HMS Emperor of India (1913)
|
Career | |
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Ordered: | 1911 |
Laid down: | 31 May 1912 at Barrow-in-Furness |
Launched: | 27 November 1913 |
Commissioned: | 10 November 1914 |
Decommissioned: | 1931 |
Fate: | Sunk as target ship, then raised and scrapped |
Struck: | 1931 |
General Characteristics | |
Displacement: | 25,000 tons (normal), 29,500 deep load |
Length: | 622 feet 9 inches |
Beam: | 90 feet |
Draught: | 32 feet 9 inches |
Propulsion: | 4 shaft Parsons Turbines, driving four propellers, 18 Babcock & Wilcox or Yarrow boilers delivering 29,000 hp |
Speed: | 21.25 knots |
Range: | 14,000 nm at 10 knots |
Complement: | 925 |
Armament: | Main battery: ten 13.5"/45 guns in five twin turrets Secondary battery: twelve 6"/45 guns in single casemate mountings; two 3"/20 anti-aircraft guns |
HMS Emperor of India was an Iron Duke-class battleship of the Royal Navy. She was originally to have been named Delhi but was renamed just a month before launching, in honour of King George V, who was also Emperor of India.
Emperor of India was laid down on 31 May 1912 at Barrow-in-Furness by Vickers. She was launched on 27 November 1913 and commissioned on 10 November 1914, only months after the First World War had begun.
Upon commissioning, Emperor of India joined the First Battle Squadron, part of the Grand Fleet which was based at Scapa Flow. Emperor of India later joined the 4th Battle Squadron, and was flagship of Rear-Admiral A. L. Duff. While in Scapa, in July 1915, George V made a visit to the Fleet, and Emperor of India was among the ships he visited. She missed taking part in the Battle of Jutland in 1916 due to being in refit at Invergordon and was replaced as flagship of Admiral Duff by HMS Superb. In 1917, Emperor of India replaced Marlborough as Second Flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron.
In 1918, Emperor of India was present at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet, which was subsequently interned at Scapa Flow, and then scuttled by the Germans to prevent the warships falling into Allied hands. Emperor of India would survive the cuts to the Royal Navy in the post-WWI climate. In 1919, Emperor of India joined the Mediterranean Fleet. In 1929, Emperor of India was decommissioned and was sunk as a target ship in 1931, being raised the following year to be sold for scrap.
Iron Duke-class battleship |
Iron Duke | Marlborough | Benbow | Emperor of India |
List of battleships of the Royal Navy |