HMS King Alfred (1901)

King Alfred during the First World War
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS King Alfred
Namesake:	Alfred the Great, King of Wessex
Builder:	Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down:	11 August 1899
Launched:	28 October 1901
Christened:	Countess of Lathom
Completed:	22 December 1903
Fate:	Sold for scrap, 30 January 1920
General characteristics
Class and type:	Drake-class armoured cruiser
Displacement:	14,150 long tons (14,380 t) (normal)
Length:	533 ft 6 in (162.6 m) (o/a)
Beam:	71 ft 4 in (21.7 m)
Draught:	26 ft (7.9 m)
Installed power:	30,000 ihp (22,000 kW) 43 Belleville boilers
Propulsion:	2 × shafts 2 × 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines
Speed:	23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)
Complement:	900
Armament:	2 × single BL 9.2-inch Mk X guns 16 × single BL 6-inch Mk VII guns 12 × single QF 12-pdr 12-cwt guns 3 × 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns 2 × single 18-inch torpedo tubes
Armour:	Belt: 2–6 in (51–152 mm) Decks: 1–2.5 in (25–64 mm) Barbettes: 6 in (152 mm) Turrets: 6 in (150 mm) Conning tower: 12 in (305 mm) Bulkheads: 5 in (127 mm)

HMS King Alfred was one of four Drake-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy around 1900. She served as flagship of the China Station from 1906 until relieved in 1910. Upon her return home that year, she was placed in reserve before being recommissioned in mid-1914. She was assigned to the 6th Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet at the beginning of World War I. She was transferred to the 9th Cruiser Squadron in 1915 and assigned to convoy protection duties by the end of the year. King Alfred participated in the unsuccessful searches for the German commerce raider SMS Möwe in 1916–17 before beginning to escort convoys later that year. The ship was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1918, but returned to service. She was sold for scrap in 1920.

King Alfred was designed to displace 14,150 long tons (14,380 t). The ship had an overall length of 553 feet 6 inches (168.7 m), a beam of 71 feet 4 inches (21.7 m) and a deep draught of 26 feet 9 inches (8.2 m). She was powered by two 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, which produced a total of 30,000 indicated horsepower (22,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph). The engines were powered by 43 Belleville boilers. She carried a maximum of 2,500 long tons (2,500 t) of coal and her complement consisted of 900 officers and enlisted men.