HMS Iron Duke

Type:
Battleship
Class:
Builder:
Portsmouth Dockyard
Portsmouth, England
Pennant Number:
N/A
Ordered:
1911
Launched:
October 12, 1912
Keel Laid:
January 12, 1912
Commissioned:
March 10, 1914
Fate:
Sold Mar. 1946 and scrapped in Glasgow, Scotland.


Dimensions, Machinery and Performance

Length:
622' 7"
Engines:
4 Parsons steam turbines
Beam:
89' 8"
Boilers:
18 Babcock & Wilcox (coal fired)
Draft:
32' 9" (max)
Shafts:
4
Displacement:
25,820 std. / 30,380 full
SHP:
29,000
Speed:
21 knots
Crew:
1,000+
Range:
4,840 NM @ 19 knots / 7,780 NM @ 10 knots


Armament
Number Carried
Type
Arrangement
Maximum Range / Ceiling
10
13.5"/45 (343mm)
5 twin turrets
23,820 yards @ 20° (13.5 miles)
with a 567 lb. armor piercing shell

12
6"/45 (152mm) Mk VII
single mounts
15,800 yards @ 20° (8.9 miles)
with a 100 lb. HE shell

2
3"/45 (76mm) QF
single mounts
12,950 yards @ 40° (7.3 miles)
AA ceiling 15,700'
with a 17.5 lb. HE shell

4
21" (533mm)
torpedo tubes
all submerged
broadside
4,500 yards @ 45 knots (2.5 miles)
10,750 yards @ 31 knots (6.1 miles)
515 lb. TNT warhead

Armament notes:
The original design placed two of the 6" guns in casemates at the stern however, it was
found that the guns were ineffective in that position and that the open casemates
allowed flooding to occur. These guns were reinstalled on the forecastle deck.

Iron Duke was disarmed due to the London Naval Treaty in 1931-32 and used as a
gunnery training ship. In addition to loosing both B and Y turrets the torpedo tubes
were removed and two 4" AA guns were mounted aft in single mounts.
Another AA gun was mounted in place of B turret (unknown type).
In 1939 a twin 4.5" turret was mounted just aft of X turret.


History
1914-1919

Grand Fleet (Flagship Aug. 1914-Nov. 1916).
1919-1926:
Mediterranean Fleet.
1926-1929:
Atlantic Fleet.
1931-1932:
Disarmed and converted into a gunnery training ship.
Oct. 17, 1939:
Damaged by German Aircraft at Scapa Flow, grounded to avoid sinking. Completely
disarmed and used as an accommodations ship.

1946:
Sold for scrap.


Notes:
Named in honor of Field Marshall Arthur Wellesley, 1st. Duke of Wellington (1769-1852).
Participated at the Battle of Jutland.


Ship's Data
Page published Mar. 10, 2007