Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext) | '{{Short description|Pre-dreadnought battleship of the British Royal Navy}}
{{good article}}
{{Other ships|HMS Africa}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Africa.jpg
|Ship caption=HMS ''Africa''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|UK|naval}}
|Ship name=HMS ''Africa''
|Ship namesake=[[Africa]]
|Ship builder=[[Chatham Dockyard]]
|Ship laid down=27 January 1904
|Ship launched=20 May 1905
|Ship completed=November 1906
|Ship commissioned=6 November 1906
|Ship decommissioned=November 1918
|Ship fate=Sold for scrapping, 30 June 1920
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class={{sclass|King Edward VII|battleship|0}} [[pre-dreadnought battleship]]
|Ship displacement=
*{{convert|15585|to|15885|LT|lk=on}} (normal)
*{{convert|17009|to|17290|LT}} (fully loaded)
|Ship length={{convert|453|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on|1}} ([[length overall|loa]])
|Ship beam={{convert|75|ft|m|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship draught={{convert|25|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=
*16 [[water-tube boiler]]s
*{{convert|18000|ihp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on|-1}}
|Ship propulsion=
*2 × [[Marine steam engine#Triple or multiple expansion|triple-expansion steam engines]]
*2 × screws
|Ship speed={{convert|18.5|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship complement=777
|Ship armament=
*4 × [[BL 12 inch Mk IX naval gun|BL {{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} Mk IX gun]]s
*4 × [[BL 9.2 inch gun Mk IX - X|BL {{convert|9.2|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} Mk X gun]]s
*10 × [[BL 6 inch Mk VII naval gun|BL {{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} Mk VII gun]]s
*14 × [[QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun|12-pounder {{convert|3|in|abbr=on|0}} guns]]
*14 × [[QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder {{convert|47|mm|abbr=on}} guns]]
*4 × [[British 18 inch torpedo|18-in (450-mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s (submerged)
|Ship armour=
*[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|9|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{convert|8|-|12|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Barbette]]s: 12 in
*[[Gun turret|Turret]]s:
**Main battery: 8–12 in
**9.2-inch battery: {{convert|5|-|9|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Casemate]]s: {{convert|7|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Conning tower]]: 12 in
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]s: {{convert|1|-|2.5|in|mm|abbr=on}}
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Africa''''' was a [[pre-dreadnought]] [[battleship]] of the [[Royal Navy]], and the penultimate ship of the {{sclass|King Edward VII|battleship|4}}. The ship was built by [[Chatham Dockyard]] between 1904 and 1906. Armed with a battery of four {{convert|12|in|adj=on|0}} and four {{convert|9.2|in|abbr=on|0}} guns, she and her [[sister ship]]s marked a significant advance in offensive power compared to earlier British battleship designs that did not carry the 9.2 in guns. Like all ships of the class (apart from {{HMS|King Edward VII}}), she was named after an important part of the [[British Empire]], namely Africa.
After [[ship commissioning|commissioning]] in July 1905, she served briefly with the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]] from October to March 1907 before transferring to the [[Channel Fleet]]. She then joined the [[Home Fleet]] in 1909. ''Africa'' participated in tests with shipboard aircraft in January 1912, and she was the first British ship to launch an aeroplane. In mid-1912, she, along with her sister ships, was assigned to the [[3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|3rd Battle Squadron]], part of the Home Fleet. That year, the squadron went to the [[Mediterranean Sea]] during the [[First Balkan War]] as part of an international [[blockade]] of Montenegro. In 1913, the ship returned to British waters.
When the [[First World War]] broke out, ''Africa'' was transferred back to the 3rd Battle Squadron, which was assigned to the [[Grand Fleet]], the main British fleet during the war. Through 1914 and 1915, the ships frequently went to sea to search for German vessels, but ''Zealandia'' saw no action during this period. By the end of the year, the Grand Fleet stopped operating with the older 3rd Battle Squadron ships, and in April 1916 the 3rd Squadron was relocated to the [[Commander-in-Chief, The Nore|Nore Command]]. Later that year, ''Africa'' was attached to the 2nd Detached Squadron, then serving in the [[Adriatic Sea]]. In 1917, she was sent to the [[9th Cruiser Squadron]], based in Sierra Leone; while she was there, her crew was stricken with [[Spanish flu]]. ''Africa'' returned to Britain in October 1918, was decommissioned the following month, and sold for [[scrap]] in 1920.
==Design==
{{main|King Edward VII-class battleship}}
[[File:King-Edward-Class.png|thumb|left|Left elevation and deck plan as depicted in ''Jane's Fighting Ships'']]
Following the development of [[pre-dreadnought]] type [[battleship]]s carrying heavy secondary guns of {{convert|8|in|adj=on}} diameter in the Italian ''[[Regia Marina]]'' and the [[United States Navy]], the [[Royal Navy]] decided to build similar ships. Initial proposals called for a battleship equipped with eight {{convert|7.5|in|abbr=on}} guns to support the main battery, though under the direction of [[William Henry White]], the [[Director of Naval Construction]], these were replaced with four {{convert|9.2|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns. The new ships, though based on the general {{sclass|Majestic|battleship|5}} type that had formed the basis of the preceding four battleship designs, marked the first significant change in the series.{{sfn|Burt|pp=264–266}} Like all late pre-dreadnoughts that entered service in the mid-1900s, ''Africa'' was made almost instantaneously obsolescent by the commissioning of the all-big-gun {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6}} in December 1906, armed with a battery of ten heavy guns compared to the typical four of most pre-dreadnoughts.{{sfn|Preston|p=21}}
''Africa'' was {{convert|453|ft|9|in}} [[length overall|long overall]], with a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|75|ft|abbr=on}} and a [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|25|ft|8|in|abbr=on}}. The ''King Edward VII''-class battleships [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|15585|to|15885|LT|lk=on}} normally and up to {{convert|17009|to|17290|LT}} fully loaded. Her crew numbered 777 officers and [[Naval rating|ratings]]. The ''King Edward VII''-class ships were powered by a pair of 4-cylinder [[triple-expansion engine]]s that drove two [[propeller|screws]], with steam provided by sixteen [[water-tube boiler]]s. The boilers were trunked into two [[funnel (ship)|funnels]] located [[amidships]]. The ''King Edward VII''-class ships had a top speed of {{convert|18.5|kn|lk=in}} from {{convert|18000|ihp|lk=in}}.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}} On her 8-hour full-power trials conducted on 3 June 1906, ''Africa'' reached a top speed of {{convert|18.95|kn}} from an average of {{convert|18671|ihp|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Burt|p=282}}
''Africa'' had a [[main battery]] of four [[Armstrong Whitworth 12 inch /40 naval gun|{{convert|12|in|mm|adj=on|0}} 40-calibre guns]] mounted in twin-[[gun turret]]s fore and aft. These were supported by a heavy [[battleship secondary armament|secondary battery]] of four [[BL 9.2-inch Mk IX – X naval gun|{{convert|9.2|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns]] in four single turrets, two on each [[broadside]]. The ships also mounted ten [[BL 6-inch Mk XI naval gun|6-inch 50 calibre guns]] mounted in [[casemate]]s, in addition to fourteen [[QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun|12-pounder {{convert|3|in|abbr=on|0}} guns]] and fourteen [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder {{convert|47|mm|abbr=on}} guns]] for defence against [[torpedo boat]]s.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}{{sfn|McBride|2001|pp=66–67, 69}} As was customary for battleships of the period, she was also equipped with five [[British 18 inch torpedo|{{convert|18|in|mm|adj=on|0}} torpedo]] tubes submerged in the [[hull (watercraft)|hull]]; two were on each broadside, with the fifth in the stern.{{sfn|Burt|p=267}}
