Pre-dreadnought battleship 1040599 225266496 2008-07-12T19:58:11Z 91.153.217.73 grammatical nitpickery [[Image:HMS Ocean (Canopus-class battleship).jpg|thumb|right|[[HMS Ocean (1898)|HMS ''Ocean'']], typical of pre-dreadnought battleships.]] [[Image:Us-atlantic-fleet-1907.jpg|thumb|right|US [[Great White Fleet]] leaves [[Hampton Roads]], [[Virginia]], on December 16, 1907.]] '''Pre-dreadnought battleship''' is the general term for all of the types of sea going [[battleship]]s built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the [[ironclad warship|ironclad]] warships of the 1870s and 1880s. Built from [[steel]], and protected by [[case-hardening|hardened]] steel armour, pre-dreadnought battleships carried a [[main battery]] of very heavy guns in [[Gun turret|turrets]] supported by one or more secondary batteries of lighter weapons. They were powered by coal-fuelled [[triple-expansion steam engine]]s. In contrast to the chaotic development of ironclad warships in preceding decades, the 1890s saw navies worldwide start to build battleships to a common design as dozens of ships worldwide essentially followed the design of the British [[Majestic class battleship|''Majestic'']] class.<ref>Roberts, p. 112.</ref> The similarity in appearance of battleships in the 1890s was underlined by the increasing number of ships being built. New naval powers like [[German Empire|Germany]], [[Empire of Japan|Japan]] and the [[United States of America|United States]] began to establish themselves with fleets of pre-dreadnoughts, while the navies of [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Britain]], [[French Third Republic|France]] and [[Russian Empire|Russia]] expanded to meet these new threats. The main clash of pre-dreadnought fleets would be fought between the [[Imperial Russian Navy|Russians]] and [[Imperial Japanese Navy|Japanese]] during the [[Battle of Tsushima]] on 27 May 1905. These dozens of battleships were abruptly made obsolete by the arrival of [[HMS Dreadnought (1906)|HMS ''Dreadnought'']] in 1906. ''Dreadnought'' followed the trend in battleship design to heavier, longer-ranged guns by adopting an 'all-big-gun' armament scheme of ten {{convert|12|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns; her innovative [[steam turbine]] engines also made her faster.<ref>Massie, ''Dreadnought'', pp. 474-5.</ref> The existing pre-dreadnoughts were decisively outclassed; new battleships were from then on known as [[dreadnought]]s while the ships laid down previously were designated pre-dreadnoughts. In spite of their obsolescence, the pre-dreadnought battleships played an important role in [[World War I]] and could even be found serving in [[World War II]].<ref>Chesneau, p. 200.</ref> == Evolution == [[Image:HMSDreadnought1875.jpeg|thumb|right|[[HMS Dreadnought (1875)|HMS ''Dreadnought'']] shows the low freeboard typical for early ironclad turret-ships. This ship, launched in 1875, should not be confused with her famous namesake, launched in 1906, marking the end of the pre-dreadnought era.]] The pre-dreadnought developed from the [[ironclad warship|ironclad battleship]]. The first ironclads—[[French battleship La Gloire|''La Gloire'']] and [[HMS Warrior (1860)|''Warrior'']]—looked much like a sailing [[frigate]], with three tall masts and [[broadside]] battery, when they were commissioned at the start of the 1860s. Only eight years later [[HMVS Cerberus]], the first [[breastwork monitor]] was launched followed three years later by [[HMS Devastation (1871)|HMS ''Devastation'']], a ship which looked more similar to the pre-dreadnought battleship & was the first ocean going [[breastwork monitor]]. Mastless, both ships carried four heavy guns in two turrets fore and aft. ''Devastation'' was a [[breastwork monitor]], built to attack enemy coasts and harbours; because of her very low [[freeboard]], she lacked the [[seaworthiness]] needed to fight on the high seas; her decks would be swept by water and spray, interfering with the working of her guns.<ref>Beeler, pp. 93–95; also see p. 169 for a graphic illustration of the problem.</ref> Navies worldwide continued to build masted, turretless battleships which had sufficient freeboard and were good enough sea-boats to fight on the high seas. The distinction between coast-assault battleship and cruising battleship became blurred with the [[Admiral class battleship|''Admiral'']] class, ordered in 1880. These ships reflected developments in ironclad design, being protected by iron-and-steel [[compound armour]] rather than [[wrought iron]]. Equipped with [[breech-loading]] guns of between 12&nbsp;inch and 16&thinsp;¼&nbsp;inch (305&nbsp;mm and 413&nbsp;mm) calibre, the ''Admiral''s continued the trend of ironclad warships towards gigantic weapons. The guns were mounted in open [[barbette]]s to save weight. Some historians see these ships as a vital step towards pre-dreadnoughts; others view them as a confused and unsuccessful design.<ref>Beeler, pp. 167–168: he cites Oscar Parkes as seeing the similarities between ''Admiral''s and ''Royal Sovereign''s, but disagrees.