Building ordered in 1904. Laid down by the William Beardmore and Company’s Daimuir Naval Construction Works, Daimuir, Scotland on 15 May 1905, launched on 23 June 1906, completed on June 1908, commissioned on 25 June 1908, decommissioned on 20 March 1909, converted into a target ship at the Chatham Dockyard between 6 December 1920-8 April 1921, radio-controlled target ship between 1923-1926 and then replaced by HMS Centurion and finally sold to J. Cashmore, Newport, England to be broken up on 24 January 1927. On 1 March she left the Portsmouth Dockyard to her final destination at Newport. Her building was seriously delayed caused by problems with the shipyard personnel and using her guns for the HMS Dreadnought. Building costs 1.652.346 pound sterling.
Displacement 17.967 tons/17.683 long tons (deep load) and as dimensions 135,x c 24,2 x 8,2 metres or 443.6 x 79.6 x 26.9 feet. The two 4-cylinder inverted triple expansion steam engines and 15 coal/oil-fired water tube boilers supplied totally via 2 shafts 17.750 ihp allowing a speed of 18 knots and with a speed of 10 knots a range pf 9.180 nautical miles. Her crew numbered 153 (as target ship)-817 men. The amour consisted of a 30,5cm/12” thick belt, 2,5-10,c3m/1-4” thick deck, 20,3cm/8” thick bulkheads with the barbettes, main gun turrets, secondary gun turrets and the conning tower protected by respectively 7,6-30,5cm/3-12”, 30,5c-34,3cm/12-13.5”, 7,6-17,8cm/3-7” and 30,5cm/12”. The armament consisted of 2x2-30,5cm/12”Mk X guns, 4x2&2x1-23,4cm/9.2” breech loading Mk XI guns, 24x1-12pd 18cwet quick firing guns, 2x1-3pd guns and 5 submerged 45cm/17.72” torpedo tubes for which 23 torpedoes were taken on board.
Of the Lord Nelson-class consisting of the Lord Nelson and the Agamemnon which were the last pre-dreadnoughts. Preceded by the Swiftsure-class and succeeded by the Dreadnought. Designed by Sir Philip Watts.(1)
Note
1. Sir Philip Watts (30 May 1846 Deptford, England-15 March 1926 Chelsea, London, England) naval architect, designed the so-called Elswick cruiser and he was responsible for the evolution in battleships with his HMS Dreadnought.
