View source for King Edward VII-class battleship

{{Short description|Pre-dreadnought battleship class of the British Royal Navy}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{{Use shortened footnotes|date=October 2022}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = HMS King Edward VII LOC ggbain 17323.jpg
| Ship image size = 300px
| Ship caption = HMS ''King Edward VII'', lead ship of the ''King Edward VII'' class.
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = ''King Edward VII'' class
| Builders = 

*[[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]] (2)
*[[Portsmouth Dockyard]] (2)
*[[Chatham Dockyard]] (1)
*[[John Brown & Company|John Brown & Co.]] (1)
*[[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company|Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng.]] (1)
*[[Vickers]] (1)
| Operators = {{navy|United Kingdom}}
| Class before = {{sclass|Duncan|battleship|4}}
| Class after = {{sclass|Swiftsure|battleship|4}}
| Built range = 1902–1906
| In service range = 1905–1921
| Total ships completed = 8
| Total ships lost = 2
| Total ships retired = 6
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = [[Pre-dreadnought battleship]]
| Ship displacement = 
*[[Normal displacement|Normal]]: {{convert|15585|to|15885|LT|lk=on}}
*[[Full load]]: {{convert|17009|to|17290|LT}}
| Ship length = {{convert|453|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on|1}} ([[length overall|loa]])
| Ship beam = {{convert|75|ft|m|abbr=on|1}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|25|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship power = *16 [[water-tube boiler]]s
*{{convert|18000|ihp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on|-1}}
| Ship propulsion = *2 × [[Marine steam engine#Triple or multiple expansion|triple-expansion steam engines]]
*2 × [[screw propeller]]s
| Ship speed = {{convert|18.5|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship complement = 777
| Ship armament = *4 × [[BL 12 inch Mk IX naval gun|BL {{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} Mk IX gun]]s
*4 × [[BL 9.2 inch gun Mk IX - X|BL {{convert|9.2|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} Mk X gun]]s
*10 × [[BL 6 inch Mk VII naval gun|BL {{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} Mk VII gun]]s
*14 × [[QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun|12-pounder {{convert|3|in|abbr=on|0}} guns]]
*14 × [[QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder {{convert|47|mm|abbr=on}} guns]]
*4 × [[British 18 inch torpedo|{{cvt|18|in|0}}]] [[torpedo tube]]s (submerged)
| Ship armour = *[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|9|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{convert|8|-|12|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Barbette]]s: 12&nbsp;in
*[[Gun turret|Turret]]s:
**Main battery: 8–12&nbsp;in
**9.2-inch battery: {{convert|5|-|9|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Casemate]]s: {{convert|7|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Conning tower]]: 12&nbsp;in
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]s: {{convert|1|-|2.5|in|mm|abbr=on}}
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

The '''''King Edward VII'' class''' was a [[Ship class|class]] of eight [[pre-dreadnought]] [[battleship]]s launched by the [[Royal Navy]] between 1903 and 1905. The class comprised {{HMS|King Edward VII||2}}, the [[lead ship]], {{HMS|Commonwealth||2}}, {{HMS|Hindustan|1903|2}}, {{HMS|Britannia|1904|2}}, {{HMS|Dominion||2}}, {{HMS|New Zealand|1904|2}}, {{HMS|Africa|1905|2}}, and {{HMS|Hibernia|1905|2}}. They marked the first major development of the basic pre-dreadnought type that had been developed with the {{sclass|Majestic|battleship|5}} type of the mid-1890s, all of which had been designed by the [[Director of Naval Construction]], [[William Henry White]], with the primary innovation being the adoption of a heavy secondary battery of four {{convert|9.2|in|adj=on|0}} guns to supplement the standard main battery of four {{convert|12|in|abbr=on|0}} guns. The ''King Edward VII''s were among the last pre-dreadnoughts built for the Royal Navy before the construction and launch of the revolutionary battleship [[HMS Dreadnought (1906)|HMS ''Dreadnought'']] in 1906, which immediately rendered them obsolescent.

