HMS London (1899)

HMS London entering Malta Harbour in 1915
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS London
Builder	Portsmouth Dockyard
Laid down	8 December 1898
Launched	21 September 1899
Completed	June 1902
Commissioned	7 June 1902
Decommissioned	January 1919
Fate	Broken up, 1922
General characteristics
Class and type	London-class battleship
Displacement	Normal: 14,500 long tons (14,700 t) Full load: 15,700 long tons (16,000 t)
Length	431 ft 9 in (131.6 m) o/a
Beam	75 ft (22.9 m)
Draught	26 ft (7.9 m)
Installed power	20 × water-tube boilers 15,000 ihp (11,000 kW)
Propulsion	2 × triple-expansion steam engines 2 × screw propellers
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement	714
Armament	4 × BL 12-inch (305-mm) Mk IX guns 12 × BL 6 in (152 mm) Mk VII guns 16 × QF 12-pounder guns 6 × QF 3-pounder guns 4 × 18-inch (457-mm) submerged torpedo tubes
Armour	Belt: 9 in (229 mm) Bulkhead: 9–12 in (229–305 mm) Barbettes: 12 in (305 mm) Turrets: 10 in (254 mm) Casemates: 6 in (152 mm) Conning tower: 14 in (356 mm) Deck: 1–2.5 in (25–64 mm)

HMS London was the lead ship of the London class of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the British Royal Navy. The Londons were near repeats of the preceding Formidable-class battleships, but with modified armour protection. The ship was laid down in December 1898, was launched in September 1899, and was completed in June 1902. Commissioned the same month, she served with the Mediterranean Fleet until early 1907. She was assigned to the Nore Division of the Home Fleet for nearly a year before transferring to the Channel Fleet. Rendered obsolete with the emergence of the new dreadnoughts in late 1906, she underwent an extensive refit in 1909, after which she served with the Atlantic Fleet. She was assigned to the Second Home Fleet in 1912 as part of the 5th Battle Squadron, and was temporarily fitted with a makeshift ramp for experiments with naval aircraft until 1913.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, the squadron was attached to the Channel Fleet before London was detached in March 1915 to participate in the Dardanelles Campaign, supporting ANZAC forces as they landed at Gaba Tepe and Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915. She remained in the Mediterranean, supporting the Italian Royal Navy in the Adriatic Sea until October 1916. Returning to the United Kingdom, she was inactive until being converted to a minelayer in early 1918, which entailed the removal of her main armament. She served with the Grand Fleet's 1st Minelaying Squadron until the end of the war. Placed in reserve in 1919, she was eventually broken up for scrap in 1920.