''Africa'' had an [[armoured belt]] that was {{convert|9|in|0}} thick; the transverse [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkheads]] on the aft end of the belt was {{convert|8|to|12|in|abbr=on|0}} thick. The sides of her main battery turrets were also 8 to 12 in thick, atop 12 in [[barbette]]s, and the 9.2 turrets had {{convert|5|to|9|in|0|abbr=on}} sides. The casemate battery was protected with {{convert|7|in|0|abbr=on}} of armour plate. Her [[conning tower]] had 12-inch-thick sides. She was fitted with two armoured [[deck (ship)|decks]], {{convert|1|and|2.5|in|abbr=on|0}} thick, respectively.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}
==Operational history==
===Early career===
HMS ''Africa'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at [[Chatham Dockyard]] on 27 January 1904, [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 20 May 1905, and completed in November 1906. Named for the [[British Empire]]'s colonies in Africa, she was the last battleship constructed at Chatham, later classes of battleships being too large for the yard. ''Africa'' commissioned on 6 November 1906 at Chatham Dockyard for service in the [[British Atlantic Fleet|Atlantic Fleet]]. She transferred to the [[Channel Fleet]] on 4 March 1907 and collided with the merchant steamer SS ''Ormuz'' off [[Portland, England|Portland]] on 23 March 1907, suffering only slight damage. ''Africa'' transferred to the [[Commander-in-Chief, The Nore|Nore Division]], [[Home Fleet]], in June 1908, and in April 1909 joined the Second Division, Home Fleet. During this service she commissioned at Chatham as [[flagship]] of [[Vice Admiral]] Sir [[William May (Royal Navy officer)|William Henry May]], commander of the Third and Fourth Divisions, Home Fleet, on 25 April 1911; the battleship {{HMS|King Edward VII||2}} relieved her of this duty on 24 July 1911. In November 1911, she was placed in reserve at the [[Nore]].{{sfn|Burt|p=293}}{{sfn|Preston|p=9}}{{sfn|Manning & Walker|p=36}}
[[File:Fleet Air Arm Museum (11368341936).jpg|thumb|left|A [[Short Improved S.27]] preserved at the [[Fleet Air Arm Museum]]]]
In January 1912, ''Africa'' took part in aircraft experiments at [[Sheerness]]. She was fitted for flying off aircraft with a {{convert|100|ft|m|adj=on|abbr=off}} downward-sloping runway which was installed on her foredeck, running over her forward 12-inch (305-mm) turret from her forebridge to her bows and equipped with rails to guide the aircraft. ''Africa''{{'}}s crew tested the strength and stability of the rails by jumping up and down on them, then held the [[Gnome Engine Company|Gnome]]-engined [[Short Improved S.27]] [[Pusher configuration|pusher]] [[seaplane]] in place as Lieutenant [[Charles Rumney Samson|Charles Samson]] entered its cockpit to attempt the first British shipboard aircraft take-off on 10 January 1912 while the ship was at [[anchor]] in the [[River Medway]]. The aircraft moved quickly down the runway, dipped slightly after leaving it, but then pulled up and climbed easily. Samson circled ''Africa'' several times to the cheers of the crew, although on one pass he came uncomfortably close to the ship. After a few minutes, Samson climbed to {{convert|800|ft|m|abbr=off}} and concluded his historic flight by landing safely at an airfield ashore.{{sfn|Burt|pp=283, 293}}{{sfn|Thetford|p=454}}
''Africa'' transferred her flight equipment to her sister ship {{HMS|Hibernia|1905|2}} in May. Based on the 1912 flight experiments on ''Africa'', ''Hibernia'', and battleship {{HMS|London|1899|2}}, the Royal Navy concluded that shipboard aircraft were desirable for spotting and other fleet duties, but also that a fixed runway on a battleship interfered too much with the firing of the guns and that recovering seaplanes that had landed in a seaway was too difficult to be practical as a routine operation. But shipborne aviation had begun in the Royal Navy aboard ''Africa'', and by 1917 would become an important part of British fleet operations.{{sfn|Burt|p=283}}
''Africa'' underwent a refit at Chatham in 1912. Under a fleet reorganization in May 1912, ''Africa'' returned to full commission and she and all seven of her sisters ({{HMS|Britannia|1904|2}}, {{HMS|Commonwealth|1903|2}}, {{HMS|Dominion|1903|2}}, ''Hibernia'', {{HMS|Hindustan|1903|2}}, ''King Edward VII'', and [[HMS New Zealand (1904)|''Zealandia'']]) were assigned to form the [[3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|3rd Battle Squadron]], assigned to the First Fleet, Home Fleet. The squadron was detached to the Mediterranean in November 1912 because of the [[First Balkan War]] (October 1912–May 1913); it arrived at [[Malta]] on 27 November 1912 and subsequently participated in a [[blockade]] by an international force of [[Montenegro]] and in an occupation of [[Shkodër|Scutari]]. ''Africa'' and ''Hindustan'' returned to the United Kingdom and the Home Fleet in February 1913 and were temporarily attached to the [[4th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|4th Battle Squadron]]; They rejoined the 3rd Battle Squadron when it returned to the United Kingdom and rejoined the Home Fleet on 27 June 1913.{{sfn|Burt|p=293}}
===World War I===
====With the Grand Fleet====
[[File:North Sea map-en.png|thumb|upright|Map of the North Sea]]
[[File:Battleship HMS Africa - IWM Q 75234.jpg|thumb|Battleship HMS ''Africa'']]
Upon the outbreak of the [[First World War]] in August 1914, the 3rd Battle Squadron, at the time under the command of Vice Admiral [[Edward Eden Bradford|Edward Bradford]], was assigned to the Grand Fleet and based at [[Rosyth]], where it was reinforced with the five {{sclass|Duncan|battleship|1}}s,{{sfn|Corbett 1920|pp=39–40, 457}}{{sfn|Jellicoe|p=24}} It was used to supplement the Grand Fleet's [[cruiser]]s on the [[Northern Patrol]].{{sfn|Burt|p=293}} On 6 August, the day after Britain declared war on Germany, elements of the Grand Fleet sortied to inspect the coast of Norway in search of a German naval base violating Norwegian neutrality. ''Africa'' and the rest of the 3rd Battle Squadron provided distant support to the operation. No such base was found, and the ships returned to port the next day. On 14 August, the ships of the Grand Fleet went to sea for battle practice before conducting a sweep into the [[North Sea]] later that day and into 15 August.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=91–92, 98–99}} During sweeps by the fleet, she and her sisters often steamed at the heads of divisions of the far more valuable [[dreadnought]]s, where they could protect the dreadnoughts by watching for [[naval mines|mine]]s or by being the first to strike them.{{sfn|Burt|pp=277–278}} On 2 November 1914, the squadron was detached to reinforce the Channel Fleet and was rebased at Portland. It returned to the Grand Fleet on 13 November 1914.{{sfn|Burt|pp=290–291}}
On 14 December, the [[1st Battlecruiser Squadron]], [[2nd Battle Squadron]], and accompanying cruisers and destroyers left port to intercept the German forces preparing to [[Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby|raid Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby]]. On the first reports of contact with German units on the morning of 16 December, the Grand Fleet commander, Admiral [[John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|John Jellicoe]], ordered Bradford to take the 3rd Battle Squadron to support the ships in contact at 10:00. Four hours later, they met the [[1st Battle Squadron|1st]] and [[4th Battle Squadron]]s, en route from [[Scapa Flow]], though they failed to reach the German [[High Seas Fleet]] before the latter withdrew. The Grand Fleet remained at sea until late on 17 December, at which point the 3rd Battle Squadron was ordered back to Rosyth.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=174–180}} ''Africa'' and the rest of the squadron joined the Grand Fleet for another sweep into the North Sea on 25 December. The fleet returned to its ports two days later, having failed to locate any German vessels.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=182–184}}