The ships served with the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]] from 1905 to 1907, when they were transferred to the [[Channel Fleet]], though this service lasted only until 1908–1909, when they were reassigned to the [[Home Fleet]]. During this period, ''King Edward VII'' served as fleet [[flagship]] as a result of a request from her namesake that she always serve as such. In 1911, ''New Zealand'' was renamed ''Zealandia''. ''Africa'' and ''Hibernia'' were involved with experiments with [[seaplane]]s in 1912, and that year all members of the class were assigned to the [[3rd Battle Squadron]] of the Home Fleet and were later sent to the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to respond to the [[First Balkan War]].

By the outbreak of the [[First World War]] in August 1914, the ''King Edward VII''s were sent to the [[Grand Fleet]] to support the [[Northern Patrol]] and to conduct sweeps in the [[North Sea]] for German warships, though they never saw combat. In January 1916, ''King Edward VII'' struck a German [[naval mine]] and sank, though her crew was safely evacuated. By mid-1916, the surviving ships were no longer suitable for front-line fleet service, and so they were dispersed to other tasks, including coastal defence with the [[Commander-in-Chief, The Nore|Nore Command]] and for operations in the [[Gallipoli Campaign]]. ''Africa'' was sent to the Atlantic Patrol in 1917 and was later stricken with [[Spanish flu]], and ''Britannia'' was torpedoed and sunk by a German [[U-boat]] two days before the end of the war, one of the last British warships to be sunk in the conflict. The surviving members of the class were all sold for scrap in the early 1920s.

==Design==
[[File:USS Georgia turret.tiff|thumb|left|The superimposed secondary battery of 8-inch guns aboard {{USS|Georgia|BB-15|6}} that influenced the design of the ''King Edward VII'' class]]
Design work on what would become the ''King Edward VII'' class began in 1901; the [[Royal Navy]] had observed that foreign battleships, such as the Italian {{sclass|Regina Margherita|battleship|4}} and the American {{sclass|Virginia|battleship|4}}, had begun to carry a heavy [[secondary armament|secondary battery]] of {{convert|8|in|adj=on|0}} guns. The design staff, operating without the direction of the [[Director of Naval Construction]], [[William Henry White]], who was ill at the time, began a series of studies for a battleship based on the preceding {{sclass|London|battleship|4}} armed with a secondary battery of {{convert|7.5|in|abbr=on}} or {{convert|9.2|in|abbr=on|0}} guns. The Assistant DNC, J. H. Narbeth, initially had a great deal of trouble arranging the guns such that the secondary turrets did not interfere with the main battery guns. After examining the directly superimposed turrets used in the ''Virginia''s, Narbeth concluded that it was not a workable solution, and so adopted an arrangement with four secondary turrets, one at each corner of the [[superstructure]].{{sfn|Burt|pp=264–265, 278}}

The [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] provisionally accepted a draft equipped with eight 7.5&nbsp;in guns in twin [[gun turret]]s, but after White returned, he suggested the 9.2&nbsp;in guns would be more effective against heavily armoured ships, and so the decision was made to switch to that armament. The heavy secondary guns added a great deal of weight high in the ship and they took up space on the deck, thus forcing the designers to make compromises to other aspects of the vessels, particularly the rest of the secondary battery. These guns, traditionally carried in [[casemate]]s, were relocated to a central box battery, since it would require less armour to protect the guns in such a compact arrangement. They were also mounted lower relative to the waterline, owing to the decreased [[Freeboard (nautical)|freeboard]]; this rendered the guns essentially unusable in anything but relatively calm seas. Combined with a higher [[metacentric height]], the low freeboard of the ''King Edward VII''s made them prone to shipping water in heavy seas and excessive rolling.{{sfn|Burt|pp=275, 278}}

Despite the problems with their secondary armament, the ships were significantly more powerful than earlier British battleships and they compared well with foreign contemporaries. They nevertheless suffered the same fate as all late [[pre-dreadnought battleship]]s. Completed shortly before the advent of the all-big-gun {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6}} in 1906, they were quickly rendered obsolescent, such that during the [[First World War]], the ''King Edward VII''-class ships were frequently deployed at the front of the [[dreadnought]] battle squadrons to screen them for [[naval mine]]s, either by sighting or striking them before the dreadnoughts entered the area.{{sfn|Burt|pp=275, 278–279}}

