&sq=&lang=&file=File:HMS_Hercules.jpg) Hercules at anchor in Scapa Flow, circa 1916–1917
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Hercules |
| Namesake | Mythic demigod Hercules |
| Ordered | 1 June 1909 |
| Builder | Palmers, Jarrow |
| Laid down | 30 July 1909 |
| Launched | 10 May 1910 |
| Commissioned | 31 July 1911 |
| Out of service | October 1921 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 8 November 1921 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Colossus-class dreadnought battleship |
| Displacement | 20,030 long tons (20,350 t) (normal) |
| Length | 545 ft 9 in (166.3 m) (o/a) |
| Beam | 85 ft 2 in (26.0 m) |
| Draught | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | 4 × shafts; 2 × steam turbine sets |
| Speed | 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) |
| Range | 6,680 nmi (12,370 km; 7,690 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 778–791 (1916) |
| Armament |
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| Armour | |
HMS Hercules was the second and last of the two Colossus-class dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy at the end of the first decade of the 20th century. She spent her whole career assigned to the Home and Grand Fleets, often serving as a flagship. Aside from participating in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 and the inconclusive action of 19 August, her service during World War I generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea. The ship was deemed obsolete after the war and was reduced to reserve. Hercules was sold for scrap in 1921 and broken up the following year.