The 3rd Battle Squadron went to sea on 12 January 1915 for gunnery training, steaming north and passing to the west of [[Orkney]] on the night of 13–14 January. After completing training on the 14th, they returned to Rosyth on 15 January.{{sfn|Jellicoe|p=188}} On 23 January, the 1st and [[2nd Battlecruiser Squadron]]s sortied to ambush the German [[I Scouting Group]] in what resulted in the [[Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)|Battle of Dogger Bank]] the following day. Later on the 23rd, the rest of the Grand Fleet, including ''Africa'', sortied to support the battlecruisers. The 3rd Squadron ships left first and steamed at full speed to reach ships of the [[Harwich Force]], which had reported contact with German vessels. The battlecruisers intervened first, and ''Africa'' and her sisters arrived around 14:00, by which time the battlecruisers had sunk the [[armoured cruiser]] {{SMS|Blücher||2}} and the surviving German ships had fled. The 3rd Battle Squadron patrolled the area with the rest of the Grand Fleet over the night before being detached at 08:00 on 25 January to steam to Rosyth.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=193–196}}
Elements of the Grand Fleet went to sea repeatedly over the next few months. The 3rd Battle Squadron patrolled the central North Sea in company with the [[3rd Cruiser Squadron]] from 10 to 13 March. The two units again went to sea to sweep the central North Sea from 5 to 8 April. A major fleet operation followed on 11 April, with the entire Grand Fleet sortieing for a sweep of the North Sea on 12 and 13 April. The squadrons returned to their ports on 14 April to replenish their fuel. Another such operation followed on 17 April, which also failed to find any German ships. The 3rd Battle Squadron returned to Rosyth late on 18 April. The fleet sortied again on 21 April, returning to port two days later. The 3rd Battle Squadron, joined by the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, patrolled the northern North Sea from 5 to 10 May, during which a German [[U-boat]] attacked the battleships but failed to score a hit.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=206, 210–216}}
Another sweep into the North Sea took place on 17–19 May, and no German forces were encountered. The fleet went to sea again on 29 May for a patrol south to the [[Dogger Bank]] before returning to port on 31 May, again without having located any German vessels. The Grand Fleet spent much of June in port conducting training, but the most modern units went to sea on 11 June for gunnery practice to the northwest of [[Shetland]]. While they were training, ''Africa'' and the rest of the 3rd Battle Squadron, along with the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, patrolled the central North Sea. Fleet activities were limited in July, owing to a threatened [[Strike action|strike]] by coal miners, which began on 18 July and threatened the supply of coal for the fleet's ships. The strike continued into August, which led Jellicoe to continue to limit fleet activities to preserve his stocks of coal. The fleet saw little activity in September, and during this period, the Grand Fleet began to go to sea without the older ships of the 3rd Battle Squadron.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=217, 219, 221–223, 228, 234, 243–250}} In December, ''Africa'' went to [[Belfast]] for a refit that lasted until January 1916.{{sfn|Burt|p=293}} On her way back to Scapa Flow, she passed unharmed through an area off [[Cape Wrath]] that had been [[naval mine|mined]] by the German [[auxiliary cruiser]] {{SMS|Möwe|1914|6}}; her sister ''King Edward VII'' was not so lucky, striking one of the mines a few hours later and sinking.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=265–266}}
====Later operations====
On 29 April 1916, the 3rd Battle Squadron was rebased at Sheerness (where ''Africa'' arrived on 2 May 1916), and on 3 May 1916 the squadron was separated from the Grand Fleet, being transferred to the Nore Command. ''Africa'' remained there with the squadron until August 1916. ''Africa'' began a refit at [[Portsmouth Dockyard]] in August 1916. Upon its completion in September 1916, she left the 3rd Battle Squadron and transferred to the [[Adriatic Sea]], where a British squadron had reinforced the [[Italian Navy]] against the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy]] since Italy's entry into the war in 1915.{{sfn|Burt|p=293}} Admiral [[Paolo Thaon di Revel]], the Italian naval chief of staff, believed that the threat from Austro-Hungarian [[submarine]]s and naval mines in the narrow waters of the Adriatic was too serious for him to use the fleet for active operations. Instead, Revel decided to implement a blockade at the relatively safer southern end of the Adriatic with the main fleet, while smaller vessels, such as the [[MAS (boat)|MAS boats]], conducted raids on Austro-Hungarian ships and installations.{{sfn|Halpern|pp=141–142, 150}} As a result, she saw little activity while stationed there. She left the Adriatic in January 1917 for a refit at [[Gibraltar]], during which the 6-inch guns on her main deck were replaced with four 6-inch guns a deck higher because the original guns were awash in even slightly rough weather.{{sfn|Burt|pp=285, 293}}
When her refit was completed in March 1917, ''Africa'' was attached to the [[9th Cruiser Squadron]] for service in the [[Atlantic Patrol (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Patrol]] and for [[convoy]] escort duties. She was based mainly at [[Sierra Leone]] and escorted convoys between Sierra Leone and [[Cape Town]], [[South Africa]]. She underwent a refit at [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]], from December 1917 to January 1918.{{sfn|Burt|p=293}} In September 1918, while ''Africa'' was based at Sierra Leone, some of her crew became ill during the [[1918 flu pandemic|influenza pandemic]] that broke out that year. Their numbers virtually doubled each day from less than a handful at the start of the month until 9 September, when 476 crew members were reported ill. On that day, one crewman was reported dead of [[pneumonia]] following a case of [[influenza]]. Five more crewmen died on 12 September. The next day, another eight perished. On 14 September, ten more crewmen died. ''Africa'' sent burial parties ashore daily, and the ship was put into quarantine. By the time ''Africa'' hauled down her quarantine flag on 30 September 1918, 52 crew members had died of illness out of a total complement of less than 800.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-01-HMS_Africa.htm|title=HMS AFRICA – September 1916 to November 1918, Mediterranean, Central and South Atlantic convoys (9th Cruiser Squadron)|access-date=27 December 2018|website=naval-history.net}}</ref>
In October 1918, ''Africa'' returned to the United Kingdom; she went into reserve at Portsmouth in November 1918. Following World War I, ''Africa'' was briefly the [[depot ship]] of the 9th [[Cruiser Squadron]] and was employed as an accommodation ship. In December 1919 she was selected to replace the [[protected cruiser]] {{HMS|Diadem|1896|2}} as [[Stoker (occupation)|stokers']] training ship at Portsmouth, but this was cancelled. ''Africa'' was placed on the sale list in March 1920, and was sold for scrapping to Ellis & Company of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], England on 30 June 1920. She was scrapped at Newcastle.{{sfn|Burt|p=293}}
==Notes==
{{Portal|Battleships}}
{{Reflist|20em}}
==References==
* {{cite book
|last=Burt
|first=R. A.
|title=British Battleships 1889–1904
|year=2013
|orig-year=1988
|location=Barnsley
|publisher=Seaforth Publishing
|isbn=978-1-84832-173-1
|ref={{sfnRef|Burt}}
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Corbett
|first=Julian Stafford
|author-link=Julian Corbett
|title=Naval Operations: To The Battle of the Falklands, December 1914
| url = https://archive.org/details/navaloperations04corb
|volume=I
|year=1920
|publisher=Longmans, Green & Co.
|location=London
|oclc=174823980
|ref={{sfnRef|Corbett 1920}}
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Halpern
|first=Paul G.
|title=A Naval History of World War I
|year=1995
|location=Annapolis
|publisher=Naval Institute Press
|isbn=978-1-55750-352-7
|ref={{sfnRef|Halpern}}
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Jellicoe
|first=John
|author-link=John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe
|title=The Grand Fleet, 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development, and Work
|url=https://archive.org/details/grandfleet19141900jell
|year=1919
|location=New York
|publisher=George H. Doran Company
|ref={{sfnRef|Jellicoe}}
|oclc=162593478
}}
* {{cite book
| last1 = Lyon
| first1 = David
| last2 = Roberts
| first2 = John
| chapter = Great Britain and Empire Forces
| pages = 1–113
| editor1-last = Chesneau
| editor1-first = Roger
| editor2-last = Kolesnik
| editor2-first = Eugene M.
