HMS St Vincent (1908)

St Vincent at the Coronation Review, Spithead, 24 June 1911
History
United Kingdom
Name:	St Vincent
Namesake:	Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, Earl of St Vincent
Ordered:	26 October 1907
Builder:	HM Dockyard, Portsmouth
Laid down:	30 December 1907
Launched:	10 September 1908
Completed:	May 1909
Commissioned:	3 May 1910
Decommissioned:	March 1921
Fate:	Sold for scrap, 1 December 1921
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type:	St Vincent-class dreadnought battleship
Displacement:	19,700 long tons (20,000 t) (normal)
Length:	536 ft (163.4 m) (o/a)
Beam:	84 ft (25.6 m)
Draught:	28 ft (8.5 m)
Installed power:	24,500 shp (18,300 kW) 18 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Propulsion:	4 × shafts; 2 × steam turbine sets
Speed:	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range:	6,900 nmi (12,800 km; 7,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement:	756–835
Armament:	5 × twin 12-inch (305 mm) guns 20 × single 4-inch (102 mm) guns 3 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour:	Belt: 8–10 inches (203–254 mm) Deck: 0.75–3 inches (19–76 mm) Turrets: 11 inches (279 mm) Barbettes: 9 or 10 inches (229 or 254 mm)

HMS St Vincent was the lead ship of her class of three dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. After commissioning in 1910, she spent her whole career assigned to the Home and Grand Fleets, often serving as a flagship. Aside from participating in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, during which she damaged a German battlecruiser, and the inconclusive Action of 19 August several months later, her service during World War I generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea. The ship was deemed obsolete after the war and was reduced to reserve and used as a training ship. St Vincent was sold for scrap in 1921 and broken up the following year.

The design of the St Vincent class was derived from that of the previous Bellerophon class, with more powerful guns and slight increases in size and protection. St Vincent had an overall length of 536 feet (163.4 m), a beam of 84 feet (25.6 m), and a normal draught of 28 feet (8.5 m). She displaced 19,700 long tons (20,000 t) at normal load and 22,800 long tons (23,200 t) at deep load. In 1911 her crew numbered 756 officers and ratings and 835 in 1915.