HMS Bellerophon (1907)

Bellerophon underway in 1909
History
United Kingdom
Name:	Bellerophon
Namesake:	Bellerophon
Ordered:	30 October 1906
Builder:	HM Dockyard, Portsmouth
Laid down:	3 December 1906
Launched:	27 July 1907
Completed:	February 1909
Commissioned:	27 February 1909
Fate:	Sold for scrap, 8 November 1921
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type:	Bellerophon-class dreadnought battleship
Displacement:	18,596 long tons (18,894 t) (normal)
Length:	526 ft (160.3 m) (o/a)
Beam:	82 ft 6 in (25.1 m)
Draught:	27 ft (8.2 m)
Installed power:	23,000 shp (17,000 kW) 18 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Propulsion:	4 × shafts; 2 × steam turbine sets
Speed:	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range:	5,720 nmi (10,590 km; 6,580 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement:	680–720
Armament:	5 × twin 12-inch (305 mm) guns 16 × single 4-inch (102 mm) guns 3 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour:	Belt: 8–10 inches (203–254 mm) Bulkheads: 8 inches (203 mm) Deck: .75–4 inches (19–102 mm) Turrets: 11 inches (279 mm) Barbettes: 5–10 inches (127–254 mm) Conning towers: 8 and 11 in (203 and 279 mm)

HMS Bellerophon was the lead ship of her class of three dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She spent her whole career assigned to the Home and Grand Fleets. Aside from participating in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 and the inconclusive Action of 19 August, her service during the First World War generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea. The ship was deemed obsolete after the war and was used as a training ship before she was placed in reserve. Bellerophon was sold for scrap in 1921 and broken up beginning the following year.

The design of the Bellerophon class was derived from that of the revolutionary battleship HMS Dreadnought, with a slight increase in size, armour and a more powerful secondary armament.Bellerophon had an overall length of 526 feet (160.3 m), a beam of 82 feet 6 inches (25.1 m), and a normal draught of 27 feet (8.2 m). She displaced 18,596 long tons (18,894 t) at normal load and 22,359 long tons (22,718 t) at deep load. In 1909 her crew numbered 680 officers and ratings and 720 in 1910.

Bellerophon was powered by two sets of Parsons direct-drive steam turbines, each driving two shafts, using steam from eighteen Babcock & Wilcox boilers. The turbines were rated at 23,000 shaft horsepower (17,000 kW) and intended to give the ship a maximum speed of 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph). During her sea trials on 2 November 1908, she reached a top speed of 21.64 knots (40.08 km/h; 24.90 mph) from 26,836 shp (20,012 kW). Bellerophon had a range of 5,720 nautical miles (10,590 km; 6,580 mi) at a cruising speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).