British dreadnought HMS Neptune 1909-1922

St. Vincent-class

HMS Neptune

Colossus-class

Building ordered under the 1908 Naval Estimates, laid down at the Portsmouth Dockyard on 19 January 1909, launched on 30 September 1909, commissioned on 11 January 1911 and finally broken up in September 1922.

Preceded by the St. Vincent-class and succeeded by the Colossus-class, the latter first part of the Neptune-class but their armour belt was thicker resulting in an own class.

Displacement 19.99-22.000 (full load) tons and as dimensions 166 x 26 x 8,2 metres or 546 x 85 x 27 feet. The Parsons steam turbines direct drive on four shafts and 18 Yarrow boilers supplied 25.000 shp allowing a speed of 21 knots and with a speed off 10 knots a range of 6.330 nautical miles. Her crew numbered 756 men. The armour consisted of a 25cm/10” thick belt, a 20cm/8” thick upper belt, 13/20cm or 5/8” thick bulkheads with the conning tower, gun turrets and barbettes protected by respectively 28cm/11”, 28cm/11” and 23cm/9”. The armament consisted of 5x2-30,48cm/12” Mk XI breech loading guns (2 fore, 1 aft and 2 amidships), 12-10,16cm.4” Mk VII breech loading guns and 3-46cm.18” torpedo tubes which were later removed.