HMS Lord Nelson (1906)

	Lord Nelson
History
United Kingdom
Name	Lord Nelson
Builder	Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow
Cost	£1,651,339
Laid down	18 May 1905
Launched	4 September 1906
Completed	October 1908
Commissioned	1 December 1908
Decommissioned	May 1919
Fate	Sold for scrap, 4 June 1920
General characteristics
Class and type	pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement	15,358 long tons (15,604 t) normal; 16,090 long tons (16,350 t) load; 17,820 long tons (18,110 t) deep
Length	443 ft 6 in (135.2 m)
Beam	79 ft 6 in (24.2 m)
Draught	26 ft 0 in (7.9 m)
Installed power	16,750 kW); 15 × Babcock & Wilcox water-tube boilers;
Propulsion	2 × triple-expansion steam engines; 2 × shafts;
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range	9,180 nmi (17,000 km; 10,560 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	Peacetime ca. 750; Wartime 800–817;
Armament	2 × 2 - 12 in (305 mm) Mk X guns; 4 × 2, 2 × 1 - BL 9.2 in (234 mm) Mk XI guns; 24 × 1 - QF 12-pounder 18 cwt guns; 2 × 1 - 3-pounder guns; 5 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes;
Armour	Main belt: 12 in (305 mm) amidships, 2–6 in (51–152 mm) forward; Decks: main 1.5 in (38 mm); middle 1–4 in (25–102 mm); lower 3 in (76 mm); 12-inch (305-mm) turrets: 12 in (305 mm); 9.2-inch (234-mm) turrets: 7 in (178 mm); Barbettes: 12 in (305 mm); Bulkhead aft: 8 in (203 mm); Citadel: 8 in (203 mm); Conning tower: 12 in (305 mm);

HMS Lord Nelson was a

Dardanelles Campaign. She remained there, becoming flagship of the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron, which was later redesignated the Aegean Squadron. After the Ottoman surrender in 1918 the ship moved to the Black Sea

where she remained as flagship before returning to the United Kingdom in May 1919. Lord Nelson was placed into reserve upon her arrival and sold for scrap in June 1920.

Construction and description

HMS Lord Nelson was laid down by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company at Jarrow on 18 May 1905 and launched on 4 September 1906. Her completion was greatly delayed by the diversion of her 12-inch (305 mm) guns and turrets to expedite completion of Dreadnought, and she was not fully completed until October 1908.^[2] Although she was not the last pre-dreadnought laid down for the Royal Navy, she was the last one commissioned.^[3]

On 8 January 1908, while navigating at South Shields, the ship collided with barquentine Emma Cook, anchored at Mill Dam and damaged her.^[4]

Lord Nelson displaced 17,820 long tons (18,106 t) at deep load as built, with a length of 443 feet 6 inches (135.2 m), a beam of 79 feet 6 inches (24.2 m), and a draft of 26 feet (7.9 m). She was powered by two four-cylinder inverted vertical triple-expansion steam engines, which developed a total of 16,750 indicated horsepower (12,490 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).^[1]

She was armed with four 12-inch guns arranged in two twin

QF 12-pounder 18 cwt guns and two 3-pounder guns. She also mounted five submerged 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes for which 23 torpedoes were stowed aboard.^[1]

Service history

Pre-First World War

Lord Nelson was first commissioned in reserve on 1 December 1908 at

Vice Admiral, Channel Fleet.^[5]

First World War

At the outbreak of the

Sir John French, to France. On 14 November, she transferred to Sheerness to guard the English coast against the possibility of a German invasion. The ship returned to Portland Harbour on 30 December and patrolled the English Channel until February 1915.^[5]

Dardanelles campaign, 1915–1916

In February 1915, Lord Nelson was ordered to the

superstructure and rigging and was holed by one hit below the waterline which flooded two coal bunkers. After repairs at Malta, the ship returned to take part in the main attack on the Narrows forts on 18 March. Later she bombarded Ottoman field batteries on 6 May prior to the Second Battle of Krithia.^[5]

Lord Nelson relieved the battleship

Vice-Admiral Rosslyn Erskine-Wemyss. On 20 June, she bombarded docks and shipping at Gallipoli, aided by the spotting of a kite balloon, and inflicted significant damage. Lord Kitchener made his headquarters aboard her in November and, on 22 December,^[6] Lord Nelson hoisted the flag of Vice-Admiral John de Robeck when he succeeded Wemyss.^[7]

Mediterranean operations, 1916–1918

With the end of the Dardanelles Campaign in January 1916, during which Lord Nelson had suffered no casualties, British naval forces in the area were reorganized and Lord Nelson became flagship of the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron, which was redesignated the Aegean Squadron in August 1917; under either name, the squadron was dispersed throughout the area to protect Allied-held islands, support the

Mudros, alternating between the two bases with her sister ship Agamemnon; the ship was based mostly at Salonika, with Agamemnon mostly at Mudros.^[8]

According to naval historian Ian Buxton, the most important role of the Royal Navy was to blockade the Dardanelles and thus guard the Eastern

Battle of Imbros or intercept Goeben before she gained shelter in the Dardanelles. Lord Nelson was later given a short refit at Malta in October.^[8]

Post-war

Lord Nelson was part of the British squadron that went to Constantinople in November 1918 following the armistice with the Ottoman Empire,^[8] after which she served as flagship in the Black Sea.^[6] In April 1919, she conveyed Grand Duke Nicholas and Grand Duke Peter of Russia from the Black Sea to Genoa.^[8]

Lord Nelson returned to the

Dover. She was resold to Slough Trading Company on 8 November, then again to German scrappers. She was towed to Germany for scrapping in January 1922.^[8]