HMS Princess Royal

Type:
Battlecruiser
Class:
Lion (1909) (Class Overview)
Builder:
Vickers, Sons & Maxim Ltd.
Barrow-in-Furness, England
Pennant Number:
N/A
Ordered:
1909
Commissioned:
November 14, 1912
Keel Laid:
May 2, 1910
Decommissioned:
December 1922
Launched:
April 29, 1911
Stricken:


N/A
Fate:
Sold Dec. 19, 1922 to A.J. Purves, resold and scrapped at Rosyth Shipbreaking, Rosyth, Scotland.


Dimensions, machinery and performance
Length:
700'
Engines:
4 Parsons geared steam turbines
Beam:
88' 2"
Boilers:
42 Yarrow (coal fired with oil backup)
Draft:
27' std. / 28' 10" full
Shafts:
4
Displacement:
26,270 std. / 29,680 full
HP:
70,000
Speed:
27 knots (a)
Crew:
1000+
Range:
5,610 NM @ 10 knots / 2,420 NM @ 23.9 knots
Construction notes:
(a):
Achieved 28.52 knots on trials @ 76,510 HP.


Armament as built
Number Carried
Type
Arrangement
Maximum Range / Ceiling
8
13.5"/45 (343mm)
Mk V (L)
4 twin turrets
23,740 yards @ 20° (13.4 miles)
1,400 lb. AP shell
Rate of fire 1-2 RPM

14
4"/50 (102mm)
BL Mk VII
Single mounts
casemates
11,600 yards @ 15° (6.5 miles)
31 lb. HE shell
Rate of fire 6-8 RPM

2
21" (533mm)
torpedo tubes
broadside
submerged
10,750 yards @ 31 knots (6.1 miles)
4,500 yards @ 45 knots (2.5 miles)
515 lb. TNT warhead

Armament notes:
After 1917 Princess Royal had several AA guns installed.


Combat Victories
Date
Name
Type
Tons
Nationality
Notes
Aug. 28, 1914
SMS Cöln
Cruiser
4,864
Germany
(a)
Jan. 24, 1915
SMS Derfflinger
Battlecruiser
31,200
Germany
Damaged
Notes:
(a):
Assisted by HMS Lion.


History
Aug. 28, 1914:
Battle of the Heligoland Bight, assisted in sinking SMS Cöln.
Jan. 24, 1915:
Battle of Dogger Bank, damaged SMS Derfflinger.
May 31, 1916:
Battle of Jutland, damaged to engine room, main fire control, Y turret and a
4" gun mount caused by nine direct hits, 22 crewmen killed. Out of action until
July 1916.


Builder's Data
Page published Oct. 19, 2007