List of battleships of the Royal Navy

This is a list of battleships of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The term battleship originates around 1880 with the construction of the "Colossus" class. A battleship is a heavily armoured warship carrying a battery of heavy calibre guns.

Glossary

* BU = broken up
* In the sections listing warships in the English/Royal Navy from 1618 onwards, the dates have been quoted using the modern convention of the year starting on 1st January.

Predecessors of the battleships of the Royal Navy

Warships of the Scots Navy pre-1707

Prior to the Acts of Union 1707, warships of the Kingdom of Scotland were under the Royal Scots Navy.

Warships of the English Navy pre-1660

The Royal Navy formally came into existence with the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. Prior to this, warships were the property of the English Monarch, until the execution of Charles I in 1649, when the ships became the property of the state.

hips of the line of the Royal Navy (1660-1880)

Ship of the line was the term used in the Royal Navy referring to a warship powerful enough to use line-of-battle tactics. Such ships were wooden-hulled sailing ships from 1660 until the transition towards battleships in nineteenth century. From 1840, steam-driven screw propellors were introduced and in 1860, the first iron-hulled, armour-plated warship, HMS Warrior was launched. "Battleships" began to be built from 1880.

List of ironclad warships of the Royal Navy (1860–1882)

The term "battleship" was not used by the Admiralty until the early 1880s, with the construction of the "Colossus" class. Capital ships from the period 1860 onwards are given for comparison, as these would later evolve into the modern battleship.

ea-going ironclads (1860–1882)

* "Warrior" class broadside ironclads
** "Warrior" (1860) - Preserved Portsmouth
** "Black Prince" (1861) - Renamed "Emerald" 1903, renamed "Impregnable III" 1910, sold for BU 1923
* "Defence" class broadside ironclads
** "Defence" (1861) - Renamed "Indus" 1898; hulked 1922; sold for BU 1935
** "Resistance" (1861) - Sold 1898; foundered 1899; raised and BU
* "Hector" class broadside ironclads
** "Hector" (1862) - Sold for BU 1905
** "Valiant" (1863) - Renamed "Indus" 1898, "Valiant (Old)" 1916, and "Valiant III" 1919; became floating oil tank 1924; BU 1957
* "Achilles" (1863) broadside ironclad - Renamed "Hibernia" 1902, "Egmont" 1904, "Egremont" 1918, and "Pembroke" 1919; sold for BU 1925
* "Minotaur" class broadside ironclads
** "Minotaur" (1863) - Renamed "Boscawen" 1904, "Ganges" 1906, and "Ganges II" 1908; sold for BU 1922
** "Agincourt" (1865) - Renamed "Boscawen III" 1904 and "Ganges II" 1906; became coal hulk "C109" 1908; sold for BU 1960
** "Northumberland" (1866) - Renamed "Acheron" 1904; became coal hulk "C" 1909, renamed "C68" 1926; sold 1927; became hulk "Stedmound"
* "Prince Consort" class broadside ironclads (converted from "Bulwark" class 2-deckers)
** "Prince Consort" (1862) (ex-"Triumph") - Sold for BU 1882
** "Caledonia" (1862) - Sold for BU 1886
** "Ocean" (1862) - Sold for BU 1882
* "Royal Oak" (1862) broadside ironclad (converted from "Bulwark" class 2-decker) - Laid up 1871; sold for BU 1885
* "Royal Alfred" (1864) central-battery ironclad (converted from "Bulwark" class 2-decker)- Sold for BU 1885
* "Research" (1863) central-battery ironclad - Sold for BU 1884
* "Enterprise" (1864) central-battery ironclad - Sold for BU 1886
* "Favorite" (1864) central-battery ironclad - Sold for BU 1886
* "Zealous" (1864) central-battery ironclad (converted from "Bulwark" class 2-decker) - Laid up 1875; sold for BU 1886
* "Repulse" (1868) central-battery ironclad (converted from "Bulwark" class 2-decker) - Sold for BU 1889
* "Lord Clyde" class broadside ironclads
** "Lord Clyde" (1864) - Sold for BU 1875
** "Lord Warden" (1865) - BU 1889
* "Pallas" (1865) central-battery ironclad - Sold for BU 1886
* "Bellerophon" (1865) central-battery ironclad - Renamed "Indus III" 1904; sold for BU 1922
* "Penelope" (1867) central-battery ironclad - Hulked 1897; sold for BU 1912
* "Hercules" (1868) central-battery ironclad - Renamed "Calcutta" 1909 and "Fisgard II" 1915; sold for BU 1932
* "Monarch" (1868) masted turret-ship - Renamed "Simoom" 1904; sold for BU 1905
* "Captain" class masted turret-ship
** "Captain" (1869) - Foundered 1870
* "Audacious" class central-battery ironclads
** "Audacious" (1869) - Renamed "Fisgard" 1904 and "Imperieuse" 1914; sold for BU 1922
** "Invincible" (1869) - Renamed "Erebus" 1904 and "Fisgard II" 1906; foundered under tow 1914
** "Iron Duke" (1870) - Hulked 1900; sold for BU 1906
** "Vanguard" (1870) - Sunk in collision 1875
* "Swiftsure" class central-battery ironclads
** "Swiftsure" (1870) - Hulked 1901; renamed "Orontes" 1904; sold for BU 1908
** "Triumph" (1870) - Renamed "Tenedos" 1904, "Indus IV" 1912, and "Algiers" 1912; sold for BU 1921
* "Sultan" (1870) central-battery ironclad - Named "Fisgard IV" 1906-1931; sold for BU 1946
* "Devastation" class mastless turret-ship
** "Devastation" (1871) - Sold for BU 1908
** "Thunderer" (1872) mastless turret-ship - Sold for BU 1909
* "Alexandra" (1875) central-battery ironclad - Sold for BU 1908
* "Temeraire" (1876) central-battery ironclad with barbettes - Renamed "Indus II" 1904 and "Akbar" 1915; sold for BU 1921
* "Superb" class (intended for Ottoman Empire) central-battery ironclads
** "Superb" (launched as "Hamidieh", renamed) (1875) - Sold for BU 1906
** (Ottoman "Messudieh")
* "Neptune" (1874) (ex-"Independencia") masted turret-ship - Sold for BU 1903
* "Dreadnought" (1875) mastless turret-ship - Sold for BU 1908
* "Inflexible" (1876) central citadel turret-ship - Sold for BU 1903
* "Ajax" class central citadel turret-ships
** "Agamemnon" (1879) - BU 1903
** "Ajax" (1880) - Sold for BU 1904

