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Tuesday 9 May 2017

British battleship HMS Centurion performed well during gunnery exercises according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1913-1914 no. 6

King George V-class


HMS Centurion as target ship

HMS Anson of the King George V-class battleships built in the 1930s

An item referred to the Naval and Military Record reported that the British battleship HMS Centurion during gunnery exercises with one of her 34,3cm twin gun turrets within 2:35 minutes hit with all 8 shells she fired the target with as dimensions 4m3 x 4,3 metres on a distance of 6,4 kilometres.(1)

Note
1. Part of the King George V-class consisting of the King George V (ex-Royal George), Audacious, Centurion and Ajax, preceded by the Orion-class and succeeded by the Iron Duke-class. Laid down at the navy yard Portsmouth, England on 16 January 1911, launched in 18 November 1911, completed in May 1913, converted into a target ship in 1924, ideas to used her as block ship in the harbour of Tripoli, Libya declined in April 1941, converted with a false superstructure into a decoy for the HMS Anson in April 1941-1942 and finally sunk as a breakwater off Normandy in June 1944.