HMSSuperbwas one of threeBellerophon-classdreadnought battleshipsbuilt for theRoyal Navyin the first decade of the 20th century. She spent almost her whole career assigned to theHomeandGrand Fleets.Aside from participating in theBattle of Jutlandin May 1916 and the inconclusiveaction of 19 August,her service during theFirst World Wargenerally consisted of routine patrols and training in theNorth Sea.
 Superbat anchor, shortly after completion in 1909
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Superb |
| Ordered | 26 December 1906 |
| Builder | Armstrong Whitworth,Elswick |
| Laid down | 6 February 1907 |
| Launched | 7 November 1907 |
| Commissioned | 29 May 1909 |
| Decommissioned | 26 March 1920 |
| Out of service | May 1922 |
| Fate | Sold forscrap,December 1922 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class and type | Bellerophon-classdreadnought battleship |
| Displacement | 18,596long tons(18,894t) (normal) |
| Length | 526 ft (160.3 m) (o/a) |
| Beam | 82 ft 6 in (25.1 m) |
| Draught | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 4 × shafts; 2 ×steam turbinesets |
| Speed | 21knots(39 km/h; 24 mph) |
| Range | 5,720nmi(10,590 km; 6,580 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 840 |
| Armament |
|
| Armour | |
Superbwas transferred to theMediterranean Fleetin October 1918 and became itsflagship.She supportedAlliedforces in the Mediterranean and theBlack Seaafter the war ended in November. The ship was deemed obsolete and was reduced toreservewhen she returned home in early 1919 and was then used as atraining ship.Superbwas used for gunnery experiments in 1920 and then became atarget shipin 1922. The ship was sold forscraplate that year and broken up in 1923.
Design and description
editThe design of theBellerophonclass was derived from that of the revolutionary[Note 1]battleshipHMSDreadnought,with a slight increase in size, armour and a more powerfulsecondary armament.[2]Superbhad anoverall lengthof 526 feet (160.3 m), abeamof 82 feet 6 inches (25.1 m), and a normaldraughtof 27 feet (8.2 m).[3]Shedisplaced18,596long tons(18,894t) at normal load and 22,359 long tons (22,718 t) atdeep load.In 1914 her crew numbered 840 officers andratings.[4]
TheBellerophons were powered by two sets ofParsonsdirect-drivesteam turbines,each driving two shafts, using steam from eighteenYarrow boilers.The turbines were rated at 23,000shaft horsepower(17,000kW) and intended to give the ship a maximum speed of 21knots(39 km/h; 24 mph). DuringSuperb'ssea trialson 2 April 1909, she reached a top speed of 21.56 knots (39.93 km/h; 24.81 mph) from 27,407 shp (20,437 kW). The ship carried enough coal andfuel oilto give her a range of 5,720nautical miles(10,590 km; 6,580 mi) at a cruising speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[5]
Armament and armour
editTheBellerophonclass was equipped with tenbreech-loading(BL)12-inch (305 mm) Mk X gunsin five twin-gun turrets,three along the centreline and the remaining two aswing turrets.The centreline turrets were designated 'A', 'X' and 'Y', from front to rear, and theport and starboardwing turrets were 'P' and 'Q' respectively. The secondary, or anti-torpedo boatarmament, comprised 16BL 4-inch (102 mm) Mk VII gunsin single mounts. Two of these guns were each installed on the roofs of the fore and aft centreline turrets and the wing turrets in unshielded mounts, and the other eight were positioned in thesuperstructure.[6][Note 2]The ships were also fitted with three18-inch (450 mm)torpedo tubes,one on eachbroadsideand the third in thestern.[3]
TheBellerophon-class ships had awaterline beltofKrupp cemented armourthat was 10 inches (254 mm) thick between the fore and aftmostbarbettes.The three armoureddecksranged in thicknesses from 0.75 to 4 inches (19 to 102 mm). Themain batteryturret faces were 11 inches (279 mm) thick, and the turrets were supported by 9–10 inches (229–254 mm) thick barbettes.[10]
Modifications
editThe guns on the forward turret roof were transferred to the superstructure in 1914 and the guns from the wing turrets were remounted in the aft superstructure in 1914–1915; all of the four-inch guns in the superstructure were enclosed to better protect their crews. In addition, a single three-inch (76 mm)anti-aircraft (AA) gunwas added on the former searchlight platform between the aft turrets. Shortly afterwards, the guns on the aft turret were removed as were one pair from the superstructure. Around the same time another three-inch AA gun was added to the aft turret roof.[11]
By May 1915, afire-control directorhad been installed high on the forwardtripod mast[12]and approximately 23 long tons (23 t) of additional deck armour was added after the Battle of Jutland a year later. By April 1917,Superbhad exchanged the three-inch AA gun on 'Y' turret for a four-inch gun and the stern torpedo tube had been removed. In 1918 a high-anglerangefinderwas fitted, the starboard aft four-inch gun was removed and the four-inch AA gun was moved to thequarterdeck.By this time, the ship mounted 11 four-inch guns, plus one three- and one four-inch AA gun. After the war ended, both AA guns were removed.[13]
