HMS Anson (1886)

HMS Anson was a British Admiral-class battleship built for the Royal Navy in the 1880s. She was the third ship of her class, following HMS Collingwood and preceding HMS Camperdown, Benbow, Howe, and Rodney.

Anson was laid down at Pembroke Dockyard in February 1882, launched in February 1886, and completed in June 1889. She was armed with four 12-inch (305 mm) breech-loading guns mounted in two barbettes, one forward and one aft. Secondary armament consisted of six 6-inch (152 mm) guns, along with numerous smaller quick-firing and machine guns for close-range defense against torpedo boats.

Her service career was relatively uneventful, spending much of her time in the Mediterranean Fleet. Anson participated in fleet exercises and patrols. She was placed in reserve in 1904 and ultimately sold for scrap in 1909.

Like other battleships of her era, Anson represented a significant advancement in naval technology, incorporating improved armor protection and heavier guns compared to earlier ironclads. However, she was rendered obsolete relatively quickly by the development of pre-dreadnought battleships in the late 1890s and early 1900s.