| year = 1979
| title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860–1905
| publisher = Conway Maritime Press
| location = Greenwich
| isbn = 978-0-85177-133-5
| ref = {{sfnRef|Lyon & Roberts}}
| url-access = registration
| url = https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2
| name-list-style=amp
}}
* {{cite book
|last1=Manning
|first1=Thomas Davys
|last2=Walker
|first2=Charles Frederick
|title=British Warship Names
|year=1959
|location=London
|publisher=Putnam
|oclc=561921929
|ref={{sfnRef|Manning & Walker}}
|name-list-style=amp
}}
* {{cite book
|last=McBride
|first=Keith
|chapter='The Wobbly Eight': The ''King Edward VII'' Class Battleships, 1897–1922
|pages=63–69
|editor-last=Preston
|editor-first=Antony
|title=Warship 2001–2002
|year=2001
|location=London
|publisher=Conway Maritime Press
|isbn=0-85177-901-8
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Preston
| first = Antony
| chapter = Great Britain and Empire Forces
| pages = 1–104
| editor1-last = Gardiner
| editor1-first = Robert
| editor2-last = Gray
| editor2-first = Randal
| year = 1985
| title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921
| publisher = Naval Institute Press
| location = Annapolis
| isbn = 978-0-87021-907-8
| ref = {{sfnRef|Preston}}
|name-list-style=amp
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Thetford
|first=Owen
|title=British Naval Aircraft Since 1912
|location=Annapolis
|publisher=Naval Institute Press
|year=1991
|isbn=978-1-55750-076-2
|ref={{sfnRef|Thetford}}
}}
==Further reading==
* {{Colledge}}
* {{cite book|last1=Dittmar|first1=F. J.|last2=Colledge|first2=J. J.|title=British Warships 1914–1919|location=London|publisher=Ian Allan|year=1972|isbn=978-0-7110-0380-4 |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Gibbons|first=Tony|title=The Complete Encyclopedia of Battleships and Battlecruisers: A Technical Directory of All the World's Capital Ships From 1860 to the Present Day|location=London|publisher=Salamander Books Ltd.|year=1983|isbn=978-0-86101-142-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Parkes|first=Oscar|title=British Battleships|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis|year=1990|orig-year=1957|isbn=978-1-55750-075-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Pears|first=Randolph|title=British Battleships 1892–1957: The Great Days of the Fleets|location=London|publisher=G. Cave Associates|year=1979|isbn=978-0-906223-14-7}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Africa (ship, 1905)}}
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/battleships/africa/hms_africa.htm Maritimequest HMS Africa Photo Gallery]
{{King Edward VII class battleship}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Africa (1905)}}
[[Category:King Edward VII-class battleships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Chatham]]
[[Category:1905 ships]]
[[Category:World War I battleships of the United Kingdom]]
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{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|UK|naval}}
|Ship name=HMS ''Africa''
|Ship namesake=[[Africa]]
|Ship builder=[[Chatham Dockyard]]
|Ship laid down=27 January 1904
|Ship launched=20 May 1905
|Ship completed=November 1906
|Ship commissioned=6 November 1906
|Ship decommissioned=November 1918
|Ship fate=Sold for scrapping, 30 June 1920
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=von.lol
|Header caption=
|Ship class={{sclass|King Edward VII|battleship|0}} [[pre-dreadnought battleship]]
|Ship displacement=
*{{convert|15585|to|15885|LT|lk=on}} (normal)
*{{convert|17009|to|17290|LT}} (fully loaded)
|Ship length={{convert|453|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on|1}} ([[length overall|loa]])
|Ship beam={{convert|75|ft|m|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship draught={{convert|25|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=
*16 [[water-tube boiler]]s
*{{convert|18000|ihp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on|-1}}
|Ship propulsion=
*2 × [[Marine steam engine#Triple or multiple expansion|triple-expansion steam engines]]
*2 × screws
|Ship speed={{convert|18.5|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship complement=777
|Ship armament=
*4 × [[BL 12 inch Mk IX naval gun|BL {{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} Mk IX gun]]s
*4 × [[BL 9.2 inch gun Mk IX - X|BL {{convert|9.2|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} Mk X gun]]s
*10 × [[BL 6 inch Mk VII naval gun|BL {{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} Mk VII gun]]s
*14 × [[QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun|12-pounder {{convert|3|in|abbr=on|0}} guns]]
*14 × [[QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder {{convert|47|mm|abbr=on}} guns]]
*4 × [[British 18 inch torpedo|18-in (450-mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s (submerged)
|Ship armour=
*[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|9|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{convert|8|-|12|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Barbette]]s: 12 in
*[[Gun turret|Turret]]s:
**Main battery: 8–12 in
**9.2-inch battery: {{convert|5|-|9|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Casemate]]s: {{convert|7|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Conning tower]]: 12 in
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]s: {{convert|1|-|2.5|in|mm|abbr=on}}
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Africa''''' was a [[pre-dreadnought]] [[battleship]] of the [[Royal Navy]], and the penultimate ship of the {{sclass|King Edward VII|battleship|4}}. The ship was built by [[Chatham Dockyard]] between 1904 and 1906. Armed with a battery of four {{convert|12|in|adj=on|0}} and four {{convert|9.2|in|abbr=on|0}} guns, she and her [[sister ship]]s marked a significant advance in offensive power compared to earlier British battleship designs that did not carry the 9.2 in guns. Like all ships of the class (apart from {{HMS|King Edward VII}}), she was named after an important part of the [[British Empire]], namely Africa.
After [[ship commissioning|commissioning]] in July 1905, she served briefly with the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]] from October to March 1907 before transferring to the [[Channel Fleet]]. She then joined the [[Home Fleet]] in 1909. ''Africa'' participated in tests with shipboard aircraft in January 1912, and she was the first British ship to launch an aeroplane. In mid-1912, she, along with her sister ships, was assigned to the [[3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|3rd Battle Squadron]], part of the Home Fleet. That year, the squadron went to the [[Mediterranean Sea]] during the [[First Balkan War]] as part of an international [[blockade]] of Montenegro. In 1913, the ship returned to British waters.
When the [[First World War]] broke out, ''Africa'' was transferred back to the 3rd Battle Squadron, which was assigned to the [[Grand Fleet]], the main British fleet during the war. Through 1914 and 1915, the ships frequently went to sea to search for German vessels, but ''Zealandia'' saw no action during this period. By the end of the year, the Grand Fleet stopped operating with the older 3rd Battle Squadron ships, and in April 1916 the 3rd Squadron was relocated to the [[Commander-in-Chief, The Nore|Nore Command]]. Later that year, ''Africa'' was attached to the 2nd Detached Squadron, then serving in the [[Adriatic Sea]]. In 1917, she was sent to the [[9th Cruiser Squadron]], based in Sierra Leone; while she was there, her crew was stricken with [[Spanish flu]]. ''Africa'' returned to Britain in October 1918, was decommissioned the following month, and sold for [[scrap]] in 1920.
==Design==
{{main|King Edward VII-class battleship}}
[[File:King-Edward-Class.png|thumb|left|Left elevation and deck plan as depicted in ''Jane's Fighting Ships'']]
Following the development of [[pre-dreadnought]] type [[battleship]]s carrying heavy secondary guns of {{convert|8|in|adj=on}} diameter in the Italian ''[[Regia Marina]]'' and the [[United States Navy]], the [[Royal Navy]] decided to build similar ships. Initial proposals called for a battleship equipped with eight {{convert|7.5|in|abbr=on}} guns to support the main battery, though under the direction of [[William Henry White]], the [[Director of Naval Construction]], these were replaced with four {{convert|9.2|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns. The new ships, though based on the general {{sclass|Majestic|battleship|5}} type that had formed the basis of the preceding four battleship designs, marked the first significant change in the series.{{sfn|Burt|pp=264–266}} Like all late pre-dreadnoughts that entered service in the mid-1900s, ''Africa'' was made almost instantaneously obsolescent by the commissioning of the all-big-gun {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6}} in December 1906, armed with a battery of ten heavy guns compared to the typical four of most pre-dreadnoughts.{{sfn|Preston|p=21}}
