The Italian naval engineer Vittorio Cuniberti (7 June 1854 Turin, Italy-19 December 1913 Rome, Italy) published in the 1903 edition of Jane’s Fighting Ships a design of all big-gunned battleship which can be considered as a predecessor of the British HMS Dreadnought. The Italian government declined the design while the costs were too high. With a displacement of 17,000 tons and a speed of 23-24 knots consisted her armament of 12-30.48cm/12” guns (2x2 central side, forward&afterward 2x1 and 1x2) an 12 armour protected 12pdrs.
The building of the British HMS Dreadnought was ordered in 1905, laid down by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth, England on 2 October 1905, launched on 10 Feburary 1906, commissioned on 2 December 1906, decommissioned in Feburary 1919 and sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921. Preceded by Lord Nelson-class succeeded by Bellerophon-class. First Sea Lord admiral Sir John Fisher established in 1904 a Committee of Designs to evaluate the designs of a 12” guns battleship he asked for. Displacement 18,410 (normal load)-21,060 (deep load) tons, speed 21 knots and an armament of 5x2-30.5cm/12” guns, 27x1-7.6cm/3”/12pd guns and 5-45cm/18” torpedo tubes.
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