HMS Iron Duke (1912)

HMS Iron Duke (1912) was the lead ship of her class of four dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy before World War I. She served as the flagship of the Grand Fleet from the outbreak of war in August 1914 until April 1917.

Design and Construction: Designed in response to the German Kaiser-class battleships, the Iron Duke-class incorporated improvements in armor, armament, and propulsion over previous British dreadnoughts. Iron Duke was laid down at Portsmouth Dockyard in January 1912, launched in October 1912, and commissioned in March 1914.

Armament: The Iron Duke was armed with ten 13.5-inch (343 mm) Mark V guns in five twin turrets, arranged along the centerline. These guns were capable of firing a 1,400-pound (635 kg) shell over a distance of approximately 23,700 yards (21,700 meters). Secondary armament consisted of twelve 6-inch (152 mm) guns in casemates, primarily for defense against torpedo boats. She also carried a smaller number of anti-aircraft guns.

Service History: Upon commissioning, Iron Duke became the flagship of the Home Fleets, later renamed the Grand Fleet, under the command of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe. She participated in numerous patrols and sweeps of the North Sea in search of the German High Seas Fleet. Her most significant engagement was the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916, where she played a prominent role. Iron Duke engaged several German battleships and cruisers, contributing to the destruction of the armored cruiser SMS Lützow.

After the war, Iron Duke served in the Mediterranean Fleet from 1919 to 1926. She was subsequently converted into a gunnery training ship in 1931, a role she filled until the outbreak of World War II. In 1939, she was stationed at Scapa Flow. She was deliberately grounded in October 1939 after suffering damage from German bombing raids to prevent her from sinking and blocking the harbor entrance. Her guns were removed and used for coastal defense.

Fate: Iron Duke remained aground at Scapa Flow throughout World War II. She was refloated in 1946 and sold for scrap, eventually being broken up in 1948.