HMS Royal Oak (1892)

HMS Royal Oak in 1897
History
United Kingdom
Name	Royal Oak
Namesake	The Royal Oak
Builder	Laird Brothers, Birkenhead
Cost	£977,996
Laid down	29 May 1890
Launched	5 November 1892
Completed	June 1894
Commissioned	14 January 1896
Decommissioned	December 1911
Fate	Sold for scrap, 14 January 1914
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	Royal Sovereign-class predreadnought battleship
Displacement	14,150 long tons (14,380 t) (normal)
Length	380 ft (115.8 m) (pp)
Beam	75 ft (22.9 m)
Draught	27 ft 6 in (8.4 m)
Installed power	11,000 ihp (8,200 kW) 8 cylindrical boilers
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 Triple-expansion steam engines
Speed	17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph)
Range	4,720 nmi (8,740 km; 5,430 mi) @ 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	692 (as flagship, 1903)
Armament	2 × twin 13.5 in (343 mm) guns 10 × single 6 in (152 mm) guns 10 × single 6-pdr (57 mm (2.2 in)) guns 12 × single 3-pdr (47 mm (1.9 in)) guns 7 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour	Main belt: 14–18 in (356–457 mm) bulkheads: 14–16 in (356–406 mm) Barbettes: 11–17 in (279–432 mm) Casemates: 6 in (152 mm) Conning tower: 12–14 in (305–356 mm) Deck: 2.5–3 in (64–76 mm)

HMS Royal Oak was one of seven Royal Sovereign-class pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy during the 1890s. Upon her completion in 1894, she was initially placed in reserve until mobilised in 1896 for service with the Flying Squadron. After returning briefly to reserve, the ship was assigned the following year to the Mediterranean Fleet. Royal Oak remained there until 1902 when she returned home; after a refit, the ship was assigned to the Home Fleet, where she served as the flagship of the fleet's second-in-command in 1904–05. Royal Oak was then reduced to reserve until she was taken out of service in 1911. The ship was sold for scrap in early 1914.