HMS King Edward VII

History
UK
Name	HMS King Edward VII
Ordered	1903/04 Estimates
Builder	Devonport Dockyard
Laid down	8 March 1902
Launched	23 July 1903
Fate	Mined off Cape Wrath on 6 January 1916
General characteristics
Class and type	King Edward VII class battleship
Displacement	16,350 tons (standard) 17,500 tons (full load)
Length	453 ft 6 in (138.23 m)
Beam	78 ft (24 m)
Draught	26 ft 9 in (8.15 m)
Propulsion	Coal fired (with oil sprayers) water tube boilers Two 4-cylinder vertical compound expansion stream engines 2 screws, 18,000 hp (13 MW)
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement	777
Armament	4 × 12 in (305 mm) guns (2 main turrets) 4 × 9.2 in (234 mm) guns (4 secondary turrets) 10 × 6 in (152 mm) guns 5 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes (4 broadside, one stern) 14 × 12 pounder guns 14 × 3 pounder guns 2 x Maxim machine guns
Armour	9 in (229 mm) belt amidships 12 in (305 mm) barbettes 9 in (229 mm) main turrets 7 in (178 mm) secondary turrets 2 in (51 mm) armoured deck

HMS King Edward VII, named after King Edward VII, was the lead ship of the King Edward VII class of British Royal Navy battleships.

The ship was built at Devonport Dockyard and launched 23 July 1903.

King Edward VII hit a mine whilst travelling from Rosyth to Devonport around the Northern coast of Scotland for a refit. The mine had been laid by the German auxiliary cruiser SMS Moewe off Cape Wrath on 6 January 1916. The explosion occurred under the starboard engine room and attempts to tow her were abandoned because of a heavy sea and strong winds. After about five hours, the list had become so great that the crew were taken off by destroyers. The ship capsized and sank around nine hours after the explosion. At the time it was not clear whether she had hit a mine or a torpedo, the presence of the minefield being determined from German records after the war. The wreck, in 115 metres of water, was first visited by divers in April 1997.

References

• Roger Chesneau and Eugene M. Kolesnik, ed., Conway's All The Worlds Fighting Ships, 1860-1905, (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1979), ISBN 0-85177-133-5
• Dittmar, F. J. & Colledge, J. J., "British Warships 1914-1919", (Ian Allen, London, 1972), ISBN 0-7110-0380-7
• 1997 diving expedition (Link Broken)

External links

• Maritimequest HMS King Edward VII Photo Gallery