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HMS Invincible (1907)

Coordinates: 57°02′40″N 06°07′15″E / 57.04444°N 6.12083°E / 57.04444; 6.12083 (Wreck site of HMS Invincible)
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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article HMS Invincible (1907), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 202529 sources
HMS Invincible
Company typeBattlecruiser
IndustryNaval warfare
Founded2 April 1906
Headquarters
Tyneside
,
United Kingdom

Overview

HMS Invincible was the pioneering vessel of her class, the Invincible-class battlecruisers, comprising three ships constructed for the Royal Navy in the early 1900s. Notably, she was the world's inaugural battlecruiser to be built. Throughout the First World War, she played a limited role in the Battle of Heligoland Bight due to being the oldest and slowest among the British battlecruisers involved. At the Battle of the Falkland Islands, Invincible along with her sister ship, Inflexible, successfully sank the German armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau with minimal damage sustained, despite facing numerous enemy hits.

During the Battle of Jutland in 1916, she served as the flagship for the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron. This squadron had been separated from Admiral Beatty’s Battle Cruiser Fleet shortly before the engagement to conduct gunnery drills with the Grand Fleet. In the battle, it functioned as a principal heavy reconnaissance unit. Tragically, Invincible was lost when a magazine explosion occurred after a shell penetrated the armour of one of her main gun turrets.

Design and description

The Invincible was considerably larger compared to the earlier armoured cruisers of the Minotaur class class. She measured an overall length of 567 ft (173 m), with a beam spanning 78.5 ft (23.9 m), and had a draft of 30 ft (9.1 m) when fully loaded. Her displacement was 17,250 long tons (17,530 t) at standard load and increased to 20,420 long tons (20,750 t) at deep load, which was almost 3,000 long tons (3,000 t) heavier than her predecessors.

Originally categorized as armoured cruisers, the Invincible-class vessels were officially reclassified as battlecruisers following an Admiralty directive dated 24 November 1911. Prior to this formal change, they were informally referred to by various terms such as cruiser-battleship, dreadnought cruiser, and battle-cruiser.

Propulsion

The propulsion system on Invincible consisted of two sets of paired Parsons turbines, each installed in separate engine rooms and powering both an outboard and an inboard shaft. The high-pressure turbines for forward and reverse motion drove the outer shafts, while the low-pressure turbines powered the inner shafts. Each inner shaft was also equipped with a cruising turbine, although these were seldom utilized and later disconnected. The three-bladed propellers measured 11 feet (3.4 m) in diameter on the inner shafts and 10 feet (3.0 m) on the outer shafts. Steam was generated by thirty-one Yarrow water-tube boilers spread across four boiler rooms. The turbines were designed to deliver a combined output of 41,000 shaft horsepower (31,000 kW), but during 1908 trials, they nearly reached 46,500 shp (34,700 kW). While her design speed was set at 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph), she achieved 26.64 knots (49.3 km/h; 30.7 mph) on trials.

Fuel capacity included 2,997 long tons (3,045 t) of coal supplemented by an additional 738 long tons (750 t) of fuel oil, which was sprayed onto the coal to enhance combustion efficiency. With full fuel stores, she had an operational range of approximately 3,090 nautical miles (5,720 km; 3,560 mi) cruising at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Electrical power was supplied by four turbo-generators each rated at 200 kW, along with motor generators providing 100 kW.

Invincible prior to 1911

Armament

The main battery comprised eight BL 12-inch Mk X guns arranged in four twin turrets. These turrets were electrically powered BIX and BX models—two constructed by Vickers and two by Armstrongs—for testing purposes. Despite extensive overhauls in 1909 and 1911, these turrets proved unreliable and were converted to hydraulic operation during a refit in early 1914 at a cost of £151,200. The inadequacy of the electrical systems was notably highlighted during gunnery trials in October 1908 when the captain of HMS Excellent described their operation as producing “a flash of blue flame which seemed to fill the turret” whenever commands were given to move or elevate the guns.

Her secondary armament included sixteen QF 4-inch Mk III guns. In 1915, the guns previously mounted on turret roofs were relocated to the superstructure, reducing their total number to twelve. These remaining guns were enclosed within casemates and fitted with blast shields to provide better protection for the crews against weather conditions and enemy fire. The anti-aircraft defense consisted of a single QF 3-inch 20 cwt gun mounted on a high-angle Mk II platform positioned at the aft superstructure; this weapon was installed between October and November 1914 and reintroduced from April 1915 onward. Additionally, a 3-pounder Hotchkiss gun on a high-angle Mk Ic mount capable of elevating up to 60° was added in November 1914. The Invincible also featured five submerged torpedo tubes measuring 18 inches (450 mm) — two on each broadside and one at the stern — with a total complement of fourteen torpedoes carried aboard.

