HMS Invincible (1907)
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | Invincible |
Ordered | 1906 Naval Programme |
Builder | Armstrong Whitworth |
Laid down | 2 April 1906 |
Launched | 13 April 1907 |
Commissioned | 20 March 1909 |
Fate | Sunk, 31 May 1916, during the Battle of Jutland |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Invincible-class battlecruiser |
Displacement | |
Length | 567 ft (173 m) overall |
Beam | 78 ft 6 in (23.93 m) |
Draught | 30 ft (9.1 m) deep load |
Installed power |
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Propulsion | 4 × shafts; 2 × Direct-drive steam turbine sets |
Speed | 25.5 knots (47.2 km/h; 29.3 mph) |
Range | 3,090 nmi (5,720 km; 3,560 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
Complement | 784 (up to 1000 in wartime) |
Armament |
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Armour |
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HMS Invincible was the
She was the flagship of the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron during the Battle of Jutland in 1916. The squadron had been detached from Admiral Beatty's Battlecruiser Fleet a few days before the battle for gunnery practice with the Grand Fleet and acted as its heavy scouting force during the battle. She was destroyed by a magazine explosion during the battle after the armour of one of her gun turrets was penetrated.
Design and description
Invincible was significantly larger than her armoured cruiser predecessors of the
The Invincible-class ships were formally known as armoured cruisers until 1911 when they were redesignated as battlecruisers by an Admiralty order of 24 November 1911. Unofficially a number of designations were used until then, including cruiser-battleship, dreadnought cruiser and battle-cruiser.[2]
Propulsion
Invincible had two paired sets of Parsons turbines, each of which was housed in a separate engine-room and drove an outboard and inboard shaft. The high-pressure ahead and astern turbines were coupled to the outboard shafts and the low-pressure turbines to the inner shafts. A cruising turbine was also coupled to each inner shaft; these were not used often and were eventually disconnected. Her three-bladed propellers were 11 feet (3.4 m) in diameter on the inner shafts while the outer propellers were 10 feet (3.0 m) in diameter. The turbines were powered by thirty-one Yarrow water-tube boilers in four boiler rooms,[3] and were designed to produce a total of 41,000 shaft horsepower (31,000 kW), but reached nearly 46,500 shp (34,700 kW) during trials in 1908. She was designed for 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph), but reached 26.64 knots (49.3 km/h; 30.7 mph) during trials.[4]
Invincible carried 2,997 long tons (3,045 t) of coal, and an additional 738 long tons (750 t) of fuel oil that was to be sprayed on the coal to increase its burn rate.[5] At full fuel capacity, she could steam for 3,090 nautical miles (5,720 km; 3,560 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[6] Her electrical power was provided by four 200 kW turbo-generators and motor generators with capacity of 100 kW.[7]
Armament
Invincible carried eight
Her
Armour
The waterline
Construction and career
The ship was built at
She was commissioned into the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the
First World War
Her refit at Portsmouth Dockyard began in March 1914 and was interrupted by the declaration of war on Germany on 4 August. She'd been formally recommissioned the day prior, but the turret work required another week to complete. Invincible was the first battlecruiser to be fitted with a new fire-control director, but this could not be completed in the allotted time and would remain inoperable until she was refitted after the Battle of the Falkland Islands.[17] She was declared operational on 12 August, when Rear-Admiral Sir Archibald Gordon Moore, commanding the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron, hoisted his flag in her. He was ordered to the Humber, along with the battlecruiser New Zealand, where he could better support the British ships patrolling the Broad Fourteens.[18]
Battle of Heligoland Bight
Invincible's first action was as part of the battlecruiser force under the command of
Battle of the Falklands
The West Indies Squadron of
