British battleship HMS Audacious 1911-1914

Orion-class

King George V-class

Iron Duke-class

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 Cammell Laird along the River Mersey, England in March 1911, launched on 14 September 1912, completed in August 1913 and sunk after striking a mine laid by the German auxiliary minelayer Berlin off Tory |Island, Ireland on 27 October 1914.

Displacement of 23.400 tons and as dimensions 182,3 x 27,1 x 8,5 metres or 598 x 89 x 28 feet. The 4 Parsons direct drive turbines and 18 Yarrow boilers supplied via 4 shafts 31.000 shp allowing a speed of 21 knots. Coal bunker 3.180 ton and oil-bunker capacity 800 tons allowing with a speed of 10 knots a range of 6.370 nautical miles. The oil was spread over the coil to obtain an improved burning. The armour consisted of a 20,3-30,5cm/8-12” thick belt, 2,5-10,2cm/1-4” thick decks, 10,2-25,4cm/4-10” thick bulkheads with the barbettes and turrets protected by respectively 7,6-25,4cm/3-10”and 27,9cm/11” (faces). The armament consisted of 5x2-34,3cm/13.5” breech loading Mk V guns, 16x1-10,2cm/4” breech loading Mk VII guns, 4-4,7cm/3pd guns, 5 machineguns and 3-53,3cm/21” submerged torpedo tubes. Crew numbered 900 men.