Armour

The waterline belt armour measured 6 inches in thickness approximately between the forward and aft 12-inch gun turrets, but it tapered to 4 inches from the forward turret toward the bow and did not extend beyond the rear turret. The armour protecting the gun turrets and barbettes was 7 inches thick, with the exception of the turret roofs, which were shielded by 3 inches of Krupp non-cemented (KNC) armour. The main deck featured armour ranging from 1 to 2 inches in thickness, while the lower deck was protected by armour between 1.5 and 2.5 inches thick. Additionally, mild steel torpedo bulkheads with a thickness of 2.5 inches were installed alongside the magazines and shell rooms.

Construction and career

Invincible at anchor in Spithead during June–July 1909

Constructed by Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., Ltd on Tyneside, the vessel was laid down on 2 April 1906 and launched at 15:00 on 13 April 1907, with Lady Allendale presiding over the ceremony. While still undergoing fitting out on 28 December 1907, she suffered damage after a collision with the Swedish collier Oden, which caused deformation of hull beams and frames as well as damage to five bottom plates. The ship reached completion on 16 March 1909 and departed from the River Tyne to Portsmouth two days later for commissioning. During this voyage, she collided with the brigantine Mary Ann and remained nearby until the lifeboat John Birch arrived from Yarmouth to assist by towing the brigantine.

Commissioned into the Home Fleet's 1st Cruiser Squadron on 20 March 1909, she took part in fleet exercises during April and June of that year, including the Spithead Fleet Review on 12 June and another review near Southend on 2 July. Between 17 August and 17 January 1910, she underwent refitting aimed at resolving electrical issues affecting her turrets; however, these problems persisted. A further refit in spring 1911 sought to rectify turret malfunctions but was also unsuccessful, leading to a decision in the following year to convert her turrets to hydraulic operation. This conversion was postponed until after her assignment to the Mediterranean Fleet in August 1913. On 17 March of that year, she collided with submarine HMS C34; responsibility for the incident was attributed to the submarine. Returning to the United Kingdom in December 1913, she prepared for a significant refit that would finally equip her turrets with hydraulic power, enhancing her combat readiness.

First World War

Her refit commenced at Portsmouth Dockyard in March 1914 but was interrupted by Britain’s declaration of war against Germany on 4 August. Although formally recommissioned a day earlier, completion of turret modifications required an additional week. Invincible became the first battlecruiser fitted with a new fire-control director system; however, this system could not be fully installed before deployment and remained non-operational until after her post-Battle of the Falkland Islands refit. She was declared ready for service on 12 August when Rear-Admiral Sir Archibald Gordon Moore raised his flag aboard as commander of the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron. He received orders to proceed to the Humber along with battlecruiser HMS New Zealand (1911), positioning them to provide enhanced support for British vessels patrolling the Broad Fourteens area.

Battle of Heligoland Bight

Main article: Battle of Heligoland Bight (1914)

Invincible's inaugural engagement occurred as part of the battlecruiser contingent led by Admiral Beatty during the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914. Initially, Beatty's battlecruisers were positioned to provide distant support for British cruisers and destroyers operating nearer to the German coastline, prepared to respond if significant elements of the High Seas Fleet emerged. At 11:35,[Note 1] the squadron accelerated southward at full speed when the British light forces failed to withdraw as planned, and the rising tide threatened to enable German capital ships to pass the bar at the Jade estuary entrance. Earlier in the action, the recently commissioned light cruiser Arethusa had been disabled and was under attack by German light cruisers Strassburg and Cöln when Beatty's battlecruisers emerged from the mist at 12:37. While Strassburg slipped away into the fog, evading fire, Cöln remained exposed and was rapidly disabled by concentrated fire from Beatty's squadron. The sudden appearance of the aging light cruiser Ariadne directly ahead diverted Beatty's focus from finishing off Cöln. He pursued and reduced Ariadne to a blazing wreck with just three close-range salvos (under 6,000 yards (5.5 km)). By 13:10, Beatty signaled a general withdrawal and turned north.[1] During this phase, Invincible, trailing behind the main battlecruiser formation, engaged Cöln, firing 18 rounds without scoring hits,[2] before the main body of battlecruisers encountered and sank the crippled Cöln with two salvos from Lion.[1]

