HMS Lord Nelson (1906)

HMS Lord Nelson during trials in 1908
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Lord Nelson
Builder:	Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow
Cost:	£1,651,339
Laid down:	18 May 1905
Launched:	4 September 1906
Completed:	October 1908
Commissioned:	1 December 1908
Decommissioned:	May 1919
Fate:	Sold for scrapping, 4 June 1920
General characteristics
Class and type:	Lord Nelson-class pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement:	15,358 long tons (15,604 t) normal; 16,090 long tons (16,350 t) load; 17,820 long tons (18,110 t) deep
Length:	443 ft 6 in (135.2 m)
Beam:	79 ft 6 in (24.2 m)
Draught:	26 ft 0 in (7.9 m)
Installed power:	16,750 ihp (12,490 kW) 15 Babcock & Wilcox water-tube boilers
Propulsion:	2 × shafts 2 × Vertical triple-expansion steam engines
Speed:	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range:	9,180 nmi (17,000 km; 10,560 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement:	Peacetime ca. 750 Wartime 800–817
Armament:	2 × 2 - 12-inch (305 mm) Mk X guns 4 × 2, 2 × 1 - BL 9.2-inch (234 mm) Mk XI guns 24 × 1 - QF 12-pounder 18 cwt guns 2 × 1 - 3-pounder guns 5 × 17.72-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour:	Main belt: 12 inches (305 mm) amidships, 6 to 2 inches (152 to 51 mm) forward Decks: main 1.5 inches (38 mm); middle 4 to 1 inches (102 to 25.4 mm); lower 3 inches (76.2 mm) 12-inch (305-mm) turrets: 12 inches (305 mm) 9.2-inch (234-mm) turrets: 7 inches (178 mm) Barbettes: 12 inches (305 mm) Bulkhead aft: 8 inches (203 mm) Citadel: 8 inches (203 mm) Conning tower: 12 inches (305 mm)

HMS Lord Nelson was a Lord Nelson-class pre-dreadnought battleship launched in 1906 and completed in 1908. She was the Royal Navy's last pre-dreadnought. The ship was flagship of the Channel Fleet when World War I began in 1914. Lord Nelson was transferred to the Mediterranean Sea in early 1915 to participate in the Dardanelles Campaign. She remained there, becoming flagship of the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron, which was later redesignated the Aegean Squadron. After the Ottoman surrender in 1918 the ship moved to the Black Sea where she remained as flagship before returning to the United Kingdom in May 1919. Lord Nelson was placed into reserve upon her arrival and sold for scrap in June 1920.

HMS Lord Nelson was laid down by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company at Jarrow on 18 May 1905 and launched on 4 September 1906. Her completion was greatly delayed by the diversion of her 12-inch (305 mm) guns and turrets to expedite completion of Dreadnought, and she was not fully completed until October 1908. Although she was not the last pre-dreadnought laid down for the Royal Navy, she was the last one commissioned.

Lord Nelson displaced 17,820 long tons (18,106 t) at deep load as built, with a length of 443 feet 6 inches (135.2 m), a beam of 79 feet 6 inches (24.2 m), and a draft of 26 feet (7.9 m). She was powered by two four-cylinder inverted vertical triple-expansion steam engines, which developed a total of 16,750 indicated horsepower (12,490 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).