ROYAL OAK

Fleet

Royal Navy

Ship Type

Battleship

Nickname

The Mighty Oak

Ship Class

Revenge

Grouping

4th Battle Squadron

Command

Grand Fleet

Builder's Yard

Devonport Royal Dockyard

Budget Year

–

Construction Notes

Cost £2,468,200

Date Laid Down

15.01.1914

Launch Date

17.11.1914

Completed date

–

Commission date

01.05.1916

Year laid down

1914

Year launched

1914

Year completed

1916 (May)

Commission Year

–

Pennant No

08

Photo Details

–

Related stories

Royal Oak "Mutiny" in early 1920s involving Captain Keneth Dewar, the author (with his brother) of the infamaous "Naval Staff Appreciation. In fact, it was more about the breakdown in relations between Dewar, Commander Henry Daniel and Rear Admiral Bernard Collard over a trifling matter to do with the band at the wardroom dance.

Sister ships

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Eventual Fate

Sunk by U.47 (Captain Günther Prien) 14th October 1939 at anchor in Scapa Flow. 833 Killed or died or wounds out of a complement of 1,234. Memorial to the crew in St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney. Three days later HMS Iron Duke was bombed and her plates damaged by the concussion blasts.

Jutland result

Fired total of 38 15" shells and 84 6" shells. Claimed three hits on Derfflinger, and one on SMS Wiesbaden. Straddled during the action but undamaged.

Ready for action after dock repairs

–

Commander

Captain Crawford Maclachlan

Noteable Officers

–

Crew complement

1009

Officers

–

Ratings

–

Killed

–

Wounded

–

Prisoners

–

Displacement full Load (tons)

31,130

Artefacts Data

–

Ship's Model

–

Length (ft)

620' 7"

Length (mtrs)

189.2

Beam (ft)

88' 6"

Beam (mtrs)

27

Draught (ft)

33' 7"

Draught (mtrs)

10.2

Max. Speed (knots)

21

Range (miles)

8,060 at 10 kts

Range (kilometres)

–

Fuel

Oil fired boilers (decision to change taken while in construction)

Propulsion

4 Parsons team turbine engines in two turbine sets heating 18 Yarrow boilers driving 4 shafts. Rated at 40,000 shp.

Armour Main Belt

13" waterline (330 mm)

Deck Armour

1" - 4" (25 - 102 mm)

Turret Armour IN CM

11" - 13" (279 - 330 mm)

Conning Tower Armour

3" - 11" (279 - 330 mm)

Barbette Armour

6" - 10" (152 - 254 mm)

Weight of armour

–

Armour / Displacement Ratio

–

Watertight compartments

–

General Notes

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Fire Control Table

Dreyer Table Mk 1V, Dreyer Turret Control Table

Fire Control - Clock

–

Primary Gun calibre

BL 152 guns (381 mm)

No. Primary Turrets

4

Guns (No.barrels)

8

Primary gun layout

–

Rounds per main gun

–

Effective broadside guns

–

Primary shell Weight (inches or cm)

–

Primary Broadside Weight

–

Secondary Gun Calibre

BL 6" Mk XII (152 mm)

Guns (No.barrels) 2

14

Rounds per secondary

–

Other Armament

Two single QF 3" 20 cwt AA gun, four single 47 mm (1.9”) 3-pdr 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

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Torpedo Type IN

21" Mk II Whitehead (533 mm)

No. tubes

4

Torpedo Type MM

533

No. Mines

–

Torpedo Notes

submerged

References & sources

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