Spee, making a leisurely voyage back to the Atlantic, wanted to destroy the radio station at Port Stanley and sent the armoured cruiser SMS Gneisenau and the light cruiser Nürnberg to see if the harbour was clear of British warships on the morning of 8 December. They were spotted at 07:30, although the pre-dreadnought Canopus, grounded in Stanley Harbour to defend the town and its wireless station, did not receive the signal until 07:45. Sturdee was not expecting an engagement and most of his ships were coaling – and hence temporarily defenceless. The armoured cruiser Cornwall and the light cruiser Bristol had one or both of their engines under repair. The armed merchant cruiser Macedonian was patrolling the outer harbour entrance while the armoured cruiser Kent was anchored in the outer harbour, scheduled to relieve the Macedonian at 08:00. The German ships were not expecting resistance and the first salvo from Canopus's guns at 09:20 caused them to sheer off from their bombardment of the wireless station and fall back on Spee's main body.[22]
Sturdee's ships did not sortie from the harbour until 09:50, although they could see the retreating German ships on the southwest horizon. The Invincibles, fresh out of dry dock, had a 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) advantage over Spee's ships, which all had fouled bottoms that limited their speeds to no more than 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). The light cruiser Leipzig lagged behind the other ships and Inflexible opened fire when the range dropped to 17,500 yards (16,000 m) at 12:55. Invincible opened fire shortly afterward and both ships began straddling Leipzig as the range closed to 13,000 yards (12,000 m). At 13:20, Spee ordered his squadron to separate and ordered his light cruisers to turn to the southwest, while his armoured cruisers turned north east to cover their retreat. The German ships opened fire at 13:30 and scored their first hit at 13:44 when Scharnhorst struck Invincible, though the shell burst harmlessly on the belt armour. Both sides fired rapidly during the first half-hour of the engagement, before Sturdee opened up the distance to put his ships outside the effective range of the German guns. British gunnery was very poor, scoring only four hits out of 210 rounds fired. The primary cause was the smoke from the guns and funnels, since the British were upwind of the Germans,[23] though one gun of Invincible's 'A' turret jammed at 13:42 and was out of action for thirty minutes.[24]
Spee turned to the south in an attempt to disengage while the British had their vision obscured, but only opened the range to 17,000 yards (16,000 m) before his course change was spotted. The British battlecruisers gave chase at 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph). Forty minutes later, the British opened fire again at 15,000 yards (14 km). Eight minutes later Spee turned again to the east to give battle. His strategy was to close the range so he could bring his 15 cm (5.9 in) secondary armament into play. He was successful and the 15 cm guns were able to open fire at 15:00 at maximum elevation. The smoke bothered both sides, but multiple hits were scored. Those of the German ships either failed to detonate or hit armoured areas. However, Gneisenau's starboard engine room was put out of action. Sturdee ordered his ships at 15:15 to cross their own wakes to gain the windward advantage. Spee turned to the northwest, as if to attempt to cross the British T, but actually to bring Scharnhorst's undamaged starboard guns to bear as most of those on his port side were now out of action. The British continued to hit Scharnhorst and Gneisenau regularly and Scharnhorst ceased fire at 16:00 before capsizing at 16:17 with no survivors. Gneisenau had been slowed by earlier damage and was battered for another hour and a half by Inflexible and Invincible at ranges down to 4,000 yards (3,700 m). Despite the damage her crew continued to fire back until she ceased firing at 16:47, her ammunition exhausted. Sturdee was ready to order 'Cease fire' at 17:15 when an ammunition hoist was freed up and she made her last shot. The British then pounded her until 17:50, after her captain had given the order to scuttle her at 17:40. She slowly capsized at 18:00 and the British were able to rescue 176 men from the freezing waters.[25] Invincible had fired 513 shells from her main guns during the battle,[26] but had been hit twenty-two times. Two of her bow compartments were flooded, and one hit on her waterline abreast 'P' turret had flooded a coal bunker and temporarily given her a 15° list. Nevertheless, only one man had been killed and five wounded aboard the battlecruisers.[27]
After the battle, Invincible made temporary repairs at Port Stanley and headed for
The 1st and 3rd BCS had sortied in response to the German bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft on 24–25 April 1916, but failed to locate the German ships in heavy weather. During the return home, Invincible was rammed by the patrol yacht Goissa at 23:07. Goissa's bow was embedded in Invincible's side which partially stove-in. Invincible's speed was reduced to 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) through flooding and she was forced to haul out of line and proceed independently to Rosyth for repairs which lasted until 22 May 1916.[29]