''Africa'' was {{convert|453|ft|9|in}} [[length overall|long overall]], with a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|75|ft|abbr=on}} and a [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|25|ft|8|in|abbr=on}}. The ''King Edward VII''-class battleships [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|15585|to|15885|LT|lk=on}} normally and up to {{convert|17009|to|17290|LT}} fully loaded. Her crew numbered 777 officers and [[Naval rating|ratings]]. The ''King Edward VII''-class ships were powered by a pair of 4-cylinder [[triple-expansion engine]]s that drove two [[propeller|screws]], with steam provided by sixteen [[water-tube boiler]]s. The boilers were trunked into two [[funnel (ship)|funnels]] located [[amidships]]. The ''King Edward VII''-class ships had a top speed of {{convert|18.5|kn|lk=in}} from {{convert|18000|ihp|lk=in}}.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}} On her 8-hour full-power trials conducted on 3 June 1906, ''Africa'' reached a top speed of {{convert|18.95|kn}} from an average of {{convert|18671|ihp|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Burt|p=282}}
''Africa'' had a [[main battery]] of four [[Armstrong Whitworth 12 inch /40 naval gun|{{convert|12|in|mm|adj=on|0}} 40-calibre guns]] mounted in twin-[[gun turret]]s fore and aft. These were supported by a heavy [[battleship secondary armament|secondary battery]] of four [[BL 9.2-inch Mk IX – X naval gun|{{convert|9.2|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns]] in four single turrets, two on each [[broadside]]. The ships also mounted ten [[BL 6-inch Mk XI naval gun|6-inch 50 calibre guns]] mounted in [[casemate]]s, in addition to fourteen [[QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun|12-pounder {{convert|3|in|abbr=on|0}} guns]] and fourteen [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder {{convert|47|mm|abbr=on}} guns]] for defence against [[torpedo boat]]s.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}{{sfn|McBride|2001|pp=66–67, 69}} As was customary for battleships of the period, she was also equipped with five [[British 18 inch torpedo|{{convert|18|in|mm|adj=on|0}} torpedo]] tubes submerged in the [[hull (watercraft)|hull]]; two were on each broadside, with the fifth in the stern.{{sfn|Burt|p=267}}
''Africa'' had an [[armoured belt]] that was {{convert|9|in|0}} thick; the transverse [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkheads]] on the aft end of the belt was {{convert|8|to|12|in|abbr=on|0}} thick. The sides of her main battery turrets were also 8 to 12 in thick, atop 12 in [[barbette]]s, and the 9.2 turrets had {{convert|5|to|9|in|0|abbr=on}} sides. The casemate battery was protected with {{convert|7|in|0|abbr=on}} of armour plate. Her [[conning tower]] had 12-inch-thick sides. She was fitted with two armoured [[deck (ship)|decks]], {{convert|1|and|2.5|in|abbr=on|0}} thick, respectively.{{sfn|Lyon & Roberts|p=38}}
==Operational history==
===Early career===
HMS ''Africa'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at [[Chatham Dockyard]] on 27 January 1904, [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 20 May 1905, and completed in November 1906. Named for the [[British Empire]]'s colonies in Africa, she was the last battleship constructed at Chatham, later classes of battleships being too large for the yard. ''Africa'' commissioned on 6 November 1906 at Chatham Dockyard for service in the [[British Atlantic Fleet|Atlantic Fleet]]. She transferred to the [[Channel Fleet]] on 4 March 1907 and collided with the merchant steamer SS ''Ormuz'' off [[Portland, England|Portland]] on 23 March 1907, suffering only slight damage. ''Africa'' transferred to the [[Commander-in-Chief, The Nore|Nore Division]], [[Home Fleet]], in June 1908, and in April 1909 joined the Second Division, Home Fleet. During this service she commissioned at Chatham as [[flagship]] of [[Vice Admiral]] Sir [[William May (Royal Navy officer)|William Henry May]], commander of the Third and Fourth Divisions, Home Fleet, on 25 April 1911; the battleship {{HMS|King Edward VII||2}} relieved her of this duty on 24 July 1911. In November 1911, she was placed in reserve at the [[Nore]].{{sfn|Burt|p=293}}{{sfn|Preston|p=9}}{{sfn|Manning & Walker|p=36}}
[[File:Fleet Air Arm Museum (11368341936).jpg|thumb|left|A [[Short Improved S.27]] preserved at the [[Fleet Air Arm Museum]]]]
In January 1912, ''Africa'' took part in aircraft experiments at [[Sheerness]]. She was fitted for flying off aircraft with a {{convert|100|ft|m|adj=on|abbr=off}} downward-sloping runway which was installed on her foredeck, running over her forward 12-inch (305-mm) turret from her forebridge to her bows and equipped with rails to guide the aircraft. ''Africa''{{'}}s crew tested the strength and stability of the rails by jumping up and down on them, then held the [[Gnome Engine Company|Gnome]]-engined [[Short Improved S.27]] [[Pusher configuration|pusher]] [[seaplane]] in place as Lieutenant [[Charles Rumney Samson|Charles Samson]] entered its cockpit to attempt the first British shipboard aircraft take-off on 10 January 1912 while the ship was at [[anchor]] in the [[River Medway]]. The aircraft moved quickly down the runway, dipped slightly after leaving it, but then pulled up and climbed easily. Samson circled ''Africa'' several times to the cheers of the crew, although on one pass he came uncomfortably close to the ship. After a few minutes, Samson climbed to {{convert|800|ft|m|abbr=off}} and concluded his historic flight by landing safely at an airfield ashore.{{sfn|Burt|pp=283, 293}}{{sfn|Thetford|p=454}}
''Africa'' transferred her flight equipment to her sister ship {{HMS|Hibernia|1905|2}} in May. Based on the 1912 flight experiments on ''Africa'', ''Hibernia'', and battleship {{HMS|London|1899|2}}, the Royal Navy concluded that shipboard aircraft were desirable for spotting and other fleet duties, but also that a fixed runway on a battleship interfered too much with the firing of the guns and that recovering seaplanes that had landed in a seaway was too difficult to be practical as a routine operation. But shipborne aviation had begun in the Royal Navy aboard ''Africa'', and by 1917 would become an important part of British fleet operations.{{sfn|Burt|p=283}}
''Africa'' underwent a refit at Chatham in 1912. Under a fleet reorganization in May 1912, ''Africa'' returned to full commission and she and all seven of her sisters ({{HMS|Britannia|1904|2}}, {{HMS|Commonwealth|1903|2}}, {{HMS|Dominion|1903|2}}, ''Hibernia'', {{HMS|Hindustan|1903|2}}, ''King Edward VII'', and [[HMS New Zealand (1904)|''Zealandia'']]) were assigned to form the [[3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|3rd Battle Squadron]], assigned to the First Fleet, Home Fleet. The squadron was detached to the Mediterranean in November 1912 because of the [[First Balkan War]] (October 1912–May 1913); it arrived at [[Malta]] on 27 November 1912 and subsequently participated in a [[blockade]] by an international force of [[Montenegro]] and in an occupation of [[Shkodër|Scutari]]. ''Africa'' and ''Hindustan'' returned to the United Kingdom and the Home Fleet in February 1913 and were temporarily attached to the [[4th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|4th Battle Squadron]]; They rejoined the 3rd Battle Squadron when it returned to the United Kingdom and rejoined the Home Fleet on 27 June 1913.{{sfn|Burt|p=293}}
===World War I===
====With the Grand Fleet====
[[File:North Sea map-en.png|thumb|upright|Map of the North Sea]]
[[File:Battleship HMS Africa - IWM Q 75234.jpg|thumb|Battleship HMS ''Africa'']]
Upon the outbreak of the [[First World War]] in August 1914, the 3rd Battle Squadron, at the time under the command of Vice Admiral [[Edward Eden Bradford|Edward Bradford]], was assigned to the Grand Fleet and based at [[Rosyth]], where it was reinforced with the five {{sclass|Duncan|battleship|1}}s,{{sfn|Corbett 1920|pp=39–40, 457}}{{sfn|Jellicoe|p=24}} It was used to supplement the Grand Fleet's [[cruiser]]s on the [[Northern Patrol]].{{sfn|Burt|p=293}} On 6 August, the day after Britain declared war on Germany, elements of the Grand Fleet sortied to inspect the coast of Norway in search of a German naval base violating Norwegian neutrality. ''Africa'' and the rest of the 3rd Battle Squadron provided distant support to the operation. No such base was found, and the ships returned to port the next day. On 14 August, the ships of the Grand Fleet went to sea for battle practice before conducting a sweep into the [[North Sea]] later that day and into 15 August.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=91–92, 98–99}} During sweeps by the fleet, she and her sisters often steamed at the heads of divisions of the far more valuable [[dreadnought]]s, where they could protect the dreadnoughts by watching for [[naval mines|mine]]s or by being the first to strike them.{{sfn|Burt|pp=277–278}} On 2 November 1914, the squadron was detached to reinforce the Channel Fleet and was rebased at Portland. It returned to the Grand Fleet on 13 November 1914.{{sfn|Burt|pp=290–291}}
On 14 December, the [[1st Battlecruiser Squadron]], [[2nd Battle Squadron]], and accompanying cruisers and destroyers left port to intercept the German forces preparing to [[Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby|raid Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby]]. On the first reports of contact with German units on the morning of 16 December, the Grand Fleet commander, Admiral [[John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|John Jellicoe]], ordered Bradford to take the 3rd Battle Squadron to support the ships in contact at 10:00. Four hours later, they met the [[1st Battle Squadron|1st]] and [[4th Battle Squadron]]s, en route from [[Scapa Flow]], though they failed to reach the German [[High Seas Fleet]] before the latter withdrew. The Grand Fleet remained at sea until late on 17 December, at which point the 3rd Battle Squadron was ordered back to Rosyth.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=174–180}} ''Africa'' and the rest of the squadron joined the Grand Fleet for another sweep into the North Sea on 25 December. The fleet returned to its ports two days later, having failed to locate any German vessels.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=182–184}}