The ''King Edward VII'' class was the culmination of battleship design under the direction of White that had begun with the {{sclass|Royal Sovereign|battleship|4}} in the late 1880s. The follow-on class, the two {{sclass|Lord Nelson|battleship|5}}s, were a major departure from previous designs and marked a transitional stage between pre-dreadnought and dreadnought-type battleships.{{sfn|Burt|pp=312–314}}

===General characteristics===
[[File:King Edward VII class battleship.jpg|thumb|left|Line-drawing of the ''King Edward VII'' class]]

The ships of the ''King Edward VII'' class were {{convert|425|ft}} [[length between perpendiculars|long between perpendiculars]] and {{convert|453|ft|9|in|abbr=on}} [[length overall|long overall]]. They had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|75|ft|abbr=on}} and a [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|25|ft|8|in|abbr=on}}. The ''King Edward VII''-class ships were more than a thousand tons heavier than earlier battleships [[displacement (ship)|displacing]] {{convert|15585|to|15885|LT|lk=on}} [[normal displacement|normally]] and up to {{convert|17009|to|17290|LT}} [[full load|fully loaded]]. The ships had {{convert|22|ft|abbr=on}} of freeboard forward, {{convert|16|ft|6.5|in|abbr=on}} [[amidships]], and {{convert|18|ft|abbr=on}} aft. To save weight, the ships had their storage for food and other supplies reduced from a 4-month supply that was standard in previous designs to 3 months. Their crew varied over the course of their careers, ranging from 755 to 815; for example, after entering service, {{HMS|Dominion||2}} had a crew of 777&nbsp;officers and [[Naval rating|ratings]]; crews tended to increase during wartime.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}{{sfn|Burt|pp=266–267}}

''King Edward VII'' and her [[sister ship]]s discarded the aft [[conning tower]] that was standard practice in favour of a torpedo control tower that directed the firing of the stern [[torpedo tube]]s. The ships were fitted with two heavy pole [[mast (sailing)|masts]]; their foremasts were equipped with [[Top (sailing ship)|tops]] used to mount [[wireless telegraphy]] and [[fire control equipment]]. {{HMS|King Edward VII||2}}, {{HMS|Commonwealth||2}}, ''Dominion'', {{HMS|Hindustan|1903|2}}, and {{HMS|New Zealand|1904|2}} carried large, oval tops for most of their equipment and a smaller top below, while {{HMS|Africa|1905|2}}, {{HMS|Hibernia|1905|2}}, and {{HMS|Britannia|1904|2}} had smaller, square tops, with two small tops lower on the masts.{{sfn|Burt|pp=280, 283}}

The ''King Edward VII''s were the first British battleships with balanced rudders since the 1870s and were very manoeuvrable, with a tactical diameter of {{convert|340|yd|m}} at {{convert|15|kn|lk=in}}. However, they were difficult to keep on a straight course, and this characteristic led to them being nicknamed "the Wobbly Eight" during their 1914–1916 service in the [[Grand Fleet]]. They had a slightly faster roll than previous British battleship classes, but were good gun platforms, although very wet in bad weather.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}

===Machinery===
The ''King Edward VII''-class ships were powered by a pair of 4-cylinder [[triple-expansion engine]]s that drove two inward-turning [[propeller|screws]], with steam provided by [[water-tube boiler|water-tube]] or [[fire-tube boiler]]s of various types. ''King Edward VII'' had ten [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s and six [[Scotch marine boiler]]s, while ''Africa'', ''Britannia'', ''Hindustan'', and ''Hibernia'' received eighteen Babcock & Wilcox boilers and three cylindrical return tube boilers. ''New Zealand'' used eighteen [[Niclausse boiler]]s and three of the cylindrical return tube boilers, and ''Dominion'' and ''Commonwealth'' had sixteen of the Babcock & Wilcox boilers only. The reason multiple boiler arrangements were adopted was to compare the effectiveness of different boiler types. In service, the ships with mixed boiler types proved to be something of a disappointment, since the differing boiler types added complications to the powerplant and hampered efficient operation; they produced no benefit in return, and the experiments were not repeated in subsequent designs. The boilers were trunked into two [[funnel (ship)|funnels]] located amidships. Primarily powered by coal, all of the class except ''New Zealand'' had oil sprayers installed during construction, the first time this had been done in British battleships. These allowed steam pressure to be rapidly increased, improving the acceleration of the ships; this ability later led to the decision to adopt all oil-fired boilers in the {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|0}} [[super-dreadnought]]s. ''New Zealand''{{'}}s Niclausse boilers could not be adapted to use the oil sprayers.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}{{sfn|Burt|pp=266, 282–283}}