Battle of Jutland
At the end of May 1916, the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron was temporarily assigned to the Grand Fleet for gunnery practice. On 30 May, the entire Grand Fleet, along with Admiral Beatty's battlecruisers, had been ordered to sea to prepare for an excursion by the German High Seas Fleet. In order to support Beatty, Admiral Hood took his three battlecruisers ahead of the Grand Fleet. At about 14:30, Invincible intercepted a radio message from the British light cruiser Galatea, attached to Beatty's Battlecruiser Force, reporting the sighting of two enemy cruisers. This was amplified by other reports of seven enemy ships steering north. Hood interpreted this as an attempt to escape through the Skagerrak and ordered an increase in speed to 22 kn (41 km/h) at 15:11 and steered East-Southeast to cut off the fleeing ships. Twenty minutes later, Invincible intercepted a message from Beatty reporting five enemy battlecruisers in sight and later signals reporting that he was engaging the enemy on a south-easterly course. At 16:06, Hood ordered full speed and a course of south-southeast in an attempt to converge on Beatty. At 16:56, with no British ships in sight, Hood requested Beatty's course, position and speed, but never received a reply.[31]
Hood continued on course until 17:40, when gunfire was spotted in the direction to which his light cruiser Chester had been dispatched to investigate other gunfire flashes. Chester encountered four light cruisers of Hipper's 2nd Scouting Group and was badly damaged before Hood turned to investigate and was able to drive the German cruisers away from Chester. At 17:53, Invincible opened fire on Wiesbaden and the other two Invincibles followed two minutes later. The German ships turned for the south after fruitlessly firing torpedoes at 18:00 and attempted to find shelter in the mist. As they turned Invincible hit Wiesbaden in the engine room and knocked out her engines while Inflexible hit Pillau once. The 2nd Scouting Group was escorted by the light cruiser Regensburg and 31 destroyers of the 2nd and 9th Flotillas and the 12th Half-Flotilla which attacked the 3rd BCS in succession. They were driven off by Hood's remaining light cruiser Canterbury and the five destroyers of his escort. In a confused action, the Germans only launched 12 torpedoes and disabled the destroyer Shark with gunfire. Having turned due west to close on Beatty's ships, the three Invincible-class battlecruisers were broadside to the oncoming torpedoes, but Invincible turned north, while Inflexible and Indomitable turned south to present their narrowest profile to the torpedoes. All the torpedoes missed, although one passed underneath Inflexible without detonating. As Invincible turned north, her helm jammed and she had to come to a stop to fix the problem, but this was quickly done and the squadron reformed heading west.[32]
At 18:21, with both Beatty and the Grand Fleet converging on him, Hood turned south to lead Beatty's battlecruisers. Hipper's battlecruisers were 9,000 yards (8.2 km/5.1 mi) away and the Invincibles almost immediately opened fire on Hipper's flagship Lützow and Derfflinger. Indomitable hit Derfflinger three times and Seydlitz once,[33] while the Lützow quickly took 10 hits from Lion, Inflexible and Invincible, including two hits below the waterline forward by Invincible that would ultimately doom her.[34] At 18:30 Invincible abruptly appeared as a clear target before Lützow and Derfflinger. The two German ships then fired three salvoes each at Invincible and sank her in 90 seconds. At least one 305 mm (12-inch) shell from the third salvo struck her midships 'Q' turret.[35] The shell penetrated the front of 'Q' turret, blew off the roof and detonated the midships magazines, which blew the ship in half. The explosion possibly ignited 'A' and 'X' magazines.[36] Of her complement, 1026 officers and men were killed, including Rear-Admiral Hood. There were only six survivors picked up by the destroyer Badger.[35] Five of the six were stationed in the fore-control top located on the tripod foremast, including the gunnery officer Commander Hubert E. Dannreuther; the other man was stationed in the rangefinder atop 'Q' turret itself.[37] When the magazine exploded he was somehow thrown clear of the ship.[38]
Wreck site
After the war, the Invincible was located by a Royal Navy minesweeper lying on a sandy bottom at a depth of 180 feet (55 m) at 57°02′40″N 06°07′15″E / 57.04444°N 6.12083°E.[39] The battlecruiser's stern is right-side up and the bow upside-down.