The 3rd Battle Squadron went to sea on 12 January 1915 for gunnery training, steaming north and passing to the west of [[Orkney]] on the night of 13–14 January. After completing training on the 14th, they returned to Rosyth on 15 January.{{sfn|Jellicoe|p=188}} On 23 January, the 1st and [[2nd Battlecruiser Squadron]]s sortied to ambush the German [[I Scouting Group]] in what resulted in the [[Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)|Battle of Dogger Bank]] the following day. Later on the 23rd, the rest of the Grand Fleet, including ''Africa'', sortied to support the battlecruisers. The 3rd Squadron ships left first and steamed at full speed to reach ships of the [[Harwich Force]], which had reported contact with German vessels. The battlecruisers intervened first, and ''Africa'' and her sisters arrived around 14:00, by which time the battlecruisers had sunk the [[armoured cruiser]] {{SMS|Blücher||2}} and the surviving German ships had fled. The 3rd Battle Squadron patrolled the area with the rest of the Grand Fleet over the night before being detached at 08:00 on 25 January to steam to Rosyth.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=193–196}}
Elements of the Grand Fleet went to sea repeatedly over the next few months. The 3rd Battle Squadron patrolled the central North Sea in company with the [[3rd Cruiser Squadron]] from 10 to 13 March. The two units again went to sea to sweep the central North Sea from 5 to 8 April. A major fleet operation followed on 11 April, with the entire Grand Fleet sortieing for a sweep of the North Sea on 12 and 13 April. The squadrons returned to their ports on 14 April to replenish their fuel. Another such operation followed on 17 April, which also failed to find any German ships. The 3rd Battle Squadron returned to Rosyth late on 18 April. The fleet sortied again on 21 April, returning to port two days later. The 3rd Battle Squadron, joined by the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, patrolled the northern North Sea from 5 to 10 May, during which a German [[U-boat]] attacked the battleships but failed to score a hit.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=206, 210–216}}
Another sweep into the North Sea took place on 17–19 May, and no German forces were encountered. The fleet went to sea again on 29 May for a patrol south to the [[Dogger Bank]] before returning to port on 31 May, again without having located any German vessels. The Grand Fleet spent much of June in port conducting training, but the most modern units went to sea on 11 June for gunnery practice to the northwest of [[Shetland]]. While they were training, ''Africa'' and the rest of the 3rd Battle Squadron, along with the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, patrolled the central North Sea. Fleet activities were limited in July, owing to a threatened [[Strike action|strike]] by coal miners, which began on 18 July and threatened the supply of coal for the fleet's ships. The strike continued into August, which led Jellicoe to continue to limit fleet activities to preserve his stocks of coal. The fleet saw little activity in September, and during this period, the Grand Fleet began to go to sea without the older ships of the 3rd Battle Squadron.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=217, 219, 221–223, 228, 234, 243–250}} In December, ''Africa'' went to [[Belfast]] for a refit that lasted until January 1916.{{sfn|Burt|p=293}} On her way back to Scapa Flow, she passed unharmed through an area off [[Cape Wrath]] that had been [[naval mine|mined]] by the German [[auxiliary cruiser]] {{SMS|Möwe|1914|6}}; her sister ''King Edward VII'' was not so lucky, striking one of the mines a few hours later and sinking.{{sfn|Jellicoe|pp=265–266}}
====Later operations====
On 29 April 1916, the 3rd Battle Squadron was rebased at Sheerness (where ''Africa'' arrived on 2 May 1916), and on 3 May 1916 the squadron was separated from the Grand Fleet, being transferred to the Nore Command. ''Africa'' remained there with the squadron until August 1916. ''Africa'' began a refit at [[Portsmouth Dockyard]] in August 1916. Upon its completion in September 1916, she left the 3rd Battle Squadron and transferred to the [[Adriatic Sea]], where a British squadron had reinforced the [[Italian Navy]] against the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy]] since Italy's entry into the war in 1915.{{sfn|Burt|p=293}} Admiral [[Paolo Thaon di Revel]], the Italian naval chief of staff, believed that the threat from Austro-Hungarian [[submarine]]s and naval mines in the narrow waters of the Adriatic was too serious for him to use the fleet for active operations. Instead, Revel decided to implement a blockade at the relatively safer southern end of the Adriatic with the main fleet, while smaller vessels, such as the [[MAS (boat)|MAS boats]], conducted raids on Austro-Hungarian ships and installations.{{sfn|Halpern|pp=141–142, 150}} As a result, she saw little activity while stationed there. She left the Adriatic in January 1917 for a refit at [[Gibraltar]], during which the 6-inch guns on her main deck were replaced with four 6-inch guns a deck higher because the original guns were awash in even slightly rough weather.{{sfn|Burt|pp=285, 293}}
When her refit was completed in March 1917, ''Africa'' was attached to the [[9th Cruiser Squadron]] for service in the [[Atlantic Patrol (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Patrol]] and for [[convoy]] escort duties. She was based mainly at [[Sierra Leone]] and escorted convoys between Sierra Leone and [[Cape Town]], [[South Africa]]. She underwent a refit at [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]], from December 1917 to January 1918.{{sfn|Burt|p=293}} In September 1918, while ''Africa'' was based at Sierra Leone, some of her crew became ill during the [[1918 flu pandemic|influenza pandemic]] that broke out that year. Their numbers virtually doubled each day from less than a handful at the start of the month until 9 September, when 476 crew members were reported ill. On that day, one crewman was reported dead of [[pneumonia]] following a case of [[influenza]]. Five more crewmen died on 12 September. The next day, another eight perished. On 14 September, ten more crewmen died. ''Africa'' sent burial parties ashore daily, and the ship was put into quarantine. By the time ''Africa'' hauled down her quarantine flag on 30 September 1918, 52 crew members had died of illness out of a total complement of less than 800.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-01-HMS_Africa.htm|title=HMS AFRICA – September 1916 to November 1918, Mediterranean, Central and South Atlantic convoys (9th Cruiser Squadron)|access-date=27 December 2018|website=naval-history.net}}</ref>
In October 1918, ''Africa'' returned to the United Kingdom; she went into reserve at Portsmouth in November 1918. Following World War I, ''Africa'' was briefly the [[depot ship]] of the 9th [[Cruiser Squadron]] and was employed as an accommodation ship. In December 1919 she was selected to replace the [[protected cruiser]] {{HMS|Diadem|1896|2}} as [[Stoker (occupation)|stokers']] training ship at Portsmouth, but this was cancelled. ''Africa'' was placed on the sale list in March 1920, and was sold for scrapping to Ellis & Company of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], England on 30 June 1920. She was scrapped at Newcastle.{{sfn|Burt|p=293}}
==Notes==
{{Portal|Battleships}}
{{Reflist|20em}}
==References==
* {{cite book
|last=Burt
|first=R. A.
|title=British Battleships 1889–1904
|year=2013
|orig-year=1988
|location=Barnsley
|publisher=Seaforth Publishing
|isbn=978-1-84832-173-1
|ref={{sfnRef|Burt}}
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Corbett
|first=Julian Stafford
|author-link=Julian Corbett
|title=Naval Operations: To The Battle of the Falklands, December 1914
| url = https://archive.org/details/navaloperations04corb
|volume=I
|year=1920
|publisher=Longmans, Green & Co.
|location=London
|oclc=174823980
|ref={{sfnRef|Corbett 1920}}
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Halpern
|first=Paul G.
|title=A Naval History of World War I
|year=1995
|location=Annapolis
|publisher=Naval Institute Press
|isbn=978-1-55750-352-7
|ref={{sfnRef|Halpern}}
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Jellicoe
|first=John
|author-link=John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe
|title=The Grand Fleet, 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development, and Work
|url=https://archive.org/details/grandfleet19141900jell
|year=1919
|location=New York
|publisher=George H. Doran Company
|ref={{sfnRef|Jellicoe}}
|oclc=162593478
}}
* {{cite book
| last1 = Lyon
| first1 = David
| last2 = Roberts
| first2 = John
| chapter = Great Britain and Empire Forces
| pages = 1–113
| editor1-last = Chesneau
| editor1-first = Roger
| editor2-last = Kolesnik
| editor2-first = Eugene M.