The ''King Edward VII''-class ships had a top speed of {{convert|18.5|kn}} from {{convert|18000|ihp|lk=in}}, though some of the ships exceeded {{convert|19|kn}} on speed trials, including ''Dominion'' and ''Hindustan''. Using only coal, the ships had a cruising radius of about {{convert|5100|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at an economical speed of {{convert|10|kn}}, and with the supplemental fuel oil, their range increased to {{convert|6700|nmi|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}{{sfn|Burt|pp=282–283}}

===Armament===
[[File:HMS King Edward VII 9.2 inch gun LOC 17323.jpg|thumb|One of ''King Edward VII''{{'}}s 9.2-inch gun turrets]]
The ''King Edward VII''s had four [[Armstrong Whitworth 12-inch 40-calibre naval gun|12-inch 40-calibre Mk IX guns]] mounted in twin-gun turrets fore and aft. The guns were carried in BVIIS-type mountings, which had a range of elevation from −5&nbsp;degrees to +13.5&nbsp;degrees and allowed loading the guns at any angle. The guns had a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2610|ft/s}}, and they were capable of penetrating 12 inches of Krupp armour at a range of {{convert|4800|yd}}. At their maximum elevation, the guns had a range of {{convert|15300|yd}}. ''Commonwealth'' and ''Zealandia'' later had their mounts modified to allow elevation to 30&nbsp;degrees, which extended their maximum range significantly, to {{convert|26514|yd|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Friedman|pp=57–58}} These were supported by a heavy secondary battery of four [[BL 9.2-inch Mk IX – X naval gun|{{convert|9.2|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns]] in four single turrets, two on each [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]]. The guns were carried in Mk VS mounts, which had a range of elevation from −7 to +15&nbsp;degrees, allowing for a maximum range of {{convert|15500|yd|abbr=on}}. Muzzle velocity was {{convert|2735|to|2751|ft/s|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Friedman|pp=71–72}}

The first five ships also mounted ten [[BL 6-inch Mk VII naval gun|{{convert|6|in|mm|adj=on|0}} Mark VII 45-calibre guns]], the same battery carried by earlier British battleships, though unlike earlier battleships, the ''King Edward VII''s mounted these guns in a central battery rather than in casemates. The guns had a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2536|ft/s|abbr=on}}, and they could penetrate six inches of Krupp armour at {{convert|2500|yd}}. Maximum elevation was 14&nbsp;degrees, which allowed the guns to engage targets out to {{convert|12000|yd}}.{{sfn|Friedman|pp=79–81}} The last three ships (''Britannia'', ''Africa'' and ''Hibernia'') were instead fitted with [[BL 6-inch Mk XI naval gun|6-inch 50 calibre guns]], which had been ordered for the [[Warrior-class cruiser|''Warrior''-class armoured cruisers]], but were surplus when it was decided to complete the ''Warrior''s with a secondary armament of {{convert|7.5|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns.{{sfn|McBride|pp=66–67, 69}} For defence against [[torpedo boat]]s, they carried fourteen [[QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun|12-pounder {{convert|3|in|abbr=on|0}} guns]] and fourteen [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder {{convert|47|mm|abbr=on}} guns]] that were dispersed in pivot mounts around the ship.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}} As was customary for battleships of the period, they were also equipped with five [[British 18 inch torpedo|{{convert|18|in|mm|adj=on|0}} torpedo]] tubes submerged in the [[hull (watercraft)|hull]]; two were on each broadside, with the fifth in the stern.{{sfn|Burt|p=267}}

