DEFENCE

Fleet

Royal Navy

Ship Type

–

Nickname

–

Ship Class

Minotaur

Grouping

Ist Cruiser Squadron

Command

Grand Fleet

Builder's Yard

Pembroke dockyard

Budget Year

1904-05 Naval Estimates

Construction Notes

–

Date Laid Down

25.02.2005

Launch Date

24.04.2007

Completed date

–

Commission date

09.02.1909

Year laid down

–

Year launched

–

Year completed

–

Commission Year

–

Pennant No

–

Photo Details

Public Domain

Related stories

Admiral Arbuthnot had been playing tennis with John Jellicoe's wife, Gwendoline, the day before.

Sister ships

sunk at Jutland

Eventual Fate

–

Jutland result

Sunk on May 31st after receiving fire from the van of the German battle fleet after she had been spotted from the Derfflinger. She had closed (with Warrior) to around 5,500 yards of Wiesbaden.

Ready for action after dock repairs

–

Commander

Captain S.V.Ellis (Flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Robert Arbuthnot)

Noteable Officers

–

Crew complement

779

Officers

–

Ratings

–

Killed

904

Wounded

–

Prisoners

–

Displacement full Load (tons)

14,600

Artefacts Data

–

Ship's Model

–

Length (ft)

490

Length (mtrs)

149.4

Beam (ft)

74,6

Beam (mtrs)

22.7

Draught (ft)

26

Draught (mtrs)

7.9

Max. Speed (knots)

23

Range (miles)

–

Range (kilometres)

–

Fuel

Carried max. of 2,060 long tons of coal and 750 tons of fuel oil. Could cruise 8,150 miles at 10 knots.

Propulsion

2 shafts, 2 vertical triple epansion steam engines with an power of 27,000 ihp (indicated horse power)

Armour Main Belt

3 to 6" (76 to 152 mm)

Deck Armour

1.5 to 2" (38 to 51 mm)

Turret Armour IN CM

4.5 to 8" (114 to 203 mm)

Conning Tower Armour

10" (254 mm)

Barbette Armour

7" (178 mm)

Weight of armour

–

Armour / Displacement Ratio

–

Watertight compartments

–

General Notes

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Fire Control Table

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Fire Control - Clock

–

Primary Gun calibre

BL 9.2" Mk XI guns

No. Primary Turrets

–

Guns (No.barrels)

2

Primary gun layout

–

Rounds per main gun

–

Effective broadside guns

–

Primary shell Weight (inches or cm)

–

Primary Broadside Weight

–

Secondary Gun Calibre

single BL 7.5" Mk V guns

Guns (No.barrels) 2

10

Rounds per secondary

–

Other Armament

16 single QF 12 pounder, 18 cwt guns

Elevation (degrees)

–

Gunnery Range (yards)

–

Gunnery Range (metres)

–

Rate of Fire (rds per minute)

–

Shells expended Main

–

Mines dropped

–

Shells expended Secondary

–

Torpedoes fired

–

Gunnery Notes

–

Torpedo Type IN

18

No. tubes

5

Torpedo Type MM

–

No. Mines

–

Torpedo Notes

–

References & sources

Details on the 904 members of the crew of HMS Defence that died at the Battle of Jutland can be found at: https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/community/381