| year = 1979
| title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860–1905
| publisher = Conway Maritime Press
| location = Greenwich
| isbn = 978-0-85177-133-5
| ref = {{sfnRef|Lyon & Roberts}}
| url-access = registration
| url = https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2
| name-list-style=amp
}}
* {{cite book
|last1=Manning
|first1=Thomas Davys
|last2=Walker
|first2=Charles Frederick
|title=British Warship Names
|year=1959
|location=London
|publisher=Putnam
|oclc=561921929
|ref={{sfnRef|Manning & Walker}}
|name-list-style=amp
}}
* {{cite book
|last=McBride
|first=Keith
|chapter='The Wobbly Eight': The ''King Edward VII'' Class Battleships, 1897–1922
|pages=63–69
|editor-last=Preston
|editor-first=Antony
|title=Warship 2001–2002
|year=2001
|location=London
|publisher=Conway Maritime Press
|isbn=0-85177-901-8
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Preston
| first = Antony
| chapter = Great Britain and Empire Forces
| pages = 1–104
| editor1-last = Gardiner
| editor1-first = Robert
| editor2-last = Gray
| editor2-first = Randal
| year = 1985
| title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921
| publisher = Naval Institute Press
| location = Annapolis
| isbn = 978-0-87021-907-8
| ref = {{sfnRef|Preston}}
|name-list-style=amp
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Thetford
|first=Owen
|title=British Naval Aircraft Since 1912
|location=Annapolis
|publisher=Naval Institute Press
|year=1991
|isbn=978-1-55750-076-2
|ref={{sfnRef|Thetford}}
}}
==Further reading==
* {{Colledge}}
* {{cite book|last1=Dittmar|first1=F. J.|last2=Colledge|first2=J. J.|title=British Warships 1914–1919|location=London|publisher=Ian Allan|year=1972|isbn=978-0-7110-0380-4 |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Gibbons|first=Tony|title=The Complete Encyclopedia of Battleships and Battlecruisers: A Technical Directory of All the World's Capital Ships From 1860 to the Present Day|location=London|publisher=Salamander Books Ltd.|year=1983|isbn=978-0-86101-142-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Parkes|first=Oscar|title=British Battleships|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis|year=1990|orig-year=1957|isbn=978-1-55750-075-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Pears|first=Randolph|title=British Battleships 1892–1957: The Great Days of the Fleets|location=London|publisher=G. Cave Associates|year=1979|isbn=978-0-906223-14-7}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Africa (ship, 1905)}}
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/battleships/africa/hms_africa.htm Maritimequest HMS Africa Photo Gallery]
{{King Edward VII class battleship}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Africa (1905)}}
[[Category:King Edward VII-class battleships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Chatham]]
[[Category:1905 ships]]
[[Category:World War I battleships of the United Kingdom]]
get a job' |
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</p>
<p>History
<span class="flagicon"><img alt="" src="/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/56px-Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png" decoding="async" width="56" height="28" srcset="/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/84px-Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png 1.5x, /upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/112px-Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></span><span style="padding-left:1em">United Kingdom</span>
NameHMS <i>Africa</i>
Namesake<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Africa" title="Africa">Africa</a>
Builder<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Chatham_Dockyard" title="Chatham Dockyard">Chatham Dockyard</a>
Laid down27 January 1904
Launched20 May 1905
CompletedNovember 1906
Commissioned6 November 1906
DecommissionedNovember 1918
FateSold for scrapping, 30 June 1920
General characteristics
Class and type<a href="/enwiki/wiki/King_Edward_VII-class_battleship" title="King Edward VII-class battleship"><i> King Edward VII</i>-class</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Pre-dreadnought_battleship" title="Pre-dreadnought battleship">pre-dreadnought battleship</a>
Displacement</p><ul style="list-style:none none; margin:0;">
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">15,585 to 15,885 <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Long_ton" title="Long ton">long tons</a> (15,835 to 16,140 <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tonne" title="Tonne">t</a>) (normal)</li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">17,009 to 17,290 long tons (17,282 to 17,567 t) (fully loaded)</li>
</ul>
<p>Length453 ft 9 in (138.3 m) (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Length_overall" title="Length overall">loa</a>)
Beam75 ft (22.9 m)
Draught25 ft 8 in (7.82 m)
Installed power</p><ul style="list-style:none none; margin:0;">
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">16 <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Water-tube_boiler" title="Water-tube boiler">water-tube boilers</a></li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">18,000 <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Horsepower#Indicated_horsepower" title="Horsepower">ihp</a> (13,420 kW)</li>
</ul>
<p>Propulsion</p><ul style="list-style:none none; margin:0;">
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">2 × <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Marine_steam_engine#Triple_or_multiple_expansion" title="Marine steam engine">triple-expansion steam engines</a></li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">2 × screws</li>
</ul>
<p>Speed18.5 <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Knot_(unit)" title="Knot (unit)">knots</a> (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph)
Complement777
Armament</p><ul style="list-style:none none; margin:0;">
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">4 × <a href="/enwiki/wiki/BL_12_inch_Mk_IX_naval_gun" class="mw-redirect" title="BL 12 inch Mk IX naval gun">BL 12 in (305 mm) Mk IX guns</a></li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">4 × <a href="/enwiki/wiki/BL_9.2_inch_gun_Mk_IX_-_X" class="mw-redirect" title="BL 9.2 inch gun Mk IX - X">BL 9.2 in (234 mm) Mk X guns</a></li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">10 × <a href="/enwiki/wiki/BL_6_inch_Mk_VII_naval_gun" class="mw-redirect" title="BL 6 inch Mk VII naval gun">BL 6 in (152 mm) Mk VII guns</a></li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">14 × <a href="/enwiki/wiki/QF_12_pounder_12_cwt_naval_gun" class="mw-redirect" title="QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun">12-pounder 3 in (76 mm) guns</a></li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">14 × <a href="/enwiki/wiki/QF_3_pounder_Hotchkiss" class="mw-redirect" title="QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss">3-pounder 47 mm (1.9 in) guns</a></li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">4 × <a href="/enwiki/wiki/British_18_inch_torpedo" class="mw-redirect" title="British 18 inch torpedo">18-in (450-mm)</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Torpedo_tube" title="Torpedo tube">torpedo tubes</a> (submerged)</li>
</ul>
<p>Armour</p><ul style="list-style:none none; margin:0;">
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Belt_armor" title="Belt armor">Belt</a>: 9 in (229 mm)</li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Bulkhead_(partition)" title="Bulkhead (partition)">Bulkheads</a>: 8–12 in (203–305 mm)</li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Barbette" title="Barbette">Barbettes</a>: 12 in</li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gun_turret" title="Gun turret">Turrets</a>:</li>
<ul style="list-style:none none">
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">Main battery: 8–12 in</li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;">9.2-inch battery: 5–9 in (127–229 mm)</li>
</ul>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Casemate" title="Casemate">Casemates</a>: 7 in (178 mm)</li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Conning_tower" title="Conning tower">Conning tower</a>: 12 in</li>
<li style="padding-left: .4em; text-indent: -.4em;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Deck_(ship)" title="Deck (ship)">Decks</a>: 1–2.5 in (25–64 mm)</li>
</ul>
<p>|}
<b>HMS <i>Africa</i></b> was a <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Pre-dreadnought" class="mw-redirect" title="Pre-dreadnought">pre-dreadnought</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Battleship" title="Battleship">battleship</a> of the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Royal_Navy" title="Royal Navy">Royal Navy</a>, and the penultimate ship of the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/King_Edward_VII-class_battleship" title="King Edward VII-class battleship"><i> King Edward VII</i> class</a>. The ship was built by <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Chatham_Dockyard" title="Chatham Dockyard">Chatham Dockyard</a> between 1904 and 1906. Armed with a battery of four 12-inch (305 mm) and four 9.2 in (234 mm) guns, she and her <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Sister_ship" title="Sister ship">sister ships</a> marked a significant advance in offensive power compared to earlier British battleship designs that did not carry the 9.2 in guns. Like all ships of the class (apart from <a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_King_Edward_VII" title="HMS King Edward VII">HMS <i>King Edward VII</i></a>), she was named after an important part of the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British Empire</a>, namely Africa.