Battle of the Falklands

Main article: Battle of the Falkland Islands

The West Indies Squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Christopher Cradock was decisively defeated by Vice-Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee's German East Asia Squadron during the Battle of Coronel on 1 November 1914. In retaliation, the Admiralty dispatched a squadron tasked with eliminating Spee's force. This squadron, led by Vice-Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee, included Invincible as flagship alongside Inflexible. They set sail on 11 November and rendezvoused with additional cruisers under Rear Admiral Stoddard near Abrolhos Rocks off Brazil on 26 November. The fleet departed the following day and arrived at Port Stanley on 7 December.[3]

Spee was conducting a leisurely return voyage through the Atlantic and aimed to destroy Port Stanley's radio station. On 8 December morning, he dispatched the armoured cruiser SMS Gneisenau and light cruiser Nürnberg to scout if British warships were present in the harbour. Their presence was detected at 07:30; however, the pre-dreadnought Canopus, grounded deliberately in Stanley Harbour for town and wireless station defense, did not receive this information until 07:45. Sturdee had not anticipated an immediate confrontation; many vessels were coaling and thus vulnerable. The armoured cruiser Cornwall and light cruiser Bristol had engines undergoing repairs. The armed merchant cruiser Macedonian patrolled near the harbour entrance while armoured cruiser Kent awaited relief duty at anchor in outer harbour. The Germans did not expect resistance; however, when Canopus opened fire at 09:20, they abandoned their attack on the wireless station and withdrew toward Spee's main fleet.[4]

Sturdee's squadron did not sortie until 09:50 despite sighting retreating German vessels on the southwest horizon. Fresh from dry dock, Invincible enjoyed a speed advantage of about 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) over Spee's ships, which were hindered by fouled hulls limiting them to roughly 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). The light cruiser Leipzig lagged behind its formation; at a range of approximately 17,500 yards (16,000 m), Inflexible commenced firing at 12:55. Shortly after, Invincible joined in as they bracketed Leipzig, closing range to around 13,000 yards (12,000 m). At 13:20 Spee ordered his squadron to split: his light cruisers veered southwest while armoured cruisers turned northeast to shield their retreating comrades. German gunfire began at 13:30 with their first hit landing on Invincible at 13:44; however, this shell exploded harmlessly against her belt armor. Both sides exchanged rapid fire for half an hour before Sturdee increased distance to move beyond effective German gun range. British accuracy was poor—only four hits out of approximately 210 rounds—largely due to smoke from guns and funnels obstructing vision as they were upwind,[5] compounded by one of Invincible's 'A' turret guns jamming at 13:42 for thirty minutes.[6]

Attempting escape under cover of smoke obscuring visibility for both sides, Spee altered course southward but extended range only to about 17,000 yards (16,000 m) before being detected again. The British battlecruisers pursued at roughly 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph). After forty minutes they resumed firing at approximately 15,000 yards (14,000 m), prompting Spee to turn eastward eight minutes later to engage closely so his secondary 15 cm (5.9 in) guns could be effective at maximum elevation by 15:00. Despite smoke impairing both fleets' visibility, multiple hits were scored; German shells either failed to detonate or struck armored sections but inflicted damage nonetheless—most notably disabling Gneisenau's starboard engine room. At 15:15 Sturdee maneuvered his ships across their own wakes to seize windward advantage. Spee's course shifted northwest seemingly aiming to cross British Tactics but actually intended to bring undamaged starboard guns of Scharnhorst into action since most port side weapons were disabled. British fire repeatedly struck both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. By 16:00 Scharnhorst ceased firing before capsizing at 16:17 with no survivors. Severely damaged earlier, Gneisenau endured another hour and a half of bombardment from Inflexible and Invincible, closing ranges as low as 4,000 yards (3,700 m), until she exhausted ammunition and stopped firing at 16:47. Sturdee nearly called ceasefire at 17:15 but an ammunition hoist freed up allowing one last shot before British fire resumed until about 17:50 when her captain ordered scuttling at 17:40; she capsized slowly around 18:00 with British forces rescuing 176 survivors from icy waters.[7] During this engagement, Invincible discharged 513 main gun shells,[8] sustaining twenty-two hits herself that flooded two forward compartments and caused a temporary list due to waterline damage near 'P' turret coal bunker flooding; remarkably casualties were limited to one killed and five wounded among her crew.[9]

Following battle damage assessment, temporary repairs were conducted at Port Stanley before she sailed for Gibraltar for comprehensive drydock repairs lasting one month during which her fore funnel height was increased by approximately 15 feet (4.6 m) to improve bridge and spotting top visibility by reducing smoke interference. Subsequently returning to England on 15 February 1915 she joined the Grand Fleet. On 21 February, Battlecruiser Fleet organization assigned three squadrons including the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron, intended to comprise all three Invincible-class ships upon arrival of Inflexible from Mediterranean service. Between April 25 and May 12 she underwent refit replacing four worn twelve-inch guns and modifying secondary armament into casemates with reductions in number. Rear-Admiral Horace Hood assumed command of the squadron on May 27 aboard Invincible.[10]