</ref> [[Image:HMS Ramillies 1892.jpg|thumb|left|[[HMS Ramillies (1892)|HMS ''Ramillies'']] was the fourth ship of the influential [[Royal Sovereign class battleship|''Royal Sovereign'' class]].]] The subsequent [[Royal Sovereign class battleship|''Royal Sovereign'']] class of 1889 retained barbettes but were uniformly armed with {{convert|13.5|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns; they were also significantly larger (at 14,000 tons [[Displacement (fluid)|displacement]]) and faster (due to triple-expansion steam engines) than the ''Admiral''s. Just as importantly, the ''Royal Sovereign''s had a higher freeboard, making them unequivocally capable of the high-seas battleship role.<ref>Beeler, p. 168.</ref><ref>Gardiner, p. 116.</ref> The pre-dreadnought design reached maturity with the [[Majestic class battleship|''Majestic'']] class,<ref>Roberts, p. 117: "Many regard them as the first true pre-dreadnoughts..."</ref> of which the lead ship was launched in 1895. These ships were built and armoured entirely of steel, and their guns were mounted in fully-enclosed barbettes, inevitably referred to as turrets. They also adopted a {{convert|12|in|mm|0|adj=on}} main gun, which, due to advances in casting and propellant, was lighter and more powerful than the previous guns of larger calibre. The ''Majestic''s provided the model for battleship-building in the Royal Navy and many other navies for years to come.<ref>Gardiner, p. 117.</ref> == Armament == [[Image:MIKASAGUNS.jpg|thumb|right|The heavy guns and forward barbette of [[Japanese battleship Mikasa|''Mikasa'']].]] Pre-dreadnoughts carried several different calibres of guns for different roles in ship-to-ship combat. The main armament was four heavy guns, mounted in two centreline turrets fore and aft. Very few pre-dreadnoughts deviated from this arrangement. These guns were slow-firing and, initially, of limited accuracy; however they were the only guns heavy enough to penetrate the thick armour which protected the engines, magazines, and main guns of enemy battleships.<ref name="Sumrall 14">Sumrall, p. 14.</ref> The most common calibre for the main armament was 12 inches; British battleships from the ''Majestic'' class onwards carried this calibre, as did French ships from the ''Charlemagne'' class (laid down 1894). Japan, importing most of its guns from Britain, used 12-inch guns. The United States used both 12- and {{convert|13|in|mm|0|sing=on}} guns for most of the 1890s until the [[Maine class battleship|''Maine'']] class, laid down 1899, after which the {{convert|12|in|mm|0|sing=on}} gun was universal. The Russians had either 12- or {{convert|10|in|mm|0|sing=on}} as their main armament. The first German pre-dreadnoughts used a {{convert|9.4|in|mm|0|sing=on}} gun, but ships laid down after 1900, starting with the [[Braunschweig class battleship|''Braunschweig'']] class, tended to carry {{convert|11|in|mm|0|sing=on}} guns.<ref>Roberts, pp. 117–125.</ref> [[Image:Battleship Mikasa from JFS1906 Cropped.png|thumb|left|''[[Japanese battleship Mikasa|Mikasa]]'', a typical pre-dreadnought in many respects; note the positioning of secondary and tertiary batteries, and the concentration of armour on turrets and engineering spaces.]] [[Image:HMS Agamemnon (1908) profile drawing.png|thumb|left|[[HMS Agamemnon (1906)|HMS ''Agamemnon'']], an example of taking the intermediate battery principle to its conclusion with ten 9.2-inch guns in six turrets amidships.]] While the calibre of the main battery remained quite constant, the performance of the guns improved as longer barrels were introduced. The introduction of slow-burning [[nitrocellulose]] and [[cordite]] propellant meant a longer barrel offered a higher [[muzzle velocity]] and hence range and penetrating power for the same [[calibre]] of shell.<ref>Roberts, p. 113.</ref> Between the ''Majestic'' class and ''Dreadnought'', the length of the British 12-inch gun increased from 35 [[caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|calibres]] to 45 and muzzle velocity increased from 2417 feet per second (737 m/s) to 2725 (830 m/s).<ref>Campbell, p. 169.</ref> Pre-dreadnoughts also carried a secondary battery. This consisted of smaller guns, typically {{convert|6|in|mm|0|sing=on}}, though any calibre from 4 to 9.2 inches (100 to 230 mm) could be used. Virtually all secondary guns were '[[List of British ordnance terms|quick firing]]', employing a number of innovations to increase the rate of fire. The propellant was provided in a brass cartridge, and both the breech mechanism and the mounting were suitable for rapid aiming and reloading.<ref>Campbell, p. 163.</ref> The role of the secondary battery was to damage the less well-armoured parts of an enemy battleship; while unable to penetrate the main armour belt, it might score hits on lightly armoured areas like the bridge, or start fires.