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
–
Fire Control Table
–
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