During operations responding to the German bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft on April 24–25, 1916, both first and third Battlecruiser Squadrons failed to locate enemy vessels amid poor weather conditions on return passage when shortly after midnight on April 25 she was rammed by patrol yacht Goissa. The yacht’s bow penetrated deeply into Invincible's side causing structural damage that reduced speed to about 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) due to flooding; she withdrew from formation proceeding independently for repairs at Rosyth, completed by May 22.[11]

Battle of Jutland

Main article: Battle of Jutland
File:InvincibleBlowingUpJutland1916.jpg
Invincible exploding during Jutland as captured from a nearby destroyer.[12]

At May’s end in 1916, the third Battlecruiser Squadron joined temporary exercises with the Grand Fleet focusing on gunnery practice. On May 30th all Grand Fleet units including Admiral Beatty's battlecruisers sailed out anticipating a sortie by Germany’s High Seas Fleet. Rear-Admiral Hood advanced ahead with his three battlecruisers supporting Beatty’s force. Around 14:30 Hood intercepted radio traffic from British light cruiser Galatea, attached to Beatty’s group reporting sighting two enemy cruisers; further reports indicated seven enemy vessels heading northward. Interpreting this as an attempted escape through the Skagerrak, Hood increased speed to approximately 22 kn (41 km/h; 25 mph), steering East-Southeast at about 15:11 aiming to intercept fleeing ships. Twenty minutes later he received additional signals from Beatty indicating five enemy battlecruisers in sight engaging south-eastbound targets; by16:06 Hood ordered full speed south-southeast course intending convergence with Beatty’s forces but lost contact after requesting positional updates at16:56.[13]

Continuing along course until about17:40 Hood observed gunfire flashes toward a sector where his light cruiser Chester had been sent investigating other gunfire reports; Chester engaged four light cruisers from Hipper’s second scouting group sustaining heavy damage before Hood intervened driving off attackers protecting Chester’s withdrawal. At17:53 Invincible opened fire against Wiesbaden, followed shortly after by her sister ships two minutes later targeting same vessel(s). By18:00 German cruisers attempted torpedo attacks then withdrew into mist seeking concealment; during this phase Invincible struck engine room of Wiesbaden, immobilizing her while Inflexible scored a hit on Pillau once more.[14]

German escort included light cruiser Regensburg alongside thirty-one destroyers across multiple flotillas that successively attacked Hood’s squadron but were repelled by his remaining light cruiser HMS Canterbury, supported by five destroyers defending against torpedo assaults which saw only twelve torpedoes launched damaging destroyer HMS Shark via gunfire instead.[15] As Hood maneuvered westward closing toward Beatty’s position all three battlecruisers presented broadside profiles vulnerable to incoming torpedoes; however,Invincible turned north while sisters turned south minimizing target area causing all torpedoes either misses or failure except one passing beneath without detonation near Inflexible. During this maneuver helm jammed aboard Invincible, forcing brief stop for repairs before reforming fleet heading west.[16]

The two fragmented sections of Invincible, temporarily resting upright on seabed

At18:21 Hood turned south leading Beatty’s battlecruisers towards Hipper’s force located roughly9000 yards (8.2 km) away opening fire immediately upon flagship Lützow and sister shipDerfflinger; hits included three strikes on Derfflinger by Indomitable, one on Seydlitz,[17] while Lützow absorbed ten hits from Lion,Inflexible,and Invincible including two critical strikes below waterline forward inflicted by Invincible that ultimately doomed her.[18] At18:30 Invincible suddenly became exposed target between Lützow and Derfflinger which promptly fired three salvoes each sinking her within ninety seconds after impact.[19] One or more12-inch (305 mm) shells penetrated midships 'Q' turret front causing roof loss followed by catastrophic detonation of midships magazines splitting ship in two sections; explosion likely triggered adjacent 'A' and 'X' magazines as well.[20] Out of1026 officers and crew aboard only six survived including Rear-Admiral Hood who perished along with most complement.[19] Of these survivors five were stationed within fore-control top atop tripod foremast including gunnery officer Commander Hubert Edward Dannreuther, while another was positioned within rangefinder atop 'Q' turret;[21] Dannreuther was reportedly thrown clear during magazine explosion.[22]

Wreck site

Post-war surveys located wreckage of HMS Invincible resting upright stern-first on sandy seabed approximately180 feet (55 m) deep at coordinates{{nowrap |57°02′40″N 06°07′15″E / 57.04444°N 6.12083°E / 57.04444; 6.12083 (Wreck site of HMS Invincible).[23] Bow section lies inverted.