Coastal service ironclads

* "Royal Sovereign" (1862) turret-ship (converted from "Duke of Wellington" class 3-decker) - Sold for BU 1885
* "Prince Albert" (1864) turret-ship - Sold for BU 1899
* "Scorpion" class masted turret-ships
** "Scorpion" (1863) - Sunk as target 1901; raised and sold for BU 1903; foundered en route scrapyard 1903
** "Wivern" (1863) - Sold for BU 1922
* "Cyclops" class turret-ships
** "Cyclops" (1871) - Sold for BU 1903
** "Gorgon" (1871) - Sold for BU 1903
** "Hecate" (1871) - Sold for BU 1903
** "Hydra" (1871) - Sold for BU 1903
* "Cerberus" class turret-ships
** "Cerberus" (1868) (Victoria) - Renamed "Platypus II" 1918; sunk as breakwater 1926
** "Magdala" (1870) (India) - Sold for BU 1904
* "Abyssinia" (1870) turret-ship - Sold for BU 1903
* "Glatton" (1871) turret-ship - Sold for BU 1903
* "Hotspur" (1870) turret-ship - Sold for BU 1904
* "Rupert" (1872) turret-ship - Sold for BU 1907
* "Belleisle" class (intended for Ottoman Empire) central battery ships
** "Belleisle" (launched as "Peki-Shereef", renamed) (1876) -Sold for BU 1904
** "Orion" (planned name: "Boordhi-Zaffer") (1879) - Renamed "Orontes" 1909; sold for BU 1913
* "Conqueror" class turret-ships
** "Conqueror" (1881) - Sold for BU 1907
** "Hero" (1885) - Sunk as target 1908; raised and BU

List of battleships of the Royal Navy (1882-1945)

Pre-Dreadnoughts (1882-1906)