<ref name="Sumrall 14" /> Equally important, the secondary armament was to be used against enemy [[cruiser]]s, [[destroyer]]s, and even [[torpedo boat]]s. A medium-calibre gun could expect to penetrate the light armour of smaller ships, while the rate of fire of the secondary battery was important in scoring a hit against a small, maneuverable target. Secondary guns were mounted in a variety of ways; sometimes carried in turrets, they were just as often positioned in fixed armoured casemates in the side of the hull, or in unarmoured positions on upper decks. [[Image:USS Indiana forecastle.jpg|thumb|right|[[Indiana class battleship|USS ''Indiana'']], an example of the intermediate battery principle with its forward 13-inch and forward port 8-inch gun turrets.]] Some of the pre-dreadnoughts carried an 'intermediate' battery, typically of 8-inch (203 mm) to 10-inch calibre. The intermediate battery was a method of packing more heavy firepower into the same battleship, principally of use against battleships or at long ranges. The United States Navy pioneered the intermediate battery concept in the [[Indiana class battleship|''Indiana'']], [[USS Iowa (BB-4)|''Iowa'']] and [[Kearsarge class battleship|''Kearsage'']] classes, but not in the battleships laid down between 1897–1901.<ref>Roberts, p. 122.</ref> Shortly after the USN re-adopted the intermediate battery, the British, Italian, Russian, French and Japanese navies laid down intermediate-battery ships. This later generation of intermediate-battery ships almost without exception finished building after ''Dreadnought'' and hence were obsolete before completion.<ref>Roberts, pp. 125–126.</ref> During the ironclad age, the range of engagements increased; in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894&ndash;5 battles were fought at around 1 mile (2,000&nbsp;m), while in the [[Battle of the Yellow Sea]] in 1904, the fleets were engaged at 3.5 miles (6,500&nbsp;m).<ref>Sondhaus, pp. 170, 171, 189.</ref> In part, the increase in engagement range was due to the longer range of torpedoes, and in part due to improved gunnery and fire control. In consequence, shipbuilders tended towards heavier secondary armament, of the same calibre that the 'intermediate' battery had been previously; the Royal Navy's last pre-dreadnought class, the [[Lord Nelson class battleship|''Lord Nelson'']] class, carried ten 9.2 in guns as her secondary armament. Ships with a uniform, heavy secondary battery are often referred to as 'semi-dreadnoughts'.<ref>Roberts, pp. 125&ndash;6.</ref> The pre-dreadnought's armament was completed by a tertiary battery of light, rapid-fire guns. These could be of any calibre from 3-inch (76 mm) down to [[machine gun]]s. Their role was to give short-range protection against torpedo boats, or to rake the deck and superstructure of a battleship.<ref name="Sumrall 14" /> In addition to their gun armament, many pre-dreadnought battleships were armed with [[Torpedo#Self-propelled torpedoes|torpedo]]es, fired from fixed tubes located either above or below the waterline. By the pre-dreadnought era the torpedo was typically 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter and had an effective range of several thousand yards. However, it was virtually unknown for a battleship to score a hit with a torpedo.<ref>Hill, p. 155.</ref> == Protection == [[Image:Armoured cruiser schematic.png|thumb|right|Schematic section of a typical pre-dreadnought battleship with an armoured upper and middle deck and side belt (red), lateral protective coal bunkers (grey) and a double-bottom of watertight compartments. The machinery was arranged in the protected internal void.]] Pre-dreadnought battleships carried a considerable weight of steel armour. Experience showed that rather than giving the ship uniform armour protection, it was best to concentrate armour over critical areas. The central section of the hull, which housed the boilers and engines, was protected by the main belt, which ran from just below the waterline to some distance above it. This 'central citadel' was intended to protect the engines from even the most powerful shells. The main armament and the magazines were protected by projections of thick armour from the main belt. The beginning of the pre-dreadnought era was marked by a move from mounting the main armament in open [[barbette]]s to an all-enclosed, turret mounting.<ref name="Roberts 117">Roberts, p. 117.</ref> The main belt armour would normally taper to a lesser thickness along the side of the hull towards bow and stern; it might also taper up from the central citadel towards the superstructure. The deck was typically lightly armoured with 2&nbsp;in to 4&nbsp;in of steel.<ref>Roberts, pp. 132–133.</ref> This lighter armour was to prevent high-explosive shells from wrecking the superstructure of the ship.<ref>''The Eclipse of the Big Gun'', p. 8.</ref> [[Image:BB05 Kearsarge BB06 Kentucky U.S. Naval Historical Center. NH 76632.jpg|thumb|left|Cross-section view amidships of [[USS Kearsarge (BB-5)|USS ''Kearsarge'']], showing how the armour scheme relates to the innards of the ship.]] The battleships of the late 1880s, for instance the [[Royal Sovereign class battleship|''Royal Sovereign'' class]], were armoured with iron and steel [[compound armour]]. This was soon replaced with more effective case hardened steel armour made using the [[Harvey armor|Harvey process]] developed in the United States. First tested in 1891, Harvey armour was commonplace in ships laid down in 1893–5.