Dreadnought, late 1906.
Starboard quarter view of Dreadnought in 1907.
Superb view of Dreadnought fully dressed for inspection during the Imperial Press Conference Review of 1909. Note the rangefinder drum on top of the foretop rather than on the face.
Much praise was lavished on Dreadnought, and after her successful sea trials she underwent a lengthy special test cruise to the Mediterranean and Trinidad from January to March 1907. During this cruise a report was written on the capabilities of the vessel in general. Close inspection of the hull revealed that while her framework was ideally suitable for a ship of such proportions, some of the framing in the area of the forecastle had buckled slightly while she was in a swell. No real damage had been done, but it was noted that extra supports were needed in future vessels of similar size.
The accommodation of the crew and officers constituted a direct change from previous battleships; with the officers now quartered forward and the ratings aft. This reversal had been instigated by Admiral Fisher with a view to having the officers’ quarters nearer their normal action stations on the bridge and in the conning towers, bearing in mind the greater length of the vessel over previous designs. In hot weather, awnings could be erected on the quarterdeck for the men, and the officers, who had their own compartments, would not suffer. Another advantage of having the crew aft was that they could get to and from their quarters easily, without having to negotiate long passageways cluttered with coalbags which was the normal practice. The men had better ventilation from the long rows of scuttles abaft the armoured belts; this would lead to fewer cases of TB, which had been prevalent throughout the Navy in previous years. The system proved unsatisfactory, however, and was very unpopular with the officers. They felt that their accommodation was insufficiently segregated, their cabins were situated on the main deck level and were very small, distributed haphazardly wherever space could be found. The Admiral’s quarters were in the forward superstructure so, of course, there was no traditional sternwalk.
Dreadnought averaged 17 knots from Gibraltar to Trinidad (3,430 miles) and 19 knots from Trinidad to Portsmouth (3,980 miles) which was considered an unprecedented performance in high speed. En route she conducted manoeuvring and turning trials (see tables) and could not be faulted, especially in view of the fact that she was of considerably greater length than previous battleships. She was able to keep a straight line while steaming astern, and could be brought extremely quickly to rest from moderate speeds by using the propellers in reverse. The anchor gear was stated to be perfection for the day, but the machinery for the boat booms was inadequate and would have to be of a more powerful type in future. The winches used for coaling the ship were too weak for the job; larger engines were required, as was the case for the working of the ventilation fans.
DREADNOUGHT
Body plan
DREADNOUGHT
Deck layout, 1906
DREADNOUGHT
Sections
DREADNOUGHT: STEAM TRIALS JUNE/JULY 1914
The relatively poor performance throughout these trials stemmed from the fact that the ship had not been docked since March 1913 and her bottom was foul. Wind Force 3–4 NE, sea swell 3–4.
Draught: 29ft forward, 30ft 2in aft
Steam pressure: 206psi boilers, 191psi engines
Shaft revolutions: 228.4 starboard outer, 330.7 starboard inner, 324.8 port outer 287.2 port inner
Mean revolutions: 306.2 on all shafts
11,240shp developed by starboard engines, 11,410shp by port; total SHP 22,641 gave a recorded speed of 18 knots
A total of 158 tons of best Welsh coal was used.
The lifeboat equipment was noted as being perhaps the best yet installed in a battleship. The arrangements for control of the vessel were considered to be impressive; the entire ship could be viewed from the charthouse and bridge and it was claimed that Dreadnought was as easy to handle as a destroyer. The searchlight location was also praised.
Gunnery trials were carried out, and thought to be most satisfactory, although the size of the secondary armament was disliked, it being considered too small to combat attacking vessels. Throughout these trials, careful notes and observations were made by a Lieutenant Dreyer who, in collaboration with Captain P. Scott, was to change fire control within the Royal Navy with the introduction of the ‘director control system’ a few years before the First World War.
Dreadnought in 1909, with civilians aboard. Looking aft from the forecastle. Note twin 12in guns, twin 12pdr on top, one 36in SL on each bridge wing, two pairs of 36in on conning tower level, and single 24in on lower foretop position.
Dreadnought. View forward over the forecastle deck from the foretop. Note the simple and uncluttered bridge with compass positioned centrally in front.
Appearance Changes
Dreadnought conveyed an immediate impression of exceptional power and fighting efficiency. She was always easily distinguishable by her large, heavy tripod foremast, its legs raked forward close abaft the fore funnel, but in any case her appearance was radically different from preceding ships or, in fact, from any battleship then afloat. Prominent features included: a raised forecastle with cutaway sides; a heavy turret on each beam and on the centreline amidships; flat-sided funnels, the fore noticeably smaller than the after funnel; stump tripod mainmast, its legs raked aft, carrying the after control top; tall derrick topped up vertically each side of the mainmast. Changes in appearance during the course of her life included:
1906–7 Rangefinder added over after conning tower behind second funnel. Prominent flaps (collapsible) fitted at each side of rangefinder platform (probably blast screens). Extra 12pdr guns added on each of the centreline turrets.
1909–10 Experimental range indicator fitted over fore control top; relocated on face of top during 1910–11 and removed in 1912. Fitted with short-radius W/T set. Forward pair of searchlights removed from superstructure amidships.
1912–13 Blast screens added abaft 12pdrs on fore turret.
1913