HMS Warrior (1905) facts for kids
Warrior off the Round Tower, Portsmouth
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Warrior |
| Ordered | 1903–04 Naval Programme |
| Builder | Pembroke Dock |
| Laid down | 5 November 1903 |
| Launched | 25 November 1905 |
| Commissioned | 12 December 1906 |
| Fate | Sank 1 June 1916, after the Battle of Jutland |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Warrior-class armoured cruiser |
| Displacement |
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| Length | 505 ft 4 in (154.0 m) |
| Beam | 73 ft 6 in (22.4 m) |
| Draught | 27 ft 6 in (8.4 m) (maximum) |
| Installed power | 23,650 ihp (17,640 kW) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) |
| Range | 7,960 nmi (14,740 km; 9,160 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 712 |
| Armament |
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| Armour |
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HMS Warrior was a powerful armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy around 1900. She was designed to be fast and well-protected. When World War I started, Warrior was in the Mediterranean Sea. She helped chase two German warships, the SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau.
Later, in December 1914, Warrior joined the main British fleet, called the Grand Fleet. Her most famous battle was the Battle of Jutland in 1916. During this huge sea fight, Warrior was badly damaged. She had to leave the battle and later sank in the rough sea.
Contents
Ship Design and Features
Warrior was a large ship, weighing about 13,550 tons when built. When fully loaded, she weighed around 14,500 tons. The ship was about 154 meters (505 feet) long. She was 22.4 meters (73 feet) wide and sat 8.4 meters (27 feet) deep in the water.
Her engines were powerful, producing 23,650 horsepower. This allowed Warrior to reach a top speed of 23.3 knots (about 43 kilometers per hour). The ship had two propellers, driven by special steam engines. These engines got their power from 19 large boilers. Warrior could carry a lot of coal and some fuel oil. This fuel allowed her to travel about 7,960 nautical miles (14,742 kilometers) at a slower speed of 10 knots.
Ship's Weapons
Warrior carried strong weapons to fight other ships. Her main guns were six 9.2-inch (234 mm) guns. These were placed in rotating towers called turrets. Two turrets were at the front and back of the ship. Four more were on the sides, near the funnels.
She also had four 7.5-inch (191 mm) guns. These were also in turrets, located in the middle of the ship. For closer defense, Warrior had 26 smaller 3-pounder (47 mm) guns. These were placed on top of the turrets and on other parts of the ship.
The ship also had three hidden torpedo tubes. These tubes could launch 17.7-inch (450 mm) torpedoes underwater. One of these tubes was at the very back of the ship.
Service History
Warrior was ordered in 1903 and built at Pembroke Dockyard. Her construction started on November 5, 1903. She was launched into the water on November 25, 1905. The ship was officially ready for service on December 12, 1906.
At first, Warrior served in the Channel Fleet until 1909. Then she moved to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron. In 1913, she joined the Mediterranean Fleet.
World War I Begins
When World War I started in August 1914, Warrior was involved in chasing two German ships. These were the battlecruiser Goeben and the light cruiser Breslau. However, Warrior was told not to attack them directly.
A few days later, Warrior took part in a battle that sank the Austro-Hungarian light cruiser SMS Zenta. This was during the Battle of Antivari. After this, she was sent to defend the Suez Canal in Egypt. She stayed there until November 1914. Then, she was ordered to Gibraltar to search for German warships. This search was called off when more was learned about where the German ships were.
Battle of Jutland
In December 1914, Warrior joined the Grand Fleet, the main British battle fleet. She was part of the 1st Cruiser Squadron. On May 31, 1916, Warrior fought in the Battle of Jutland. This was the largest naval battle of World War I.
During the battle, Warrior and her squadron leader, HMS Defence, spotted German ships. They opened fire, but their shots missed. As they chased, they almost crashed into another British ship, HMS Lion. Soon after, they saw a damaged German light cruiser, SMS Wiesbaden.
As Warrior and Defence got closer to Wiesbaden, they were spotted by powerful German battlecruisers and battleships. The German ships fired many shells at them. Defence exploded and sank quickly. Warrior was hit by at least 15 large shells and 6 smaller ones.
Luckily, the German ships then switched their fire to another British battleship, HMS Warspite. This happened because Warspite's steering got stuck, making it turn in circles. This distraction saved Warrior from being completely destroyed.
The Sinking of Warrior
Warrior was badly damaged, with large fires and a lot of water flooding in. But her engine room crew, even though most of them died, kept the engines running. This allowed Warrior to move away from the battle.
A seaplane tender, HMS Engadine, came to help. It took Warrior in tow and rescued her surviving crew of 743 people. Warrior was abandoned at 8:25 a.m. on June 1, 1916. The sea was getting rougher, and her top deck was only 1.2 meters (4 feet) above the water. She sank soon after.
Wreck Discovery
On September 8, 2016, Dr. Innes McCartney and a team found the wreck of Warrior. They discovered it on August 24, 2016. The ship lies upside down at a depth of 80 meters (262 feet). It is in a soft area of the seabed.
The wreck seems mostly untouched. There are no signs of illegal metal salvaging, which has happened to other shipwrecks from Jutland. Warrior was the last of the 25 ships sunk at the Battle of Jutland to be found. There are worries that the wreck might be damaged by people trying to take metal from it. However, the wreck is protected by the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