<ref name="Roberts 117" /> However, its reign was brief; in 1895, the German [[SMS Kaiser Friedrich III|''Kaiser Friedrich III'']] pioneered the even better [[Krupp armour]]; Europe adopted Krupp plate within five years, only the United States persisted in using Harvey steel into the 20th Century. The improving quality of armour plate meant that new ships could have better protection from a thinner and lighter armour belt. Twelve inches of compound armour provided the same protection as just 7.5 inches of Harvey or 5.75 inches of Krupp.<ref>Sondhaus, p. 166.</ref> == Propulsion == [[Image:Water tube boiler schematic.png|thumb|right|The [[water-tube boiler]] was the most efficient method of producing high-pressure steam for pre-dreadnought engines.]] All pre-dreadnoughts were powered by reciprocating [[steam engine]]s. Most were capable of top speeds between 16 and {{convert|18|kn|mph km/h|0|lk=on}}.<ref>Roberts, p. 132.</ref> The ironclads of the 1880s used [[Steam engine#Compounding|compound engines]], but by the end of the 1880s the more efficient [[Steam engine#Multiple expansion|triple expansion engine]] was in use. Some fleets, though not the British, adopted the quadruple-expansion steam engine.<ref name="Roberts 114">Roberts, p. 114.</ref> The main improvement in engine performance during the pre-dreadnought period came from the adoption of increasingly higher pressure steam from the boiler. The early cylindrical [[fire-tube boiler]]s were superseded by more efficient [[water-tube boiler]]s, allowing higher-pressure steam to be produced with less fuel consumption. Water-tube boilers were also safer, with less risk of explosion, and more flexible than fire-tube types. The Belleville-type water-tube boiler had been introduced in the French fleet as early as 1879, but it took until 1894 for the Royal Navy to adopt it for armoured cruisers and pre-dreadnoughts; other water-tube boilers followed in navies worldwide.<ref>Griffiths, pp. 176–177.</ref> [[Image:Triple expansion engine animation.gif|thumb|left|The working of a triple-expansion steam engine. High-pressure steam is used three times to produce motive power, gradually cooling as it goes.]] The engines drove either two or three [[screw propellor]]s. France and Germany preferred the three-screw approach, which allowed the engines to be shorter and hence more easily protected; they were also more maneuverable and had better resistance to accidental damage. Triple screws were, however, generally larger and heavier than the twin-screw arrangements preferred by most other navies.<ref name="Roberts 114" /> [[Coal]] was the almost exclusive fuel for the pre-dreadnought period, though navies made the first experiments with oil propulsion in the late 1890s.<ref>Griffiths, p. 177.</ref> An extra knot or two of speed could be gained by applying a 'forced draught' to the furnaces, where air was pumped into the furnaces, but this risked damage to the boilers. == Pre-dreadnought fleets and battles == [[Image:Battleship Retvisan.jpg|thumb|right|[[Russian battleship Retvizan|''Retvizan'']] sinks in [[Battle of Port Arthur|Port Arthur]].]] The pre-dreadnought battleship in its heyday was the core of a very diverse navy. Many older ironclads were still in service. Battleships served alongside [[cruiser]]s of many descriptions: modern [[armored cruiser|armoured cruiser]]s which were essentially cut-down battleships, lighter [[protected cruiser]]s, and even older unarmoured cruisers, sloops and frigates whether built out of steel, iron or wood. The battleships were threatened by [[torpedo boat]]s; it was during the pre-dreadnought era that the first [[destroyer]]s were constructed to deal with the torpedo-boat threat, though at the same time the first effective [[submarine]]s were being constructed.<ref>Sondhaus, pp. 155–156, 182–183.</ref> The pre-dreadnought age saw the beginning of the end of the 19th century naval balance of power in which France and Russia vied for competition against the massive British [[Royal Navy]], and saw the start of the rise of the 'new naval powers' of Germany, Japan and the USA. The new ships of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] and to a lesser extent the [[U.S. Navy]] supported those powers' colonial expansion. While pre-dreadnoughts were adopted worldwide, there were no clashes between pre-dreadnought battleships until the very end of their period of dominance. The [[First Sino-Japanese War]] in 1894–95 influenced pre-dreadnought development, but the largest modern ships involved were cruisers.<ref>Sondhaus, pp. 170–171.</ref> The [[Spanish-American War]] of 1898 was a mismatch: with the American pre-dreadnought fleet engaging Spanish cruisers. Not until the [[Russo-Japanese War]] of 1904-05 did pre-dreadnaughts engage on an equal footing. This happened in two battles: the indecisive [[Battle of the Yellow Sea]] on 10 August 1904, and the decisive Japanese victory at the [[Battle of Tsushima]] on May 27, 1905. [[Gunboat diplomacy]] was typically conducted by cruisers or smaller warships. A British squadron of three protected cruisers and two gunboats brought about the [[Anglo-Zanzibar War|capitulation of Zanzibar]] in 1896; and while battleships participated in the combined fleet Western powers deployed during the [[Boxer rebellion]], the naval part of the action was performed by gunboats, destroyers and sloops.