Indefatigable 1911
| Name | No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Indefatigable | Devonport DYd | 23/2/1909 | 28/10/1909 | 4/1911 | sunk 31/5/1916 | |
| Australia (RAN) | John Brown, Clydebank | 23/6/1910 | 25/10/1911 | 6/1913 | stricken and scuttled 12/4/1924 | |
| New Zealand | Fairfield, Govan | 20/6/1910 | 1/7/1911 | 11/1912 | stricken 12/1922 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
Indefatigable: 18470 others:18500 |
|
Displacement full, t |
Indefatigable: 22080 others: 22110 |
|
Length, m |
179.8 |
|
Breadth, m |
24.4 |
|
Draught, m |
8.1 |
|
No of shafts |
4 |
|
Machinery |
Parsons steam turbines, 32 Babcock & Wilcox boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
Indefatigable: 43000 others: 44000 |
|
Max speed, kn |
25 |
|
Fuel, t |
Indefatigable: coal 3340 + oil 870 others: coal 3170 + oil 840 |
|
Armour, mm |
belt: 152 - 102, bulkheads: 178 - 152, turrets: 178 (all sides), 76 (roof), barbettes: 178 (over main deck) - 51 (under main deck), deck: 64 - 19, over magazines: 89, CT: 254 (face and sides) - 178 (rear) - 76 (roof) |
|
Armament |
Indefatigable: 4 x 2 - 305/45 Mk X, 16 x 1 - 102/50 BL Mk VII, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss, 3 - 450 TT (2 beam, 1 stern) New Zealand, Australia: 4 x 2 - 305/50 Mk XI, 16 x 1 - 102/50 BL Mk VII, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss, 3 - 450 TT (2 beam, 1 stern) |
|
Complement |
800 |
Ship project history: A little increased and an improved version of Invincible class. Australia and New Zealand were built on funds of the British dominions Australia and New Zealand. As a whole there ships have appeared not successful owing to a weak armour protection.
Protection: 152mm main belt with 3.36 m height extended from barbette "A" to the barbette "Y" (102mm abreast barbettes "A" and "Y"), closed at fore end by 102-76mm and by after end by 114 - 102mm bulkheads. Its full length was 91m (51 % of ship length) for Indefatigable or 144m (80%) for New Zealand and Australia. Belt between barbette "A" and stem and between barbette "Y" and stern was 64mm (Indefatigable) and 19mm (plating only) (New Zealand and Australia). Main deck over citadel was 25mm with 25mm slopes (51mm over magazines), lower deck from barbette "Y" to barbette "A" covered by 38mm deck with 51mm slopes. Another part of lower deck was 51mm.
Modernizations: 1914, all: - 4 x 1 - 47/40
10/1914, New Zealand: + 1 76/45 QF Mk I, 1 x 1 - 57/40 Hotchkiss AA.
3/1915, Indefatigable, Australia: + 1 x 1 - 76/45 QF Mk I
1915, all: - 1 - 450 TT (stern)
11/1915: all: - 2 x 1 - 102/50.
1916, Indefatigable: - 2 x 1 - 102/50
1916, New Zealand, Australia: + 25mm of armour thickness between "P" & "Q" barbettes and on the main deck in the wake of all barbettes.
1917, New Zealand: - 4 x 1 - 102/50.
6/1917, Australia, New Zealand: + 1 x 1 - 102/50 BL Mk VII AA
6/1917, New Zealand, 6/1917: - 1 x 1 - 102/50, 1 x 1 - 57/40.
1918, both survived: + flying-off platforms (turrets "P" & "Q") for Sopwith Pup and 11/2-strutter.
2/1919, New Zealand: - 4 x 1 - 102/50, 1 x 1 - 76/45, + 2 x 1 - 40/39 pompom.
1919, both survived: + 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss.
1/1920, Australia: - 1 x 1 - 102/50, 1 x 1 - 76/45; + 2 x 1 - 102/45 QF MkV.
Naval service: Indefatigable was sunk by shells from German battlecruiser Von der Tann at Jutland. Two shells apparently caused explosion of "X" magazine. Ship begun sink by the stern and next salvo hit on the foredeck causing much more severe explosion and ship was destroyed.
Australia 1913
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-09