===Armour===
Most of the heavy armour of the ''King Edward VII'' class consisted of [[Krupp cemented armour]]; this included most of the belt armour, main and secondary turrets and their [[barbette]]s, and the conning tower. The armour layout of the ''King Edward VII'' class was very similar to the protection scheme used in the {{sclass|Duncan|battleship|5}} and ''London'' classes, with the primary change being the adoption of the armoured box for the 6-inch guns, rather than individual, armoured casemates. They had an armoured belt that was {{convert|9|in|0}} thick in the main portion of the belt; the transverse bulkhead on the aft end of the belt was {{convert|9|to|12|in|abbr=on|0}} thick. Aft of the transverse bulkhead, the side of the ship was protected with {{convert|2|in|abbr=on}} of Krupp non-cemented plate. Forward of the fore barbette, the belt was reduced to {{convert|7|in|abbr=on|0}}, then tapered to {{convert|5|in|abbr=on|0}}, then to {{convert|3|in|abbr=on|0}} at the extreme end of the bow. The upper edge of the main belt was reduced to {{convert|8|in|abbr=on|0}} thick, and above that was the battery deck for the 6-inch guns, which was protected with 7-inch-thick plate. The guns in the battery were divided with Krupp non-cemented screens.{{sfn|Burt|pp=279–281}}

The armoured deck was 2&nbsp;in of [[mild steel]], apart from the central portion of the hull, where it was reduced to {{convert|1|in|abbr=on|0}} and raised a deck level to the roof of the central battery. The reduction in thickness there was necessary to reduce topweight. The ships' main battery turrets had sides that were 8 to 12 inches thick, mounted atop 12-inch-thick barbettes. The 9.2-inch guns received thinner armour protection, with 5- to 9-inch sides; their barbettes were only {{convert|4|in|abbr=on|0}} thick, and they were reduced in height on the assumption that the side armour provided sufficient protection, and the likelihood of a shell exploding below the barbette in the ammunition hoists was very small. The conning tower had 12-inch sides.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}{{sfn|Burt|pp=280–281}}

===Modifications===
[[File:Australian soldiers visiting HMS Commonwealth in 1919.JPG|thumb|alt=Black and white photo of a group of men and a single woman posing on the deck of a warship. Most of the men are wearing military uniforms.|Australian soldiers touring HMS ''Commonwealth'' in 1919; note the 6-inch gun now in an open pivot mount on the upper deck]]

The ships of the ''King Edward VII'' class underwent a series of modifications over the courses of their careers. In 1907, ''King Edward VII'' had some of her 12-pounder guns temporarily relocated to the main battery turret roofs, but this was found to be unsatisfactory and they reverted to their original locations that same year. Between 1907 and 1908, she and ''Commonwealth'', ''Dominion'', ''Hindustan'', and ''New Zealand'' had their bridge-mounted 3-pounders removed. They also received [[search light]]s in various positions, including the 9.2-inch turret roofs and the bridge wings. Funnel identification bands were added to all eight ships as well. ''Hibernia'' and ''Hindustan'' received [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]]s on their aft superstructure in 1911–1912, and most of the ships had further alterations to their search lights. ''Africa'' had experimental aircraft launching ramps installed on her bow in 1912 for flight tests, though the equipment was later transferred to ''Hibernia'' that year, from which it was removed altogether.{{sfn|Burt|pp=283–285}}

After the start of the First World War in August 1914, ''Zealandia'' (ex-''New Zealand'') gave one of her 12-pounders to arm a [[Q-ship]], receiving a pair of 3-pounders in its place. During a refit in that period, ''Dominion''{{'}}s bridge was enlarged. The 6-inch battery was removed from all of the ships of the class between 1916 and April 1917, with each ship having four of the guns re-mounted a deck higher in open pivot mounts in place of the 12-pounder guns that had been located there, where they were less affected by heavy seas, and thus, were more usable weapons. Additional search lights were installed during this period as well.{{sfn|Burt|p=285}}

In 1918, ''Zealandia'' and ''Commonwealth'' were heavily modernised for use as gunnery [[training ship]]s. Their pole masts were replaced with heavy tripod masts that were capable of supporting the latest fire control directors and rangefinders. Their remaining 12-pounder guns were removed and a pair of {{convert|3|in|abbr=on}} [[anti-aircraft gun]]s were added on the aft superstructure. ''Commonwealth'' received [[anti-torpedo bulge]]s, though ''Zealandia'' did not. ''Commonwealth'' received [[dazzle camouflage]], and it has been reported that ''Zealandia'' was similarly painted, but according to the naval historian R. A. Burt, the "lack of official and photographic evidence rules this out."{{sfn|Burt|p=285}}

