The lead ship, , was launched in 1910. They were the first Royal Navy dreadnoughts to have all their main guns in the centreline, although the U.S. South Carolina class
had this advanced feature in their first dreadnoughts. The Orions were quite distinct from the later classes of 13.5" super-dreadnoughts (King George Vs
and Iron Dukes
) in that the fore-funnel was placed in front of the mainmast. This arrangement was common in early Royal Navy dreadnoughts but created major problems for the gunnery direction team in the spotting top.
and cost almost £1.9 million each to construct.
Mark XI, had been unsuccessful. It lost some of its accuracy and was subject to considerable bore erosion that limited its useful life to about 80 discharges. A lower velocity weapon was indicated, and was realized in the 13.5-inch, of 45 calibres, and with a much heavier projectile. The projectile used was 1250 lb (567 kg) or 1400 lb (635 kg) against 850 lb (385.6 kg). The shorter range of the low-velocity gun was compensated by increasing the maximum elevation from 15 to 20 degrees. The 13.5-inch was considered a successful design, although its effectiveness was compromised by poor shell design until availability of the "Green Boy" shells in 1918.
The adoption of the all-centreline armament was also of necessity. The previous Colossus
and Neptune classes had already adopted a superfiring pair of turrets aft in an effort to save deck space, and competing designs in the U.S. and elsewhere had led the way in the all-centreline arrangement. The great investment in displacement and cost of a 13.5-inch turret contra-indicated wing turrets, with their limited arcs of fire and therefore limited effectiveness. Finally, the staggered arrangement of the Colossuses and Neptune complicated internal arrangements and was generally not considered a success. Unfortunately, the retention of outdated sighting hoods meant the Orions were not able to fire the superimposed turrets over the deck turrets for fear that the blast would injure crews in the lower turrets. Also, the design's relatively high topweight gave the Orions a wicked roll in rough seas. Both these defects were eventually cured and the improvements included in subsequent classes of British dreadnoughts.
of 1916 in World War I
, but took no damage. They had a relatively short career, all being decommissioned in 1921, due to the Washington Naval Treaty
. Orion and Conqueror were scrapped in 1922. Monarch served as a target, surviving a full day of shelling and bombing on 20 January 1925 before being sunk by fire from . Thunderer served longest, acting as a training ship from 1922 until she, too, was sold for scrap in December 1926.
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s — the first ships of that type — of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. The lead ship, , was launched in 1910. They were the first Royal Navy dreadnoughts to have all their main guns in the centreline, although the U.S. South Carolina class
South Carolina class battleship
The United States Navy's South Carolina class consisted of two battleships: and , both of which were launched in 1908. These were among the first warships built with armament organized on the "all-big gun" and the first American battleships of the type...
had this advanced feature in their first dreadnoughts. The Orions were quite distinct from the later classes of 13.5" super-dreadnoughts (King George Vs
King George V class battleship (1911)
The King George V class battleships were a series of four Royal Navy super-dreadnought battleships built just prior to and serving in the First World War.The King George V class immediately followed the Orion class upon which they were based....
and Iron Dukes
Iron Duke class battleship
The Iron Duke-class was a group of four dreadnought battleships built for the British Royal Navy before the First World War. The class comprised four ships: , , , and...
) in that the fore-funnel was placed in front of the mainmast. This arrangement was common in early Royal Navy dreadnoughts but created major problems for the gunnery direction team in the spotting top.
Design and development
Previous British dreadnoughts had been built very much with an eye on cost. By 1909, although war still seemed unlikely, the white-hot naval rivalry had loosened the purse strings. These ships were much bigger than the preceding Colossus classColossus class battleship (1910)
The Colossus class of two battleships - Colossus and Hercules of the British Royal Navy were among the first battleships following the original of 1906. Originally intended to be part of the Neptune class, the two ships had thicker armour and other differences from , and so Neptune is...
and cost almost £1.9 million each to construct.
Armament
The move to the 13.5 inches (343 mm) gun came out of necessity. The final iteration of the 12 inches (305 mm), the high velocity 50 calibreCaliber (artillery)
In artillery, caliber or calibredifference in British English and American English spelling is the internal diameter of a gun barrel, or by extension a relative measure of the length....
Mark XI, had been unsuccessful. It lost some of its accuracy and was subject to considerable bore erosion that limited its useful life to about 80 discharges. A lower velocity weapon was indicated, and was realized in the 13.5-inch, of 45 calibres, and with a much heavier projectile. The projectile used was 1250 lb (567 kg) or 1400 lb (635 kg) against 850 lb (385.6 kg). The shorter range of the low-velocity gun was compensated by increasing the maximum elevation from 15 to 20 degrees. The 13.5-inch was considered a successful design, although its effectiveness was compromised by poor shell design until availability of the "Green Boy" shells in 1918.
The adoption of the all-centreline armament was also of necessity. The previous Colossus
Colossus class battleship (1910)
The Colossus class of two battleships - Colossus and Hercules of the British Royal Navy were among the first battleships following the original of 1906. Originally intended to be part of the Neptune class, the two ships had thicker armour and other differences from , and so Neptune is...
and Neptune classes had already adopted a superfiring pair of turrets aft in an effort to save deck space, and competing designs in the U.S. and elsewhere had led the way in the all-centreline arrangement. The great investment in displacement and cost of a 13.5-inch turret contra-indicated wing turrets, with their limited arcs of fire and therefore limited effectiveness. Finally, the staggered arrangement of the Colossuses and Neptune complicated internal arrangements and was generally not considered a success. Unfortunately, the retention of outdated sighting hoods meant the Orions were not able to fire the superimposed turrets over the deck turrets for fear that the blast would injure crews in the lower turrets. Also, the design's relatively high topweight gave the Orions a wicked roll in rough seas. Both these defects were eventually cured and the improvements included in subsequent classes of British dreadnoughts.
Armour
The armour belt was increased to 12 inches (304.8 mm) in view of the general increase in gun calibre in potential adversaries. It is quite typical of British designs armour thickness lagged behind gun size, this being the opposite design driver of German ships in which armour thickness was usually greater than the calibre of the guns they carried. It is also of interest to note adequacy of ship armour was still being judged by belt (horizontal) thickness, rather than deck (vertical) thickness which became more critical as battle ranges extended beyond approximately 12,000 yards (11 km) as the trajectory of the incoming shells was more vertical than the design of the ships was intended to resist. Practice ranges prior to the war were rarely greater than 5000 yd (4,572 m) at which the trajectory was nearly flat. By the time that the initial actions were being fought at ranges exceeding 18000 yd (16,459.2 m) on occasions all capital ships on both sides were vulnerable to "plunging" fire. (German ships were less vulnerable by virtue of having very deep belts, which kept shells away from the armour decks, and because British shells were notoriously weak at penetrating armour at an oblique angle).History
All four were present at the Battle of JutlandBattle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
of 1916 in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, but took no damage. They had a relatively short career, all being decommissioned in 1921, due to the Washington Naval Treaty
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
. Orion and Conqueror were scrapped in 1922. Monarch served as a target, surviving a full day of shelling and bombing on 20 January 1925 before being sunk by fire from . Thunderer served longest, acting as a training ship from 1922 until she, too, was sold for scrap in December 1926.
External Sources
- Dreadnought Project Technical material on the weaponry and fire control for the ships