HMS Vanguard (1909)

Vanguard at anchor, before 1915
History
United Kingdom
Name:	Vanguard
Ordered:	6 February 1908
Builder:	Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down:	2 April 1908
Launched:	22 February 1909
Commissioned:	1 March 1910
Fate:	Sunk by internal explosion at Scapa Flow, 9 July 1917
Status:	Protected war grave
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:	753
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) Bulkheads: 5 and 8 inches (127 and 203 mm) Deck: .75–3 inches (19–76 mm) Turrets: 11 inches (279 mm) Barbettes: 5–10 inches (127–254 mm) Conning towers: 8 and 11 in (203 and 279 mm)

HMS Vanguard was one of three St Vincent-class 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 several months later, and the inconclusive Action of 19 August, her service during the war generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea.

Shortly before midnight on 9 July 1917 at Scapa Flow, Vanguard suffered a series of magazine explosions. She sank almost instantly, with the loss of 843 of the 845 men aboard. As a war grave, the wreck has been designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 and diving on the wreck is generally forbidden.

The design of the St Vincent class was derived from that of the previous Bellerophon class, with a slight increase in size, armour and more powerful guns, among other more minor changes. Vanguard 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 1910 her crew numbered 753 officers and ratings.

Vanguard 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 24,500 shaft horsepower (18,300 kW) and intended to give the ship a maximum speed of 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph). During her sea trials on 17 December 1909, she unofficially reached a top speed of 22.3 knots (41.3 km/h; 25.7 mph) from 25,780 shp (19,220 kW), although she must have been lightly loaded to reach this speed. Vanguard had a range of 6,900 nautical miles (12,800 km; 7,900 mi) at a cruising speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).