Queen Elizabeth-class battleship

Queen Elizabeth in her original configuration at Lemnos, 24 April 1915
Class overview
NameQueen Elizabeth class
Operators Royal Navy
Preceded byIron Duke class
Succeeded byRevenge class
In commission1914–1947
Planned6
Completed5
Cancelled1
Lost1
Scrapped4
General characteristics (as built)
TypeSuper dreadnought battleship
Displacement
Length643 ft 9 in (196.2 m) (o/a)
Beam90 ft 7 in (27.6 m)
Draught33 ft 7 in (10.2 m) (deep load)
Installed power
Propulsion4 shafts; 2 steam turbine sets
Speed24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Range5,000 nmi (9,260 km; 5,750 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement
  • 923–951 (as completed)
  • 1,249–1,262 (as flagships, 1920)
Armament
Armour

The Queen Elizabeth-class battleships were a group of five super-dreadnoughts built for the Royal Navy during the 1910s. These battleships were superior in firepower, protection and speed to their Royal Navy predecessors of the Iron Duke class as well as preceding German classes such as the König class. The corresponding Bayern-class ships were generally considered competitive, although the Queen Elizabeth class were 2 knots (3.7 km/h) faster and outnumbered the German class 5:2. The Queen Elizabeths are generally considered the first fast battleships of their day.

The Queen Elizabeths were the first battleships to be armed with 15-inch (381 mm) guns, and were described in the 1919 edition of Jane's Fighting Ships as "the most successful type of capital ship yet designed."[1] They saw much service in both world wars. Barham was lost to a U-boat attack in 1941, but the others survived the wars and were scrapped in the late 1940s.

  1. ^ Jane, Fred T. (Parkes, Surgeon-Lt. R.N. Dr. Oscar and Prendergast, Maurice co-ed.) (1919). Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I. London: Jane's Publishing (1990 reprint, Military Press, New York; dist. by Crown Publishers). p. 36. ISBN 0-517-03375-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)