<ref>Sondhaus, p. 186.</ref> === Europe === [[Image:Battleship Justice.png|thumb|right|The French battleship ''Justice'' at speed.]] European navies remained dominant in the pre-dreadnought era. The British [[Royal Navy]] remained the world's largest fleet, though both Britain's traditional naval rivals and the new European powers increasingly asserted themselves against her supremacy. [[Image:HMS Dominion.jpg|thumb|175px|left|[[HMS Dominion (1903)|HMS ''Dominion'']] of the ''King Edward VII''-class was launched towards the end of the pre-dreadnought era, in 1903.]] In 1889, Britain formally adopted a 'Two Power Standard' committing her to building enough battleships to exceed the two largest other navies combined; at the time, this meant France and Russia, who became formally allied in the early 1890s.<ref>Sondhaus, p. 161.</ref> The [[Royal Sovereign class battleship|''Royal Sovereign'' class]] and [[Majestic class battleship|''Majestic'' class]] were followed by a regular programme of construction at a much quicker pace than in previous years. The [[Canopus class battleship|''Canopus'']], [[Formidable class battleship|''Formidable'']], [[Duncan class battleship (1901)|''Duncan'']] and [[King Edward VII class battleship|''King Edward VII'']] classes appeared in rapid succession from 1897 to 1905.<ref>Sondhaus, pp. 168, 182.</ref> Counting two ships ordered by Chile but taken over by the British, the Royal Navy had 39 pre-dreadnought battleships ready or building by 1904, starting the count from the ''Majestics''. Over two dozen older battleships remained in service. The last British pre-dreadnoughts, the [[Lord Nelson class battleship|''Lord Nelson'' class]], appeared after ''Dreadnought'' herself. France, Britain's traditional naval rival, had paused her battleship building during the 1880s because of the influence of the [[Jeune Ecole]] doctrine, which favoured [[torpedo boat]]s to battleships. After the Jeune Ecole's influence faded, the first French battleship laid down was [[French battleship Brennus (1891)|''Brennus'']], in 1889. ''Brennus'' and the ships which followed her were individual, as opposed to the large classes of British ships; they also carried an idiosyncratic arrangement of heavy guns, with ''Brennus'' carrying three {{convert|13.4|in|mm|0|sing=on}} guns and the ships which followed carrying two 12-inch and two 10.8-inch in single turrets. The [[Charlemagne class battleship|''Charlemagne'' class]], laid down 1894–96, were the first to adopt the standard four {{convert|12|in|mm|0|sing=on}} gun heavy armament.<ref>Sondhaus, p. 167.</ref> The Jeune Ecole retained a strong influence on French naval strategy, and by the end of the 19th century France had abandoned competition with Britain in battleships numbers.<ref>Sondhaus, p. 181.</ref> The French suffered the most from the Dreadnought revolution, with four ships of the [[Liberté class battleship|''Liberté'' class]] still building when ''Dreadnought'' launched, and a further six of the [[Danton class battleship|''Danton'' class]] begun afterwards. Germany was just beginning to build a navy at the start of the 1890s, but by 1905 was wholeheartedly engaged in an arms race with Britain that would ultimately help cause World War I.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} Germany's first pre-dreadnoughts, the [[Brandenburg class battleship|''Brandenburg'' class]], were laid down in 1890. By 1905, a further 19 battleships were built or under construction, thanks to the sharp increase in naval expenditure justified by the [[Fleet Acts|1898 and 1900 Navy Laws]].<ref>Sondhaus, pp. 180–181.</ref> This increase was due to the determination of the navy chief [[Alfred von Tirpitz]] and the growing sense of national rivalry with the UK. The German pre-dreadnoughts culminated in the [[Deutschland class battleship|''Deutschland'' class]] which served in both World Wars. On the whole, the German ships were less powerful than their British equivalents but equally robust.<ref>Roberts, p. 125.</ref> [[Image:Klasa radetzky.png|thumb|left|[[Radetzky class battleship|''Radetzky''-class battleship]], a pre-dreadnought class of the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy]].]] Russia equally entered into a programme of naval expansion in the 1890s; one of Russia's main objectives was to maintain her interests against Japanese expansion in the Far East. The [[Petropavlovsk class battleship (1897)|''Petropavlovsk'' class]] begun in 1892 took after the British [[Royal Sovereign class battleship|''Royal Sovereign'']]s; later ships showed more French influence on their design, such as the[[Borodino class battleship|''Borodino''-class]]. The weakness of Russian shipbuilding meant that many ships were built overseas for Russia; the best ship, the [[Russian battleship Retvizan|''Retvizan'']], being largely constructed in America.<ref>Roberts, pp. 120–121.