* "Colossus" class central citadel turret-ships "the first RN ships rated as battleships
** "Colossus" (1882) - Sold for BU 1908
** "Edinburgh" (1882) (ex-"Majestic") - Sold for BU 1910
* Admiral class
** "Collingwood" (1882) - Sold for BU 1909
** "Rodney" (1884) - Sold for BU 1909
** "Howe" (1885) - Sold for BU 1910
** "Camperdown" (1885) - Sold for BU 1911
** "Anson" (1886) - Sold for BU 1909
** "Benbow" (1885) - Sold for BU 1909
* "Victoria" class
** "Victoria" (1887) (ex-"Renown") - Sunk by accidental ramming 1893
** "Sans Pareil" (1887) - Sold for BU 1907
* "Trafalgar" class
** "Trafalgar" (1887) - Sold for BU 1912
** "Nile" (1888) - Sold for BU 1912
* "Royal Sovereign" class
** "Royal Sovereign" (1891) - Sold for BU 1913
** "Empress of India" (1891) - Sunk as target 1913
** "Repulse" (1892) - Sold for BU 1911
** "Ramillies" (1892) - Sold for BU 1913
** "Resolution" (1892) - Sold for BU 1914
** "Revenge" (1892) - Renamed "Redoubtable" 1915, sold for BU 1919
** "Royal Oak" (1892) - Sold for BU 1914
* "Hood" (1891) (near-sister to "Royal Sovereign" class) - Scuttled 1914
* "Centurion" class
** "Centurion" (1892) - Sold for BU 1910
** "Barfleur" (1892) - Sold for BU 1910
* "Renown" (1895) - Sold for BU 1914
* "Majestic" class
** "Magnificent" (1894) Sold for BU 1921
** "Majestic" (1895) - Torpedoed 1915
** "Prince George" (1895) - Renamed "Victorious II" 1918-1919; sold for BU; 1921; wrecked en route scrapyard 1921
** "Victorious" (1895) - Renamed "Indus II" 1920; sold for BU 1922
** "Jupiter" (1895) - Sold for BU 1920
** "Mars" (1896) - Sold for BU 1921
** "Hannibal" (1896) - Sold for BU 1920
** "Caesar" (1896) - Sold for BU 1921
** "Illustrious" (1896) - Sold for BU 1920
* "Canopus" class
** "Canopus" (1897) - Sold for BU 1920
** "Goliath" (1898) - Torpedoed 1915
** "Albion" (1898) - Sold for BU 1919
** "Ocean" (1898) - Mined 1915
** "Glory" (1899) - Renamed "Crescent" 1920; sold for BU 1922
** "Vengeance" (1899) - Sold for BU 1921
* "Formidable" class
** "Formidable" (1898) - Torpedoed 1915
** "Irresistible" (1898) - Mined 1915
** "Implacable" (1899)- Sold for BU 1921
* "London" class (modified "Formidable" class)
** "London" (1899) - Sold for BU 1920
** "Bulwark" (1899) - Destroyed by internal explosion 1914
** "Venerable" (1899) - Sold for BU 1920
** "Queen" (1902) - Sold for BU 1920
** "Prince of Wales" (1902) - Sold for BU 1920
* "Duncan" class
** "Russell" (1901) - Mined 1916
** "Albemarle" (1901) - Sold for BU 1919
** "Montagu" (1901) - Wrecked 1906
** "Duncan" (1901) - Sold for BU 1920
** "Cornwallis" (1901) - Torpedoed 1917
** "Exmouth" (1901) - Sold for BU 1920
* "King Edward VII" class
** "Commonwealth" (1903) - Sold for BU 1921
** "King Edward VII" (1903) - Mined 1916
** "Dominion" (1903) - Sold for BU 1921
** "Hindustan" (1903) - Sold for BU 1921
** "New Zealand" (1904) - Renamed "Zealandia" 1911, sold for BU 1921
** "Britannia" (1904) - Torpedoed 1918
** "Africa" (1905) - Sold for BU 1920
** "Hibernia" (1905) - Sold for BU 1921
* "Swiftsure" class
** "Swiftsure" (1903) (ex-Chilean "Constitucion", taken over 1903) - Sold for BU 1920
** "Triumph" (1903) (ex-Chilean "Libertad", taken over 1903) - Torpedoed 1915
* "Lord Nelson" class
** "Agamemnon" (1906) - Sold for BU 1927
** "Lord Nelson" (1906) - Sold for BU 1920

Dreadnoughts (1906-1910)