==Ships==
''King Edward VII'', the first battleship laid down after the beginning of [[Edward VII]]'s reign, was named for the monarch; the rest of the members of the class were named for the constituent parts of the [[British Empire]], including the [[Commonwealth of Australia]], Dominion of [[Canada]], [[Hindustan]] (India), [[Britannia]] (the Roman name for [[Great Britain]]), [[New Zealand]], the Empire's African colonies, and [[Hibernia]] (the Roman name for Ireland).{{sfn|Manning & Walker|pp=36, 72, 117, 143, 168, 231–232}}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data
!scope="col"|Name
!scope="col"|Builder{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}
!scope="col"|[[Laid down]]{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}
!scope="col"|[[Ceremonial ship launching|Launched]]{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}
!scope="col"|Completed{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}
|-
|scope="row"|{{HMS|King Edward VII||2}}
| [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]]
| 8 March 1902 
| 23 July 1903
| February 1905
|-
|scope="row"|{{HMS|Commonwealth||2}}
| [[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]]
| 17 June 1902
| 13 May 1903
| March 1905
|-
|scope="row"|{{HMS|Dominion||2}}
| [[Vickers]]
| 23 May 1902
| 25 August 1903
| July 1905
|-
|scope="row"|{{HMS|Hindustan|1903|2}}
| [[John Brown & Company]]
| 25 October 1902
| 19 December 1903
| July 1905
|-
|scope="row"|{{HMS|Britannia|1904|2}}
| [[Portsmouth Dockyard]]
| 4 February 1904
| 10 December 1904
| September 1906
|-
|scope="row"|{{HMS|New Zealand|1904|2}} / ''Zealandia''
| Portsmouth Dockyard
| 9 February 1903
| 4 February 1904
| July 1905
|-
|scope="row"|{{HMS|Africa|1905|2}}
| [[Chatham Dockyard]]
| 27 January 1904
| 20 May 1905
| November 1906
|-
|scope="row"|{{HMS|Hibernia|1905|2}}
| Devonport Dockyard
| 6 January 1904
| 17 June 1905
| January 1907
|}

==Service history==
[[File:HMS Dominion.jpg|thumb|left|''Dominion'', c. 1909]]

As the members of the ''King Edward VII'' class entered service beginning in 1905, they joined the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]], where ''King Edward VII'' served as the fleet [[flagship]], per her namesake's request that the ship always be used as a flagship. In 1907, the members of the class were transferred to the [[Channel Fleet]], with ''King Edward VII'' again the fleet flagship. ''King Edward VII'' and ''Africa'' were transferred to the [[Home Fleet]] in 1908, and the rest of the class followed them there the next year. ''New Zealand'' was renamed ''Zealandia'' in 1911 to allow her original name to be used for the [[battlecruiser]] {{HMS|New Zealand|1911|2}}. Beginning in 1912, the ships were reorganised as the [[3rd Battle Squadron]], a component of the Home Fleet.{{sfn|Burt|pp=287–293}}

In mid-1912, ''Africa'' and ''Hibernia'' were involved in tests with the [[Short Improved S.27]] [[biplane]] "S.38" flown by Commander [[Charles Rumney Samson|Charles Samson]]; the former was the first British warship to launch an aircraft, and the latter was the first to do so whilst underway. The tests demonstrated the utility of aircraft used to spot the fall of shot and to scout for hostile vessels, but also revealed the impracticability of the equipment available at the time. During the [[First Balkan War]] of 1912–1913, the ships of the 3rd  Battle Squadron were sent to the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to represent British interests in the region; they were involved in an international [[blockade of Montenegro]] to protest the Montenegrin occupation of [[Shkodër|Scutari]], which was to be part of the newly created state of Albania. The ''King Edward VII''s returned to British waters in 1913, where they passed the next year uneventfully.{{sfn|Thetford|p=454}}{{sfn|Burt|pp=283, 287–293}}{{sfn|Vego|pp=151–152}}