</ref> The [[Russo-Japanese War]] of 1904–05 had been a disaster for the Russian pre-dreadnoughts; of the 15 battleships completed since ''Petropavlovsk'', eleven were sunk or captured during the war. One of which, the famous [[Russian battleship Potemkin|''Potemkin'']] mutinied and was scuttled, however it was raised and recommisioned. After the war, Russia completed four more pre-dreadnoughts after 1905. Between 1893 and 1904, Italy laid down eight battleships; the later two classes of ship were remarkably fast, though the ''Regina Margherita'' class was poorly protected and the ''Regina Elena class'' lightly armed. In some ways, these ships presaged the concept of the [[battlecruiser]].<ref>Roberts, p. 126.</ref> The [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] also saw a naval renaissance during the 1890s, though of the nine pre-dreadnought battleships ordered only the three of the ''Habsburg'' class arrived before ''Dreadnought'' herself made them obsolete. === America and the Pacific === [[Image:Uss massachusetts bb-2.jpg|thumb|[[USS Massachusetts (BB-2)|USS ''Massachusetts'']], a pre-dreadnought battleship launched in 1893.]] The United States started building its first ever battleships in 1891. These ships were short-range coast-defence battleships that were similar to the British [[HMS Hood (1891)|''Hood'']] except for an innovative intermediate battery of 8-inch guns. The US Navy continued to build ships that were relatively short-range and poor in heavy seas, until the [[Virginia class battleship|''Virginia'' class]] laid down in 1901–02.<ref>Roberts, p. 122.</ref> Nevertheless, it was these earlier ships that ensured American naval dominance against the antiquated Spanish fleet — which included no pre-dreadnoughts — in the [[Spanish-American War]], most notably at [[Battle of Santiago de Cuba]]. ''Virginia'' and the two pre-dreadnought classes that followed her were completed after the completion of the ''Dreadnought'' and after the start of design work on the USN's own initial class of dreadnoughts. The US [[Great White Fleet]] of 16 pre-dreadnought battleships circumnavigated the world from December 16, 1907, to February 22, 1909.<ref>[http://www.navy.mil/gwf/battleships/bb-20.htm Great White Fleet - USS Vermont BB-20<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Image:MIKASAPAINTING.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tōgō Heihachirō|Admiral Togo]] on the bridge of the [[Japanese battleship Mikasa|''Mikasa'']] just before the [[Battle of Tsushima]].]] Japan was involved in both of the major naval wars of the pre-dreadnought era. The first Japanese pre-dreadnought battleships, the [[Japanese battleship Fuji|''Fuji'' class]], were still being built at the outbreak of the [[First Sino-Japanese War]] of 1894–95,<ref>Roberts, p. 123.</ref> which saw Japanese [[armoured cruiser]]s and [[protected cruiser]]s defeat the Chinese [[Beiyang Fleet]], composed of a mixture of old ironclad battleships and cruisers, at the [[Battle of the Yalu River]]. Following their victory, and facing Russian pressure in the region, the Japanese placed orders for four more pre-dreadnoughts; along with the two ''Fuji''s these battleships formed the core of the fleet which twice engaged the numerically superior Russian fleets at the [[Battle of the Yellow Sea]] and the [[Battle of Tsushima]]. After capturing eight Russian battleships of various ages, Japan built several more classes of pre-dreadnought after the Russo-Japanese War. == Obsolescence == {{main|Dreadnought}} [[Image:Battleship Mikasa.jpg|thumb|left|[[Japanese battleship Mikasa|''Mikasa'']] is the only pre-dreadnought surviving today.]] In 1906, the commissioning of [[HMS Dreadnought (1906)|HMS ''Dreadnought'']] brought about the obsolescence of all existing battleships. ''Dreadnought'', by scrapping the secondary battery, was able to carry ten {{convert|12|in|mm|0|sing=on}} guns rather than four. She could fire eight heavy guns broadside, as opposed to four from a pre-dreadnought; and six guns ahead, as opposed to two.<ref>Massie, ''Dreadnought'', p. 473.</ref> The move to an 'all-big-gun' design was a logical conclusion of the increasingly long engagement ranges and heavier secondary batteries of the last pre-dreadnoughts; Japan and the USA had designed ships with a similar armament before ''Dreadnought'', but were unable to complete them before the British ship.<ref>Sumrall, p. 15; Jentschura, Jung, Mickel p. 23.</ref> It was felt that only the largest guns were effective in battle, and by mounting more 12-inch guns ''Dreadnought'' was two to three times more effective in combat than an existing battleship.<ref>Massie, ''Dreadnought'', pp. 471-3.</ref> The armament of the new breed of ships was not their only crucial advantage. ''Dreadnought'' used [[steam turbine]]s for propulsion, giving her a top speed of 21 knots, against the 18 knots typical of the pre-dreadnought battleships. Able both to outgun and outmaneuver their opponents, the [[dreadnought|dreadnought battleships]] decisively outclassed earlier battleship designs.<ref>Massie, ''Dreadnought'', pp. 474-5.</ref> Nevertheless, pre-dreadnoughts continued in active service and saw significant combat use even when obsolete. Dreadnoughts and battlecruisers were believed vital for the decisive naval battles which at the time all nations expected, hence were jealously guarded against the risk of damage by mines or submarine attack, and kept close to home as much as possible. The obsolescence and consequent expendability of the pre-dreadnoughts meant that they could be deployed into more dangerous situations and more far-flung areas.