Formidable Class Battleship (1898)

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Overview of 3 vessels
Citations for this data available on individual ship pages
Name Builder Laid Down Launched Completed Fate
Formidable Portsmouth Royal Dockyard 21 Mar, 1898 17 Nov, 1898 10 Oct, 1901 Torpedoed 1 Jan, 1915
Implacable Devonport Royal Dockyard 13 Jul, 1898 11 Mar, 1899 10 Sep, 1901 Sold 8 Nov, 1921
Irresistible Chatham Royal Dockyard 11 Apr, 1898 15 Dec, 1898 4 Feb, 1902 Mined 18 Mar, 1915

Armament

During the war, along with those of other older ships, the eight 6-inch guns casemated on the first deck proved of little use in practical sea states. It was decided to remove the eight casemate guns, plate their ports over and move 4 of them to the upper deck. Four of the twelve 12-pdr guns were also surrendered due to this alteration.[1][Fact Check]

Main Battery

The 12-in guns were Mark IX, mounted in B. VI turrets.[2][Fact Check]

Secondary Battery

In February, 1913, the 6-in mountings, along with many other 4-in and 6-in mountings in various capital ships and cruisers were to have illumination added for their training index racers.[3]

Other Guns

Twelve 12-pdr guns, later reduced to eight when the 6-in casemate guns were relocated.[4][Fact Check]

Torpedoes

Four submerged 18-in tubes. The forward ones were angled 10 degrees forward of the beam and the aft 25 degrees abaft the beam.[5]

Fire Control

Though it may have little relevance given the age difference, the general system of wiring between the T.S.es in ships prior to Lord Nelson class is illustrated in Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914.[6]

Rangefinders

Evershed Bearing Indicators

It is unlikely that this equipment was ever provided.[Inference]

Directors

These ships never received directors for main or secondary batteries.[7]

Gunnery Control

The ship's guns were organized in 3 groups:[8]

  1. Two 12-in turrets
  2. Starboard 6-in guns ("A" & "X')
  3. Port 6-in guns ("B" & "Y")

Local Control in Turrets

There was no provision in these ships for local turret control wherein the receivers in the turret could be driven by transmitters in the officer's position at the back of the turret.[9]

Transmitting Stations

These ships likely had fore and aft T.S.es.[10][Inference]

A C.O.S. allowed[Inference] control options of

  1. Fore
  2. After
  3. Separate

Each control group had transmitters with a pair of receivers, one wired directly to the transmitter as a tell-tale, and the other fed off the wires going to the distant guns (i.e., the aft guns for the fore T.S. and vice-versa) as a repeat. "These repeat receivers are necessary to keep the idle transmitters in step; when changing back from separate control they are required to enable both halves of the group to be set alike before being paralleled on to one transmitter."[11]

Dreyer Table

These ships never received Dreyer tables.[12]

Fire Control Instruments

The 3 ships in this class were equipped in 2 separate styles.

By 1909, Formidable and Implacable were equipped with:[13]

  • Range (B. & S. Mark II): 6 transmitters, 30 receivers
  • Orders (B & S Mark I): 6 transmitters, 20 receivers
  • Rate (B. & S. Mark II): 4 transmitters, 8 receivers
  • Deflection (Vickers): 6 transmitters, 26 receivers

Additionally, this class had the following Siemens fire control equipment:[14]

  • Group Switches: 3 (converted by Chatham)
  • Turret fire gongs: 8 with 2 keys
  • Fire Gongs: 12 with 4 keys
  • Captain's Cease Fire Bells: 18 with 1 key

Irresistible was equipped with Vickers, Son and Maxim instruments for range, deflection and orders and with Barr and Stroud rate instruments[15] Detailed information is lacking, but might be similar to London class or another such.[Inference]

These ships lacked Target Visible and Gun Ready signals.[16]

Torpedo Control

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The Technical History and Index, Vol. 4, Part 36. p. 9. I am inferring here that this class was treated as part of London, Duncan or Canopus classes which are unmentioned in the source, but which straddle this in time.
  2. ↑ The Sight Manual, 1916. p. 109.
  3. ↑ Admiralty Weekly Orders. The National Archives. ADM 182/4. 21 Feb, 1913 entries. pp. 3-4.
  4. ↑ ditto the inference under "Armament"
  5. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1898. p. 598.
  6. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 50 & Plates 50 and 54(I).
  7. ↑ The Director Firing Handbook. pp. 142-3.
  8. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 8.
  9. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 50.
  10. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 50 & Plates 50 and 54(I).
  11. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. pp. 50-1.
  12. ↑ Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. p. 3.
  13. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909. pp. 58-9.
  14. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909. p. 59.
  15. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909. p. 56.
  16. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 11.

Bibliography

  • Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1910). Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909. Copy No. 173 is Ja 345a at Admiralty Library, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
  • Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1914). Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. G. 01627/14. C.B. 1030. Copy 1235 at The National Archives. ADM 186/191.
  • Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1917). The Director Firing Handbook. O.U. 6125 (late C.B. 1259). Copy No. 322 at The National Archives. ADM 186/227.
  • Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1918). Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. C.B. 1456. Copy No. 10 at Admiralty Library, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
  • Parkes, O.B.E., Ass.I.N.A., Dr. Oscar (1990). British Battleships 1860–1950. London: Pen & Sword Ltd. ISBN 0850526043. (on Bookfinder.com).



Formidable Class Pre-dreadnought
  Formidable Implacable Irresistible  
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