After Britain entered the First World War on 5 August 1914, the 3rd Battle Squadron was assigned to the Grand Fleet, the main British fleet during the war.{{sfn|Corbett 1920|pp=39–40}} The ships were temporarily detached to reinforce the Channel Fleet in November before returning to the Grand Fleet at the end of the month.{{sfn|Corbett 1921|pp=9–10}} While serving with the Grand Fleet, the squadron was tasked with conducting operations around Scotland and the [[North Sea]] as part of the [[Northern Patrol]]. The 3rd Battle Squadron was also involved in patrols of the entire Grand Fleet central North Sea through mid-1915, including in response to the German [[raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby]] in December 1914 and to support the [[1st Battlecruiser Squadron]] during the [[Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)|Battle of Dogger Bank]] in January 1915. The 3rd Battle Squadron did not see action against German forces during this period, however.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=91–99, 174–185, 206, 210–234}} In January 1916, while steaming to Ireland for a refit, ''King Edward VII'' struck a mine that had been laid by the German [[auxiliary cruiser]] {{SMS|Möwe|1914|2}}; the battleship sank slowly enough that her entire crew was taken off, with the exception of one man who fell to his death during the evacuation.{{sfn|Burt|pp=287–288}}{{sfn|Corbett 1923|p=266}}

[[File:HMS New Zealand LOC ggbain 16722.jpg|thumb|''New Zealand'' at some point between 1905 and 1911]]
In 1916, the squadron was detached to the [[Commander-in-Chief, The Nore|Nore Command]] to guard the British southern coast, and some ships were assigned to other operations elsewhere. ''Hibernia'' and ''Zealandia'' were sent to the eastern Mediterranean in late 1915 to take part in the [[Gallipoli Campaign]], though they saw little activity there apart from during the evacuation of Allied forces from the peninsula in early 1916. ''Zealandia'' returned to the 3rd Battle Squadron after the end of the Gallipoli Campaign. That year, ''Britannia'' was sent to the [[Adriatic Sea]] to reinforce the Italian ''[[Regia Marina]]'' (Royal Navy) against the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy]], though she saw no action there. ''Africa'' was attached to the [[9th Cruiser Squadron]] for service in the [[Atlantic Patrol (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Patrol]] in 1917, tasked with escorting convoys between Sierra Leone and [[Cape Town]], [[South Africa]].{{sfn|Burt|pp=287–293}}{{sfn|Corbett 1923|pp=248–252, 260}} ''Africa''{{'}}s crew was stricken with [[Spanish flu]] while she was in Sierra Leone in 1918, with some 476&nbsp;men reported ill and 52&nbsp;deaths.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-01-HMS_Africa.htm|title=HMS AFRICA – September 1916 to November 1918, Mediterranean, Central and South Atlantic convoys (9th Cruiser Squadron)|access-date=27 December 2018|website=naval-history.net}}</ref>

That year, ''Commonwealth'' and ''Zealandia'' were heavily modernised, with the former being used briefly on the Northern Patrol in 1918 before serving as a gunnery training ship. ''Zealandia'' was never actually used as a training ship, but she was involved in fire control experiments and was later used as a [[barracks ship]]. ''Dominion'' and ''Hindustan'' served as [[depot ship]]s to support the [[Zeebrugge Raid]] in 1918. ''Britannia'' was torpedoed by the German [[U-boat]] {{ship|SM|UB-50||2}} off [[Cape Trafalgar]] on 9 November, just two days before the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|Armistice with Germany]] that ended the fighting; she was one of the last British warships to be lost during the war. The torpedo started a serious fire in one of her 9.2-inch [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]], but like ''King Edward VII'', she remained afloat long enough for her crew to be taken off, though some fifty men were killed in the torpedoing and subsequent fire. The six surviving members of the class were sold to [[ship breaking|ship breakers]] between 1920 and 1923 and were subsequently broken up for [[scrap]].{{sfn|Burt|pp=287–293}}{{sfn|Preston|p=9}}