Construction and career
edit
Superbwas the eighth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy.[14]The ship was ordered on 26 December 1906[15]and waslaid downbyArmstrong Whitworthat theirshipyardinElswickon 6 February 1907. She waslaunchedon 7 November and completed in May 1909.[7]Including her armament, her cost is variously quoted at£1,676,529[4]or £1,641,114.[8]Superbwascommissionedon 29 May 1909 and assigned to the 1stDivisionof the Home Fleet, under the command ofCaptainFrederick Tudor.She was reviewed by KingEdward VIIandTsarNicholas II of RussiaduringCowes Weekon 31 July. The ship participated in fleet manoeuvres in April and July before beginning a refit in late 1910 atPortsmouth.[15]CaptainHerbert Heathrelieved Tudor on 16 August.[16]Superbtook part in the combined exercises for the Mediterranean, Home andAtlantic Fleetsin January 1911 and was present during theCoronation Fleet Reviewfor KingGeorge VatSpitheadon 24 June.[17]Heath was relieved by CaptainErnest Gaunton 22 September.[16]On 1 May 1912, the 1st Division was renamed the1st Battle Squadron(BS). The ship was present in the Parliamentary Naval Review on 9 July at Spithead and then participated in manoeuvres in October.[17]On 30 April 1913 CaptainGeorge Hopeassumed command.[16]The following July, thesquadronvisitedCherbourg,France.[17]
First World War
editSuperbtook part in a testmobilisationand fleet review between 17 and 20 July 1914 as part of the British response to theJuly Crisis.Arriving inPortlandon 27 July, she was ordered to proceed with the rest of the Home Fleet toScapa Flowtwo days later[17]to safeguard the fleet from a possibleGermansurprise attack.[18]Captain Price Lewes relived Hope on 28 July.[19]In August, following the outbreak ofWorld War I,the Home Fleet was reorganised as theGrand Fleet,and placed under the command of AdmiralJohn Jellicoe.Most of it was briefly based (22 October to 3 November) atLough Swilly,Ireland, while the defences at Scapa were strengthened.[20]Lewes was relieved on 4 November for reasons of ill-health and died five days later from akidney disease.CaptainRudolf Bentinckassumed command of the ship on the 6th.[19]On the evening of 22 November, the Grand Fleet conducted a fruitless sweep in the southern half of theNorth Sea,during whichSuperbstood with the main body in support ofVice-AdmiralDavid Beatty's1st Battlecruiser Squadron.The fleet was back in port in Scapa Flow by 27 November.[20][Note 3]The 1st BS cruised north-west of theShetland Islandsand conducted gunnery practice on 8–12 December. Four days later, the Grand Fleetsortiedduring the Germanraid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby,but failed to make contact with theHigh Seas Fleet.Superband the rest of the Grand Fleet conducted another sweep of the North Sea on 25–27 December.[21]
The ship departed Scapa Flow to have her turbines repaired at Portsmouth on 18 January 1915 and rejoined her squadron on 11 March.[22]During this time, CaptainEdmond Hyde Parkerrelieved Bentinck.[16]On 7–10 March, the Grand Fleet made a sweep in the northern North Sea, during which it conducted training manoeuvres. Another such cruise took place on 16–19 March. On 11 April, the fleet patrolled the central North Sea and returned to port on 14 April; another patrol in the area took place on 17–19 April, followed by gunnery drills off Shetland on 20–21 April. It made further sweeps into the central North Sea on 17–19 May and 29–31 May without encountering any German vessels.[23]Superbhad to be escorted from Devonport on 16 June after the completion of her refit.[24][Note 4]The Grand Fleet conducted training off Shetland beginning on 11 July. On 2–5 September, the fleet went on another cruise in the northern end of the North Sea and conducted gunnery drills. Throughout the rest of the month, the fleet was performing numerous training exercises before making another sweep into the North Sea on 13–15 October. Almost three weeks later,Superbparticipated in another fleet training operation west of Orkney during 2–5 November.[25]Five days later, the ship was transferred to the4th Battle Squadron.[17]
The fleet departed for a cruise in the North Sea on 26 February 1916; Jellicoe had intended to use theHarwich Forceofcruisersanddestroyersto sweep theHeligoland Bight,but bad weather prevented operations in the southern North Sea. As a result, the operation was confined to the northern end of the sea. Another sweep began on 6 March, but had to be abandoned the following day as the weather grew too severe for the escorting destroyers. On the night of 25 March,Superband the rest of the fleet sailed from Scapa Flow to support Beatty'sbattlecruisersand other light forces raiding the GermanZeppelinbase atTondern.By the time the Grand Fleet approached the area on 26 March, the British and German forces had already disengaged and a stronggalethreatened the light craft, so the fleet was ordered to return to base. On 21 April, the Grand Fleet conducted a demonstration offHorns Reefto distract the Germans while theImperial Russian Navyrelaid its defensiveminefieldsin theBaltic Sea.The fleet returned to Scapa Flow on 24 April and refuelled before proceeding south in response to intelligence reports that the Germans were about to launch araid on Lowestoft,but only arrived in the area after the Germans had withdrawn. On 2–4 May, the fleet conducted another demonstration off Horns Reef to keep German attention focused on the North Sea.[26]When the dreadnoughtEmperor of Indiabegan a refit later that month, she was relieved bySuperbas theflagshipof the 3rd Division of the 4th BS, commanded byRear-AdmiralAlexander Duff.[17]
