HMS Commonwealth (1903)

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Career

Ordered:	1903 naval programme
Built:	Fairfield, Govan
Laid down:	17 June 1902
Launched:	13 May 1903
Commissioned:	March 1905
Fate:	Sold for breaking up, 18 November 1921
Struck:	-
General characteristics
Displacement:	Standard 15,630 tons, Full draft 17,000 tons (As built)
Length:	453 feet 8 inches (138 m)
Beam:	78 feet (23.7 m)
Draught:	25 feet 6 inches (8.2 m)
Propulsion:	Coal fired (with oil sprayers) water tube boilers, Two 4-cylinder vertical compound expansion stream engines, 2 screws, 18,000 hp
Speed:	18.5 knots
Range:	2000NM at top speed
Complement:	777
Armament:	1918 4 × 12 in guns, 4 × 9.2 in guns, 4 × 6 in guns, 8 × 12 pdr guns, 2 × 3 in AA guns, 6 × 3 pdr AA guns, 2 × 3 pdr guns, 5 x M.G. (1 landing), 4 × 18 in torpedo tubes (submerged)
Armour:	Belt amidships: 9 inch Barbettes: 12 in, Main turrets: 12 in, Secondary turrets: 7 inch Armoured deck: 2 inch

HMS Commonwealth, was a member of the King Edward VII class of British Royal Navy battleships.

The ship was built at Fairfield, Govan and launched 13 May 1903.

Commonwealth at the start of 1915 served as part of the 3rd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet. As of 1 July 1915 Commonwealth was 2nd Flagship of the 3rd Battle Squadron for the rest of the year. She served with the 3BS until 1918, when alone of her class she was earmarked for extensive reconstruction. She was fitted with torpedo bulges, a tripod foremast, a director and fire control system, in effect the most advanced Pre-Dreadnought in the world. With the end of the war it was decided that Commonwealth would be a Gunnery ship to train crews in the use of all weapons used on the modern Dreadnought battleships. After three years of faithful service as a training ship, she was scrapped at the end of 1921.