HMS Formidable

Type:
Battleship
Class:
Builder:
Portsmouth Dockyard
Plymouth, England
Pennant Number:
N/A
Ordered:
1897
Commissioned:
October 10, 1901
Keel Laid:
March 21, 1898
Decommissioned:
N/A
Launched:
November 17, 1898
Stricken:
N/A
Fate:
Sunk Jan. 1, 1915 by SMS U-24 (torpedo).

Location: English Channel 29 miles east of Start Point, England.
(50.13.14N - 03.03.99W)

547 crewmen killed, 233 survivors. Some picked up by HMS Topaze and
HMS Diamond, others by the trawler Provident while others made land in lifeboats.
(Roll of Honour)


Dimensions, machinery and performance
Length:
429' 7"
Engines:
2 three cylinder vertically inverted triple expansion
Beam:
75' 4"
Boilers:
20 Belleville (coal fired)
Draft:
25' 9" std / 29' max
Shafts:
2
Displacement:
15,000 std
HP:
14,921 (std.) 16,059 (full)
Speed:
18 knots
Crew:
780
Range:
N/A


Armament as built
Number Carried
Type
Arrangement
Maximum Range / Ceiling
4
12"/40 (305mm)
2 twin turrets
26,500 yards @ 30° (15 miles)
850 lb. AP shell
Rate of fire 1.5 RPM
12
6"/45 (152mm)
single mounts
15,800 yards @ 20° (8.9 miles)
100 lb. HE shell
Rate of fire 5-7 RPM
16
3"/40 (76mm)
12 CWT
single mounts
11,750 yards @ 40° (6.6 miles)
12.9 lb. HE shell
Rate of fire 15 RPM
6
1.85"/50 (47mm)
single mounts
5,600 yards @ 12° (2.8 miles)
3.3 lb. HE shell
Rate of fire 25 RPM
4
18" (450mm)
torpedo tubes
submerged


History
1901:
Assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet.
1908:
Assigned to the 5th Battle Squadron Channel Fleet.
Apr.- Aug. 1909:
Refit at Chatham Dockyard.
Aug. 1909:
Assigned to the Home Fleet.
1910:
Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet.
May 1912:
Placed in reduced commission with the 2nd Fleet at the Nore.
1912-1914:
Assigned to the 5th Battle Squadron Channel Fleet.
Aug. 25, 1914:
Took part in transport of Portsmouth Marine battalion to Ostend, Belgium.
Oct.-Nov. 1914:
Attached to the Dover Patrol for attacks on the Belgian coast.
Feb. 18, 1915:
Attack on forts. Later took part in other bombardment and support of landings.
Jan. 1 , 1915:
Sunk.
(History provided by Gordon Smith)


Builder's Data
Page published Feb. 2, 2008