* "Dreadnought" (1906) -Sold for BU 1921
* "Bellerophon" class
** "Bellerophon" (1907) - Sold for BU 1921
** "Superb" (1907) - Sold for BU 1923
** "Temeraire" (1907) - Sold for BU 1921
* "St Vincent" class
** "St Vincent" (1908) - Sold for BU 1921
** "Collingwood" (1908) - Sold for BU 1922
** "Vanguard" (1909) - Sunk by internal explosion 1917
* "Neptune" class
** "Neptune" (1909) - Sold for BU 1922
* "Colossus" class
** "Colossus" (1910) - - Sold for BU 1928
** "Hercules" (1910) - Sold for BU 1921

uper-Dreadnoughts (1910-1945)

* "Orion" class
** "Orion" (1910) - Sold for BU 1922
** "Monarch" (1911) - Sunk as target 1925
** "Conqueror" (1911) - Sold for BU 1922
** "Thunderer" (1911) - Sold for BU 1926
* "King George V" class
** "King George V" (ex-"Royal George") (1911) - Sold for BU 1926
** "Centurion" (1911) - Became target ship 1926; became decoy ship 1941; sunk as blockship 1944
** "Audacious" (1912) - Mined 1914
** "Ajax" (1912) - Sold for BU 1926
* "Iron Duke" class
** "Iron Duke" (1912) - Disarmed 1929; sold for BU 1946
** "Marlborough" (1912) - Sold for BU 1932
** "Benbow" (1913) - Sold for BU 1931
** "Emperor of India" (ex-"Delhi") (1913) - Sunk as target 1931; raised and sold for BU 1932
* "Agincourt" (ex-"Sultan Osman I") (1913) - Sold for BU 1922
* "Erin" (ex-"Reshadieh") (1913) - Sold for BU 1922
* "Canada" (ex-"Almirante Lattore") (1913) - Sold to Chile 1920 (became "Almirante Lattore")
* "Queen Elizabeth" class
** "Queen Elizabeth" (1913) - Sold for BU 1948
** "Warspite" (1913) - Sold for BU 1946
** "Barham" (1914) - Torpedoed 1941
** "Valiant" (1914) - Sold for BU 1948
** "Malaya" (1915) - Sold for BU 1948
** "Agincourt" - Cancelled 1914
* "Revenge" class (originally "Royal Sovereign" class)
** "Royal Oak" (1914) - Torpedoed 1939
** "Royal Sovereign" (1915) - Loaned to Soviet Union (as "Arkhangelsk") 1944-1949; returned and sold for BU 1949.
** "Revenge" (ex-"Renown") (1915) - Sold for BU 1948
** "Resolution" (1915) - Sold for BU 1948
** "Ramillies" (1916) - Sold for BU 1948
** "Renown" - Suspended 1914; not completed
** "Repulse" - Suspended 1914; not completed
** "Resistance" - Cancelled 1914
*(planned N3 battleships - never built)
* "Nelson" class
** "Nelson" (1925) - BU 1948
** "Rodney" (1925) - BU 1948
* "King George V" class
** "King George V" (1939) - BU 1957
** "Prince of Wales" (1939) - Sunk 1941
** "Duke of York" (ex-"Anson") (1940) - BU 1957
** "Anson" (ex-"Jellicoe") (1940) - BU 1957
** "Howe" (ex-"Beatty") (1940) - BU 1957
* "Temeraire" or "Lion" class
** "Lion" (not completed)
** "Temeraire" (not completed)
** "Conqueror" (planned)
** "Thunderer" (planned)
* "Vanguard" (1944) - the last battleship completed for the Royal Navy; BU 1960

ources

* Ballard, Admiral G.A. "The Black Battlefleet", published Nautical Publications Co. and Society for Nautical Research, 1980. ISBN 0-245-53030-4
* Chesnau, Roger and Kolesnik, Eugene (Ed.) "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905". Conway Maritime Press, 1979. ISBN 0-83170-302-4
* Gardiner, Robert (Ed.). "Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships, 1906-1921". Conway Maritime Press, 1985. ISBN 0-85177-245-5
* Chesnau, Roger and Gardiner, Robert (Ed.) "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946". Conway Maritime Press, 1980. ISBN 0-85177-146-7
* Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif, "The Sail and Steam Navy List, All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815-1889", pub Chatham, 2004, ISBN 1-86176-032-9
* Parkes, Oscar "British Battleships", first published Seeley Service & Co, 1957, published United States Naval Institute Press, 1990. ISBN 1-55750-075-4
* Reed, Edward J "Our Ironclad Ships, their Qualities, Performance and Cost". John Murray, 1869.

ee also

List of battlecruisers of the Royal Navy