Battle of Jutland
edit
In an attempt to lure out and destroy a portion of the Grand Fleet, the High Seas Fleet, composed of 16 dreadnoughts, 6pre-dreadnoughts,and supporting ships, departed theJade Bightearly on the morning of 31 May. The fleet sailed in concert with Rear AdmiralFranz von Hipper's 5 battlecruisers. The Royal Navy'sRoom 40hadintercepted and decrypted German radio trafficcontaining plans of the operation. In response the Admiralty ordered the Grand Fleet, totalling some 28 dreadnoughts and 9 battlecruisers, to sortie the night before to cut off and destroy the High Seas Fleet.[27]
On 31 MaySuperbwas the eleventh ship from the head of thebattle lineafter deployment.[17]During the first stage of the general engagement, the ship opened fire with her main guns at 18:26[Note 5]at the crippledlight cruiserSMSWiesbaden,claiming several hits. At 19:17, the ship fired seven salvos at the battlecruiserSMSDerfflinger,but did not make any hits. This was the last time that the ship fired her guns during the battle. She received no damage and fired a total of 54 twelve-inch shells (38high explosiveand 16common pointed, capped) during the battle.[28]
Subsequent activity
editThe Grand Fleet sortied on 18 August to ambush the High Seas Fleet while it advanced into the southern North Sea, but a series of miscommunications and mistakes prevented Jellicoe from intercepting the German fleet before it returned to port. Two light cruisers were sunk by GermanU-boatsduring the operation, prompting Jellicoe to decide to not risk the major units of the fleet south of 55° 30' North due to the prevalence of German submarines andmines.TheAdmiraltyconcurred and stipulated that the Grand Fleet would not sortie unless the German fleet was attempting an invasion of Britain or there was a strong possibility it could be forced into an engagement under suitable conditions.[29]Superbwas refitting at this time and did not participate in this action.[30]On 2 January 1918, Hyde Parker was relieved by CaptainSidney Drury-Lowe[16]before he was transferred to command the battleshipMonarchon 3 April.[31]The ship began a refit that same month before recommissioning in June.[17]Captain Stephen Radcliffe assumed command of the ship on 22 June and remained in command until 15 December 1919.[16]
In October 1918,Superband hersister ship,Temeraire,were transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet[32]andSuperbbecame the flagship of its commander,Vice-AdmiralSirSomerset Gough-Calthorpe,upon her arrival atMudroson 31 October. The ship led an Allied squadron that entered theOttomancapital,Constantinople,on 13 November, following theArmistice of Mudros.A month later, Gough-Calthorpe taskedSuperbto provide a crew for theRussian destroyerDerzky,which had been turned over to the Allies by the Germans after theArmistice of 11 November.On 4 December, the ship conveyed Gough-Calthorpe toOdessa,Russia, to inspect the situation there; he made another such visit toPort Said,Egypt, in late March 1919.[33]
The following month, she was relieved and sailed for England, and was reduced to reserve atSheernessupon her arrival on 26 April as she was thoroughly obsolete in comparison to the latest dreadnoughts.Superbbecame a gunnery training ship in September, until she was relieved of that duty in December. The ship was listed for disposal on 26 March 1920 atthe Noreand was used for gunnery experiments in December. Beginning in May 1922, she was used as a target ship for the next several months. In December, she was sold to Stanlee Shipbreaking Company, but was not towed toDoverfor demolition until 7 April 1923.[17]
Notes
edit- ^Dreadnoughtwas the first battleship with a homogenous main armament, and was the most powerful and fastest battleship in the world at the time of her completion. She made all other battleships obsolete and gave her name to all the subsequent battleships of her type.[1]
- ^Sources disagree on the type and composition of the secondary armament. Burt claims that they were the olderquick-firingQF Mark III guns.[4]Neither book by Preston identifies the type, but he does call them quick-firers.[3][7]Parkes also does not identify the type, but he does say that they were 50-calibre guns[8]and Preston agrees.[7]Friedman shows the QF Mark III as a 40-calibre gun and states that the 50-calibre BL Mark VII gun armed all of the early dreadnoughts.[9]
- ^In his 1919 book, Jellicoe generally only named specific ships when they were undertaking individual actions. Usually he referred to the Grand Fleet as a whole, or bysquadronsand, unless otherwise specified, this article assumes thatSuperbis participating in the activities of the Grand Fleet.