Investigations revealed twelve-inch guns within aft turret remain loaded despite missing turret roof.[24] A period photograph depicting explosion destroying Invincible shows flames emanating from 'X' turret suggesting its magazine contributed a low-order explosion inside ship,[Note 2][25]

The wreck is legally protected under UK’s Protection of Military Remains Act1986.[26] In honor of this vessel,the Canadian Rockies feature Mount Invincible named in1917.[27]

Notes

  1. ↑ The times cited here follow Coordinated Greenwich Mean Time, which is one hour behind CET, commonly referenced in German sources.
  2. ↑ A low-order explosion describes an event where blast pressure moves slowly forward displacing rather than shattering objects.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Massie, pp. 109–113
  2. ↑ Tarrant, p. 33
  3. ↑ Massie, pp. 248–251
  4. ↑ Massie, pp. 254–261
  5. ↑ Massie, pp. 261–266
  6. ↑ Tarrant, p. 61
  7. ↑ Massie, pp. 261–273
  8. ↑ Preston, p. 25
  9. ↑ Massie, p. 280
  10. ↑ Tarrant, pp. 76, 80–84
  11. ↑ Tarrant, pp. 95–96
  12. ↑ Some historians suggest this image may have been altered using photogravure techniques based on absence of bow wave or shell splashes typical in battle scenes; also noted are inconsistencies in destroyer positions compared with battle accounts.
  13. ↑ Tarrant, pp.98–99
  14. ↑ Campbell, pp.185–187
  15. ↑ Tarrant,pages103–105
  16. ↑ Tarrant,pages103–105
  17. ↑ Campbell,pages185–187
  18. ↑ Campbell,page183
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Campbell59
  20. ↑ Roberts,page116
  21. ↑ "HMS Invincible Survivors". The Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project. 20 November2021. Archived from the original on 27 September2022. Retrieved 16 April2022. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date=, |date=, and |archive-date= (help)
  22. ↑ Steel & Hart,pages230–231
  23. ↑ Tarrant,page114
  24. ↑ "The Wrecks of Jutland". Great War Primary Documents Archive Inc. Archived from the original on 18 November2021. Retrieved 27 October2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |archive-date= (help)
  25. ↑ Brown,page167
  26. ↑ "Statutory Instrument2006 No2616 The Protection of Military Remains Act1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order2006". Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament. Archived from the original on 8 July2008. Retrieved 20 November2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |archive-date= (help)
  27. ↑ Template:Cite crdb

Bibliography

  • Brown, David K. The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906–1922. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1999. ISBN 1-55750-315-X.
  • Brown, David K. "HMS Invincible: The Explosion at Jutland and its Relevance to HMS Hood." Warship International, vol. XL, no. 4, 2003, pp. 339–349. ISSN 0043-0374.
  • Burt, R. A. British Battleships of World War One. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1986. ISBN 0-87021-863-8.
  • Campbell, John. Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1986. ISBN 0-87021-324-5.
  • Hythe, Viscount (ed.). The Naval Annual 1914. London: William Clowes and Sons, 1914. OCLC 46594208.
  • Johnston, Ian & Buxton, Ian. The Battleship Builders – Constructing and Arming British Capital Ships. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2013. ISBN 978-1-59114-027-6.
  • Massie, Robert K. Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea. New York: Random House, 2003. ISBN 0-679-45671-6.
  • McCartney, Innes. "Jutland 1916: The Archaeology of a Modern Naval Battle: The Wreck of HMS Invincible, The World's First Battle Cruiser." SKYLLIS, the Journal of the German Society for the Promotion of Underwater Archaeology, vol. 12, no. 2, December 2013. OCLC 786134501.
  • Gray, Randal (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985. Chapter: Great Britain and Empire Forces by Antony Preston, pp. 1–104. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
  • Roberts, John. Battlecruisers. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1997. ISBN 1-55750-068-1.
  • Roberts, John A. Warship Monographs: Invincible Class. London: Conway Maritime Press, 1972. ISBN 0-85177-051-7.
  • Tarrant, V. E. Battlecruiser Invincible: The History of the First Battlecruiser, 1909–16. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1986. ISBN 0-87021-147-1.

External links

Template:Invincible class battlecruiser Template:May 1916 shipwrecks

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