==Notes==

{{Reflist|20em}}

==References==
* {{cite book
  |last=Burt
  |first=R. A.
  |title=British Battleships 1889–1904
  |year=2013
  |orig-year=1988
  |location=Barnsley
  |publisher=Seaforth Publishing
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  }}
* {{cite book 
  |last=Corbett
  |first=Julian Stafford
  |author-link=Julian Corbett
  |title=Naval Operations: To The Battle of the Falklands, December 1914
  | url = https://archive.org/details/navaloperations04corb
  |volume=I
  |year=1920
  |publisher=Longmans, Green & Co.
  |location=London
  |oclc=174823980
  |ref={{sfnRef|Corbett 1920}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Corbett
  |first=Julian Stafford
  |title=Naval Operations: From The Battle of the Falklands to the Entry of Italy Into the War in May 1915
  |volume=II
  |year=1921
  |publisher=Longmans, Green & Co.
  |location=London
  |oclc=924170059
  |ref={{sfnRef|Corbett 1921}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Corbett
  |first=Julian Stafford
  |title=Naval Operations: The Dardanelles Campaign
  |volume=III
  |year=1923
  |publisher=Longmans, Green & Co.
  |location=London
  |oclc=174824081
  |ref={{sfnRef|Corbett 1923}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Friedman
  | first = Norman
  | year = 2011
  | title = Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations; An Illustrated Directory
  | publisher = Naval Institute Press
  | location = Annapolis
  | isbn = 978-1-84832-100-7
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Friedman}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Jellicoe
  |first=John
  |author-link=John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe
  |title=The Grand Fleet, 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development, and Work
  |url=https://archive.org/details/grandfleet19141900jell
  |year=1919
  |location=New York
  |publisher=George H. Doran Company
  |ref={{sfnRef|Jellicoe}}
  |oclc=162593478
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Lyon
  | first1 = David
  | last2 = Roberts
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  | chapter = Great Britain and Empire Forces
  | pages = 1–113
  | editor1-last = Chesneau
  | editor1-first = Roger
  | editor2-last = Kolesnik
  | editor2-first = Eugene M.
  | year = 1979
  | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905
  | publisher = Conway Maritime Press
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  | url-access = registration
  | url = https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2
  | name-list-style=amp
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last1=Manning
  |first1=Thomas Davys
  |last2=Walker
  |first2=Charles Frederick
  |title=British Warship Names
  |year=1959
  |location=London
  |publisher=Putnam
  |oclc=561921929
  |ref={{sfnRef|Manning & Walker}}
  |name-list-style=amp
  }}
* {{cite book 
  |last=McBride
  |first=Keith
  |chapter='The Wobbly Eight': The ''King Edward VII'' Class Battleships, 1897–1922
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  |editor-last=Preston
  |editor-first=Antony
  |title=Warship 2001–2002
  |year=2001
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  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Preston
  | first = Antony
  | chapter = Great Britain and Empire Forces
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  | editor1-last = Gardiner
  | editor1-first = Robert
  | editor2-last = Gray
  | editor2-first = Randal
  | year = 1985
  | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921
  | publisher = Naval Institute Press
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  | isbn = 978-0-87021-907-8
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Preston}}
  |name-list-style=amp
  | url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_z3o0
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Thetford
  |first=Owen
  |title=British Naval Aircraft Since 1912
  |location=Annapolis
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |year=1991
  |isbn=978-1-55750-076-2
  |ref={{sfnRef|Thetford}}
  }}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Vego
  |first=Milan N.
  |title=Austro-Hungarian Naval Policy, 1904–14
  |year=1996
  |publisher=Taylor & Francis
  |location= Abingdon
  |isbn=978-0-7146-4209-3
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  }}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
* {{cite book|last1=Dittmar|first1=F. J.|last2=Colledge|first2=J. J.|title=British Warships 1914–1919|location=London|publisher=Ian Allan|year=1972|isbn=978-0-7110-0380-4  |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Gibbons|first=Tony|title=The Complete Encyclopedia of Battleships and Battlecruisers: A Technical Directory of All the World's Capital Ships From 1860 to the Present Day|location=London|publisher=Salamander Books Ltd.|year=1983|isbn=978-0-86101-142-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Parkes|first=Oscar|title=British Battleships|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis|year=1990|orig-year=1957|isbn=978-1-55750-075-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Pears|first=Randolph|title=British Battleships 1892–1957: The Great Days of the Fleets|location=London|publisher=G. Cave Associates|year=1979|isbn=978-0-906223-14-7}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/King_Edward_VII_Class_Battleship_(1903) The Dreadnought Project]

{{King Edward VII class battleship}}
{{WWI British ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:King Edward VII Class Battleship}}
[[Category:Battleship classes]]
[[Category:King Edward VII-class battleships| ]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:World War I battleships of the United Kingdom]]