HMS Vanguard (1909)

Vanguard, 1910
History
United Kingdom
Name	Vanguard
Ordered	6 February 1908
Builder	Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down	2 April 1908
Launched	22 February 1909
Commissioned	1 March 1910
Fate	Sunk by internal explosion at Scapa Flow, 9 July 1917
Notes	Protected war grave
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	St Vincent-class dreadnought battleship
Displacement	19,700 long tons (20,000 t) (normal)
Length	536 ft (163.4 m) (o/a)
Beam	84 ft (25.6 m)
Draught	28 ft (8.5 m)
Installed power	18 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers 24,500 shp (18,300 kW)
Propulsion	4 × shafts; 2 × steam turbine sets
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range	6,900 nmi (12,800 km; 7,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	753
Armament	5 × twin 12-inch (305 mm) guns 20 × single 4-inch (102 mm) guns 3 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour	Belt: 8–10 inches (203–254 mm) Deck: 0.75–3 inches (19–76 mm) Turrets: 11 inches (279 mm)

HMS Vanguard was one of three St Vincent-class dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She spent her career assigned to the Home and Grand Fleets. Aside from participating in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 and the inconclusive action of 19 August several months later, her service during World War I mostly consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea.

Shortly before midnight on 9 July 1917 at Scapa Flow, Vanguard suffered a series of magazine explosions. She sank almost instantly, killing 843 of the 845 men aboard. The wreck was heavily salvaged after the war, but was eventually protected as a war grave in 1984. It was designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, and diving on the wreck is generally forbidden.