- ^The start date of this refit is unavailable, so the ship may not have been present at some of the preceding events.
- ^The times used in this section are inUT,which is one hour behindCET,which is often used in German works.
Citations
edit- ^Konstam, pp. 4–5
- ^Burt, p. 75
- ^abcPreston 1972, p. 122
- ^abcBurt, p. 64
- ^Burt, pp. 31, 64, 68
- ^Parkes, pp. 498–99
- ^abcPreston 1985, p. 22
- ^abParkes, p. 498
- ^Friedman, pp. 97–98
- ^Burt, pp. 62, 64; Parkes, p. 498
- ^Burt, pp. 68–69
- ^Brooks, p. 168
- ^Burt, pp. 69–70
- ^Colledge, p. 337
- ^abBurt, p. 72
- ^abcdef"H.M.S. Superb (1907)".The Dreadnought Project.Retrieved31 December2017.
- ^abcdefghiBurt, p. 73
- ^Massie, p. 19
- ^ab"Price Vaughan Lewes".The Dreadnought Project.Retrieved31 December2017.
- ^abJellicoe, pp. 163–65
- ^Jellicoe, pp. 172, 179, 183–84
- ^Jellicoe, p. 192
- ^Jellicoe, pp. 190, 206, 211–12, 217–19
- ^Monograph No. 29, p. 264
- ^Jellicoe, pp. 228, 243, 246, 250, 253
- ^Jellicoe, pp. 271, 275, 279–80, 284, 286–90
- ^Tarrant, pp. 54–55, 57–58
- ^Campbell, pp. 157, 196, 208, 346, 349
- ^Halpern 1995, pp. 330–32
- ^Monograph No. 33, p. 258
- ^"Sidney Robert Drury-Lowe".The Dreadnought Project.Retrieved31 December2017.
- ^Newbolt, p. 353
- ^Burt, p. 73; Halpern 2011, pp. 3, 12, 14–15, 17–18, 25
Bibliography
edit- Brooks, John (1996). "Percy Scott and the Director". In McLean, David; Preston, Antony (eds.).Warship 1996.London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 150–170.ISBN0-85177-685-X.
- Burt, R. A. (1986).British Battleships of World War One.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN0-87021-863-8.
- Campbell, N. J. M. (1986).Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN0-87021-324-5.
- Friedman, Norman(2011).Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations; An Illustrated Directory.Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing.ISBN978-1-84832-100-7.
- Halpern, Paul,ed. (2011).The Mediterranean Fleet 1920–1929.Navy Records Society Publications. Vol. 158. Farnham, Surrey, UK: Ashgate.ISBN978-1-4094-2756-8.
- Halpern, Paul G. (1995).A Naval History of World War I.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-55750-352-4.
- Jellicoe, John(1919).The Grand Fleet, 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development, and Work.New York: George H. Doran Company.OCLC13614571.
- Konstam, Angus(2013).British Battleships 1914-18 (1): The Early Dreadnoughts.New Vanguard. Vol. 200. Botley, UK: Osprey.ISBN978-1-78096-167-5.
- Massie, Robert K.(2003).Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea.New York: Random House.ISBN0-679-45671-6.
- Monograph No. 29: Home Waters–Part IV.: From February to July 1915(PDF).Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIII. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1925.OCLC220734221.
- Monograph No. 33: Home Waters, Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916(PDF).Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XVII. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1927.OCLC220734221.
- Newbolt, Henry(1996) [1931].Naval Operations.History of the Great War Based on Official Documents. Vol. V. Nashville, Tennessee: Battery Press.ISBN0-89839-255-1.
- Parkes, Oscar(1990) [1966].British Battleships,Warrior1860 toVanguard1950: A History of Design, Construction, and Armament(New & rev. ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-55750-075-4.
- Preston, Antony (1972).Battleships of World War I: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Battleships of All Nations 1914–1918.New York: Galahad Books.ISBN0-88365-300-1.
- Preston, Antony(1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gray, Randal (ed.).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 1–104.ISBN0-85177-245-5.
- Tarrant, V. E. (1999) [1995].Jutland: The German Perspective: A New View of the Great Battle, 31 May 1916.London: Brockhampton Press.ISBN1-86019-917-8.
External links
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