HMS Russell (1901)

HMS Russell
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Russell
Namesake:	Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford
Builder:	Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow
Cost:	£1,104,051
Laid down:	11 March 1899
Launched:	19 February 1901
Completed:	February 1903
Commissioned:	19 February 1903
Nickname(s):	The Duncan-class battleships were known informally as "The Admirals"
Fate:	Sunk by mine 27 April 1916 off Malta
General characteristics
Class and type:	Duncan-class pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement:	13,270 to 13,745 tons load 14,900 to 15,200 tons deep
Length:	432 ft (132 m)
Beam:	75 ft 6 in (23.01 m)
Draught:	25 ft 9 in (7.85 m)
Installed power:	18,000 ihp (13,000 kW)
Propulsion:	24 Belleville water tube boilers 4-cylinder triple expansion 2 shafts
Speed:	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range:	7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement:	720
Armament:	4 × BL 12-inch (305 mm) Mk IX guns 12 × BL 6-inch (152 mm) 45-caliber Mk VII guns 10 × 12-pounder (76 mm) guns 6 × 3-pounder (47 mm) guns 2 × machine guns 4 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes (submerged)
Armour:	Belt: 7 in (180 mm) Bulkheads: 11–7 in (280–180 mm) Decks: 2–1 in (51–25 mm) Gun houses: 10–8 in (250–200 mm) Barbettes: 11–4 in (280–100 mm) Casemates: 6 in (150 mm) Conning tower: 12 in (300 mm)

HMS Russell was a Duncan-class predreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy commissioned in 1903. It was destroyed 27 April 1916 off Malta by mines.

HMS Russell was laid down by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company at Jarrow on 11 March 1899 and launched on 19 February 1902. She arrived at Sheerness later the same month and went to Chatham Dockyard for steam and gun-mounting trials. Construction of Russell was completed in February 1903.

Russell and her five sisters of the Duncan class were ordered in response to large French and Russian building programmes, including an emphasis on fast battleships in the Russian programme; they were designed as smaller, more lightly armoured, and faster versions of the preceding Formidable class. As it turned out, the Russian ships were not as heavily armed as initially feared, and the Duncans proved to be quite superior in their balance of speed, firepower, and protection.

Armour layout was similar to that of London, with reduced thickness in the barbettes and belt.

The Duncans had machinery of 3,000 indicated horsepower (2,200 kW) more than the Formidables and Londons and were the first British battleships with 4-cylinder triple-expansion engines. They also had a modified hull form to improve speed. The ships had a reputation as good steamers, with a designed speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) and an operational speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), good steering at all speeds, and an easy roll. They were the fastest battleships in the Royal Navy when completed, and the fastest predreadnoughts ever built other than the Swiftsure class Swiftsure and Triumph.

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