British super dreadnought HMS Thunderer 1910-1926

Colossus-class

HMS Thunderer

Orion-class

King George V-class

Building ordered under 1909 Naval Estimates. Laid down by Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Canning Town/Blackwall on 13 April 1910, launched on 1 February 1011, commissioned in May 1912, decommissioned in 1921, seagoing cadet training ship since 1922 and sold to be broken up in November 1926 which was executed at Hughes Bolckow. Building costs 1.892.823 pond sterling and she caused the bankruptcy of the shipyard which built her. Of the Orion-class predeced by the Orion, Monarch, Conqueror and Thunderer consisting of the Colossus-class and succeeded by the King George V-class.

General technical class specifications. Displacement 22.000 (normal)-25.870 (maximum) tons and as dimensions 177,1 x 26,8 x 7,3 metres or 581 x 88 x 24 feet. The machinery consisted of Parsons direct drive steam turbines and 18 Babcock and Wilcox boilers supplying via 4 shafts 27.000 hp allowing a speed of 21 knots and with a speed of 10 knots a range of 6.730 nautical miles. Their crew numbered between 750 and 1.100 men. The armour consisted of a 30,5cm/12” thick belt, 10,2cm/4” thick decks, 25,4cm/10” thick bulkheads and the turrets and barbettes protected by respectively 27,9cm/11” and 25,4cm/10”. The armament consisted of 5x2-34,3cm/13.5” /45 cal Mk V breech loading guns, 16x1-10,cxm/4” Mk VII guns and 3-53,3cm/21” submerged torpedo tubes.