<ref>Massie, ''Castles of Steel'', p. 433.</ref> The only pre-dreadnought preserved today is the Japanese Navy's flagship at the [[Battle of Tsushima]], the [[Japanese battleship Mikasa|''Mikasa'']], which is now located in [[Yokosuka]], where it has been a museum ship since 1925. === World War I === [[Image:HMS Canopus bombarding Turkish forts March 1915.jpg|thumb|right|[[HMS Canopus (1898)|HMS ''Canopus'']] fires her 12-inch main guns at a Turkish shore battery (1915).]] During [[World War I]], a large number of pre-dreadnoughts remained in service. The advances in machinery and armament meant that a pre-dreadnought was not necessarily the equal of even a modern armoured cruiser, and totally outclassed by a modern dreadnought battleship or battlecruiser. Nevertheless, the pre-dreadnought played a major role in the War. This was first illustrated in the skirmishes between British and German navies around South America in late autumn 1914. As two German cruisers menaced British shipping, the Admiralty insisted that no battlecruisers could be spared from the main fleet and sent to the other side of the world to deal with them. Instead the British dispatched a pre-dreadnought of 1896 vintage, [[HMS Canopus (1898)|HMS ''Canopus'']]. Intended to stiffen the British cruisers in the area, in fact her slow speed meant that she was left behind at the disastrous [[Battle of Coronel]]. ''Canopus'' redeemed herself at the [[Battle of the Falkland Islands]], but only when grounded to act as a harbour-defence vessel; she fired at extreme range (13,500 yards) on the German cruiser [[SMS Gneisenau|SMS ''Gneisenau'']], and while the only hit was from an inert practice shell which had been left loaded from the previous night (the 'live' shells of the salvo broke up on contact with water; one inert shell ricocheted into one of ''Gneisenau'''s funnels), this certainly deterred ''Gneisenau'' from a potentially damaging raid on a British squadron which was still taking on coal. The subsequent battle was decided by the two [[Invincible class battlecruiser|''Invincible''-class battlecruisers]] which had been dispatched after Coronel.<ref>Bennett, G, ''Naval Battles of the First World War'', p. 114.</ref> This appears to have been the only meaningful engagement of an enemy ship by a British pre-dreadnought. The principle that disposable pre-dreadnoughts could be used where no modern ship could be risked was affirmed by British, French and German navies in subsidiary theatres of war. The German navy used its pre-dreadnoughts frequently in the Baltic campaign. However, the largest number of pre-dreadnoughts was engaged at the [[Battle of Gallipoli|Gallipoli]] campaign. Twelve British and French pre-dreadnoughts formed the bulk of the force which attempted to '[[Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign|force the Dardanelles]]' in March 1915. The role of the pre-dreadnoughts was to support the brand-new dreadnought [[HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913)|''Queen Elizabeth'']] engaging the Turkish shore defences. Three of the pre-dreadnoughts were sunk by mines, and several more badly damaged. However, it was not the damage to the pre-dreadnoughts which led to the operation being called off. The two battlecruisers were also damaged; since ''Queen Elizabeth'' could not be risked in the minefield, and the pre-dreadnoughts would be unable to deal with the Turkish battlecruiser lurking on the other side of the straits, the operation had failed.<ref>Massie, ''Castles of Steel'', pp. 466–467.</ref> Pre-dreadnoughts were also used to support the Gallipoli landings, with the loss of three more: ''Goliath'', ''Triumph'' and ''Majestic''.<ref>Massie, ''Castles of Steel'', pp. 483, 492–493.</ref> [[Image:PostcardUSSConnecticutBB18pre1922.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Postcard of the [[USS Connecticut (BB-18)]] being used for troop transport in [[1919]].]] A squadron of German pre-dreadnoughts was present at the [[Battle of Jutland]] in 1916; German sailors called them the "five minute ships", which was the amount of time they were expected to survive in a pitched battle.<ref>Massie, ''Castles of Steel'', p. 564.</ref> In spite of their limitations, the pre-dreadnought squadron played a useful role. As the German fleet disengaged from the battle, the pre-dreadnoughts risked themselves by turning on the British battlefleet as dark set.<ref>Massie, ''Castles of Steel'', p. 634.</ref> Nevertheless, only one of the pre-dreadnoughts was sunk: [[SMS Pommern|SMS ''Pommern'']] went down in the confused night action as the battlefleets disengaged.<ref>Massie, ''Castles of Steel'', p. 648.