Examination of the wreck has found that the 12 inch guns in the aft turret remain loaded although its roof is missing.[40] A contemporary photograph of the explosion that destroyed Invincible shows flame and smoke erupting from 'X' turret. Coupled with the aft turret's missing roof, it implies that 'X' magazine also caused a low-order explosion within the ship.[Note 2][41]
Invincible is a protected site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.[42] Mount Invincible in the Canadian Rockies was named after the battlecruiser in 1917.[43]
Notes
References
- ^ Roberts, pp. 43–44
- ^ Roberts, pp. 24–25
- ^ Roberts, pp. 70–75
- ^ Roberts, pp. 76, 80
- ^ Roberts, p. 76
- ^ a b Preston, p. 24
- ^ "Britain 12"/45 (30.5 cm) Mark X". NavWeaps. 30 January 2009. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
- ^ a b Roberts, p. 83
- ^ Admiral Sir Reginald Tupper, quoted in Roberts, p. 85
- ^ Roberts, pp. 96–97
- ^ Roberts, pp. 109, 112
- ^ The Times (London), Monday, 15 April 1907, p. 10
- ^ Tarrant, p. 17
- ^ Tarrant, p. 18
- ^ The Times (London), Saturday, 12 June 1909, p.7
- ^ Tarrant, p. 26
- ^ Roberts, pp. 92–93, 122
- ^ Tarrant, pp. 29–30
- ^ a b Massie, pp. 109–113
- ^ Tarrant, p. 33
- ^ Massie, pp. 248–251
- ^ Massie, pp. 254–261
- ^ Massie, pp. 261–266
- ^ Tarrant, p. 61
- ^ Massie, pp. 261–273
- ^ Preston, p. 25
- ^ Massie, p. 280
- ^ Tarrant, pp. 76, 80–84
- ^ Tarrant, pp. 95–96
- ^ Some naval historians believe that this photo was doctored (with photogravure) from a peacetime photo. Main reasons are the absence of a bow wave, no shell splashes from German salvoes, and the destroyers ahead of her, which do not match any battle descriptions. Source: Marshal, Peter A. (February 2012). "The Invincible's EXPLOSIVE PHOTO". Naval History. United States Naval Institute. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017.
- ^ Tarrant, pp. 98–99
- ^ Tarrant, pp. 103–105
- ^ Campbell, pp. 185–187
- ^ Campbell, p. 183
- ^ a b Campbell, p. 159
- ^ Roberts, p. 116
- ^ "HMS Invincible Survivors". The Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project. 20 November 2021. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ Steel & Hart, pp. 230–231
- ^ Tarrant, p. 114
- ^ "The Wrecks of Jutland". Great War Primary Documents Archive, Inc. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
- ^ Brown, p. 167
- ^ "Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 2616 The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2006". Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament. Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ "Mount Invincible". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
Bibliography
- ISBN 1-55750-315-X.
- Brown, David K. (2003). "HMS Invincible: The Explosion at Jutland and its Relevance to HMS Hood". Warship International. Vol. XL, no. 4. pp. 339–349. ISSN 0043-0374.
- Burt, R. A. (1986). British Battleships of World War One. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-863-8.
- Campbell, John (1986). Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-324-5.
- OCLC 46594208.
- Johnston, Ian & Buxton, Ian (2013). The Battleship Builders – Constructing and Arming British Capital Ships. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-027-6.
- ISBN 0-679-45671-6.
- McCartney, Innes (December 2013). "Jutland 1916: The Archaeology of a Modern Naval Battle: The Wreck of HMS Invincible, The World's First Battle Cruiser" [Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Unterwasserarchäologie]. SKYLLIS, the Journal of the German Society for the Promotion of Underwater Archaeology. 12 (2). OCLC 786134501.
- ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
- Roberts, John (1997). Battlecruisers. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-068-1.
- Roberts, John A. (1972). Warship Monographs: Invincible Class. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-051-7.
- Tarrant, V. E. (1986). Battlecruiser Invincible: The History of the First Battlecruiser, 1909–16. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-147-1.
External links
- Maritimequest HMS Invincible Photo Gallery (includes two photographs of the ship's destruction at Jutland).
- Imperial War Museums: Lives of the First World War: HMS Invincible at the Battle of Jutland (Crew List)
- Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project – HMS Invincible Crew List