</ref> Following the November 1918 Armistice, the [[U.S. Navy]] converted fifteen older battleships, eight [[armored cruisers|armoured cruisers]] and two larger [[protected cruisers]] for temporary service as transports. These ships made one to six trans-Atlantic round-trips each, bringing home a total of more than 145,000 passengers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/usnshtp/ap/w1ap-tbc.htm |title=USN Ship Types -- World War I Transports -- Combat Warships employed as Transports |accessdate=2008-03-06 |publisher=History.Navy.Mil}}</ref> [[Image:Scrapping Battleships 1923.jpg|thumb|[[USS South Carolina (BB-26)]] being dismantled in [[Philadelphia Navy Yard]] in December [[1923]] under the terms of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]].]] === World War II === After World War I, most battleships, dreadnought and pre-dreadnought alike, were disarmed under the terms of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]].<ref>Kennedy, p. 275.</ref> Largely this meant the ships being broken up for scrap; others were destroyed in target practice or relegated to training and supply duties. One, [[Japanese battleship Mikasa|''Mikasa'']], was given a special exemption to the Washington Treaty and was maintained as museum and memorial ship. [[Image:Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein.jpg|thumb|left|[[German battleship Schlesien|''Schlesien'']] and [[German battleship Schleswig-Holstein|''Schleswig-Holstein'']] in port around 1930. Both ships served into World War II.]] Germany, losing most of her fleet under the terms of the [[Versailles treaty]], was allowed to keep several pre-dreadnoughts which were counted as armoured coast-defence ships; two of which soldiered on into [[World War II]]. One of these, [[German battleship Schleswig-Holstein|''Schleswig-Holstein'']], shelled the Polish [[Westerplatte]] peninsula during the opening of the German invasion of Poland. ''Schleswig-Holstein'' served for most of the War as a training ship; she was sunk while under refit in December 1944, and broken up in situ in January 1945. The other, [[German battleship Schlesien|''Schlesien'']], was mined and then scuttled in March 1945.<ref>Chesneau, p. 200.</ref> A number of the inactive or disarmed pre-dreadnoughts were nevertheless sunk in action during World War II, such as the Greek pre-dreadnoughts [[Greek battleship Kilkis|''Kilkis'']] and [[Greek battleship Limnos|''Limnos'']], bought from the U.S. Navy in 1914. While neither of the ships was in active service, they were both sunk by German divebombers after the German invasion in 1941.<ref>Chesneau, p. 404.</ref> In the Pacific, the U.S. Navy submarine [[USS Salmon (SS-182)|USS ''Salmon'']] sank the disarmed Japanese pre-dreadnought [[Japanese battleship Asahi|''Asahi'']] in May 1942. A veteran of [[Battle of Tsushima|Tsushima]], she was serving as a repair-ship.<ref>Jentschura, Jung, Mickel p. 18.</ref> ==See also== * [[Ironclad warship]] * [[Dreadnought|Dreadnought battleships]] == References == {{Reflist|3}} == Sources == * Beeler, John, ''Birth of the Battleship: British Capital Ship Design 1870–1881''. Caxton, London, 2003. ISBN 1-84067-5349 * Burt, R. A., ''British Battleships 1889-1904'' Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1988. ISBN 0-87021-061-0. * Chesneau, Roger (ed). ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946''. London: Conway, 1980. ISBN 0 8517146. * Gardiner, Robert and [[Andrew Lambert|Lambert, Andrew]] ''Steam, Steel and Shellfire: The Steam Warship, 1815–1905''. Conways, London, 2001, ISBN 0-7858-1413-2 **Roberts, J. ''The Pre-Dreadnought Age'' in Gardiner ''Steam, Steel and Shellfire''. **Campbell, J. ''Naval Armaments and Armour'' in Gardiner ''Steam, Steel and Shellfire''. **Griffiths, D. ''Warship Machinery'' in Gardiner ''Steam, Steel and Shellfire''. * Gardiner, Robert. ''The Eclipse of the Big Gun: The Warship 1906-45''. Conways, London, 1992. ISBN 0-85177-607-8 **Sumrall, R. ''The Battleship and Battlecruiser'' in Gardiner ''Eclipse of the Big Gun''. * Hill, Robert ''War at Sea in the Ironclad Age''. Cassell, London, 2000. ISBN 0-304-35273-X * Jentschura Jung & Mickel, ''Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1869–1946'', ISBN 0-85368-151-1 * Keegan, J. ''The First World War''. Pimlico, London, 1999. ISBN 0-7216-6645-1. * Kennedy, Paul M. ''The Rise and Fall of British Naval Mastery''. Macmillan, London, 1983. ISBN 0-333-35094-4 * Massie, Robert K. ''Dreadnought: Britain, Germany and the Coming of the Great War''. Pimlico, London, 2004. ISBN 978-184-413528-8 * Massie, Robert K. ''Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War at Sea''. Pimlico, London, 2005. ISBN 1-844-13411-3 * Sondhaus, Lawrence. ''Naval Warfare 1815–1914''. Routledge, London, 2001. ISBN 0-415-21478-5 == External links == *[http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/pre-dread.htm British and German Pre-Dreadnoughts] *[http://www.bobhenneman.info/pdcntry.htm Pre-Dreadnoughts in WWII] *[http://www.oz.net/~markhow/pre-dred/ Pre-Dreadnought Preservation] *[http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/battleships/us_pd.htm US Pre-Dreadnoughts] *[http://www.cerberus.com.au Save the Cerberus] {{featured article}} [[Category:Ship types]] [[Category:Battleships]] [[Category:Naval history]] [[cs:Predreadnought]] [[fr:Pré-Dreadnought]] [[ko:노급전함]] [[id:Pra Dreadnought]] [[it:Pre-dreadnought]] [[pl:Przeddrednot]] [[sr:Преддреднот]]