</p><p>After <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ship_commissioning" title="Ship commissioning">commissioning</a> in July 1905, she served briefly with the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Atlantic_Fleet_(United_Kingdom)" title="Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)">Atlantic Fleet</a> from October to March 1907 before transferring to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Channel_Fleet" title="Channel Fleet">Channel Fleet</a>. She then joined the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Home_Fleet" title="Home Fleet">Home Fleet</a> in 1909. <i>Africa</i> participated in tests with shipboard aircraft in January 1912, and she was the first British ship to launch an aeroplane. In mid-1912, she, along with her sister ships, was assigned to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/3rd_Battle_Squadron_(United_Kingdom)" class="mw-redirect" title="3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)">3rd Battle Squadron</a>, part of the Home Fleet. That year, the squadron went to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea" title="Mediterranean Sea">Mediterranean Sea</a> during the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/First_Balkan_War" title="First Balkan War">First Balkan War</a> as part of an international <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Blockade" title="Blockade">blockade</a> of Montenegro. In 1913, the ship returned to British waters.
</p><p>When the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/First_World_War" class="mw-redirect" title="First World War">First World War</a> broke out, <i>Africa</i> was transferred back to the 3rd Battle Squadron, which was assigned to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Grand_Fleet" title="Grand Fleet">Grand Fleet</a>, the main British fleet during the war. Through 1914 and 1915, the ships frequently went to sea to search for German vessels, but <i>Zealandia</i> saw no action during this period. By the end of the year, the Grand Fleet stopped operating with the older 3rd Battle Squadron ships, and in April 1916 the 3rd Squadron was relocated to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Commander-in-Chief,_The_Nore" title="Commander-in-Chief, The Nore">Nore Command</a>. Later that year, <i>Africa</i> was attached to the 2nd Detached Squadron, then serving in the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Adriatic_Sea" title="Adriatic Sea">Adriatic Sea</a>. In 1917, she was sent to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/9th_Cruiser_Squadron" title="9th Cruiser Squadron">9th Cruiser Squadron</a>, based in Sierra Leone; while she was there, her crew was stricken with <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Spanish_flu" title="Spanish flu">Spanish flu</a>. <i>Africa</i> returned to Britain in October 1918, was decommissioned the following month, and sold for <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Scrap" title="Scrap">scrap</a> in 1920.
</p>
<div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Design"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Design</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="#Operational_history"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Operational history</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#Early_career"><span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Early career</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#World_War_I"><span class="tocnumber">2.2</span> <span class="toctext">World War I</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-5"><a href="#With_the_Grand_Fleet"><span class="tocnumber">2.2.1</span> <span class="toctext">With the Grand Fleet</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-6"><a href="#Later_operations"><span class="tocnumber">2.2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Later operations</span></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="#Notes"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Notes</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8"><a href="#References"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9"><a href="#Further_reading"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Further reading</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10"><a href="#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Design">Design</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=HMS_Africa_(1905)&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Design">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1033289096">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/enwiki/wiki/King_Edward_VII-class_battleship" title="King Edward VII-class battleship">King Edward VII-class battleship</a></div>
<div class="thumb tleft"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:222px;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:King-Edward-Class.png" class="image"><img alt="" src="/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/King-Edward-Class.png/220px-King-Edward-Class.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="182" class="thumbimage" srcset="/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/King-Edward-Class.png/330px-King-Edward-Class.png 1.5x, /upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/King-Edward-Class.png/440px-King-Edward-Class.png 2x" data-file-width="1068" data-file-height="883" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:King-Edward-Class.png" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Left elevation and deck plan as depicted in <i>Jane's Fighting Ships</i></div></div></div>
<p>Following the development of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Pre-dreadnought" class="mw-redirect" title="Pre-dreadnought">pre-dreadnought</a> type <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Battleship" title="Battleship">battleships</a> carrying heavy secondary guns of 8-inch (200 mm) diameter in the Italian <i><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Regia_Marina" title="Regia Marina">Regia Marina</a></i> and the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/United_States_Navy" title="United States Navy">United States Navy</a>, the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Royal_Navy" title="Royal Navy">Royal Navy</a> decided to build similar ships. Initial proposals called for a battleship equipped with eight 7.5 in (190 mm) guns to support the main battery, though under the direction of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/William_Henry_White" title="William Henry White">William Henry White</a>, the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Director_of_Naval_Construction" title="Director of Naval Construction">Director of Naval Construction</a>, these were replaced with four 9.2 in (234 mm) guns. The new ships, though based on the general <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Majestic-class_battleship" title="Majestic-class battleship"><i> Majestic</i></a> type that had formed the basis of the preceding four battleship designs, marked the first significant change in the series.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt264–266_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt264–266-1">[1]</a></sup> Like all late pre-dreadnoughts that entered service in the mid-1900s, <i>Africa</i> was made almost instantaneously obsolescent by the commissioning of the all-big-gun <a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Dreadnought_(1906)" title="HMS Dreadnought (1906)">HMS <i>Dreadnought</i></a> in December 1906, armed with a battery of ten heavy guns compared to the typical four of most pre-dreadnoughts.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPreston21_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPreston21-2">[2]</a></sup>
</p><p><i>Africa</i> was 453 feet 9 inches (138.30 m) <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Length_overall" title="Length overall">long overall</a>, with a <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Beam_(nautical)" title="Beam (nautical)">beam</a> of 75 ft (23 m) and a <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Draft_(hull)" title="Draft (hull)">draft</a> of 25 ft 8 in (7.82 m). The <i>King Edward VII</i>-class battleships <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Displacement_(ship)" title="Displacement (ship)">displaced</a> 15,585 to 15,885 <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Long_ton" title="Long ton">long tons</a> (15,835 to 16,140 <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tonne" title="Tonne">t</a>) normally and up to 17,009 to 17,290 long tons (17,282 to 17,567 t) fully loaded. Her crew numbered 777 officers and <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Naval_rating" title="Naval rating">ratings</a>. The <i>King Edward VII</i>-class ships were powered by a pair of 4-cylinder <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Triple-expansion_engine" class="mw-redirect" title="Triple-expansion engine">triple-expansion engines</a> that drove two <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Propeller" title="Propeller">screws</a>, with steam provided by sixteen <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Water-tube_boiler" title="Water-tube boiler">water-tube boilers</a>. The boilers were trunked into two <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Funnel_(ship)" title="Funnel (ship)">funnels</a> located <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Amidships" class="mw-redirect" title="Amidships">amidships</a>. The <i>King Edward VII</i>-class ships had a top speed of 18.5 <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Knot_(unit)" title="Knot (unit)">knots</a> (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) from 18,000 <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Horsepower#Indicated_horsepower" title="Horsepower">indicated horsepower</a> (13,000 kW).<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTELyon_&_Roberts38_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELyon_&_Roberts38-3">[3]</a></sup> On her 8-hour full-power trials conducted on 3 June 1906, <i>Africa</i> reached a top speed of 18.95 knots (35.10 km/h; 21.81 mph) from an average of 18,671 ihp (13,923 kW).<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt282_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt282-4">[4]</a></sup>
</p><p><i>Africa</i> had a <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Main_battery" title="Main battery">main battery</a> of four <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Armstrong_Whitworth_12_inch_/40_naval_gun" class="mw-redirect" title="Armstrong Whitworth 12 inch /40 naval gun">12-inch (305 mm) 40-calibre guns</a> mounted in twin-<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gun_turret" title="Gun turret">gun turrets</a> fore and aft. These were supported by a heavy <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Battleship_secondary_armament" class="mw-redirect" title="Battleship secondary armament">secondary battery</a> of four <a href="/enwiki/wiki/BL_9.2-inch_Mk_IX_%E2%80%93_X_naval_gun" title="BL 9.2-inch Mk IX – X naval gun">9.2 in (234 mm) guns</a> in four single turrets, two on each <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Broadside" title="Broadside">broadside</a>. The ships also mounted ten <a href="/enwiki/wiki/BL_6-inch_Mk_XI_naval_gun" title="BL 6-inch Mk XI naval gun">6-inch 50 calibre guns</a> mounted in <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Casemate" title="Casemate">casemates</a>, in addition to fourteen <a href="/enwiki/wiki/QF_12-pounder_12_cwt_naval_gun" title="QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun">12-pounder 3 in (76 mm) guns</a> and fourteen <a href="/enwiki/wiki/QF_3-pounder_Hotchkiss" title="QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss">3-pounder 47 mm (1.9 in) guns</a> for defence against <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Torpedo_boat" title="Torpedo boat">torpedo boats</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTELyon_&_Roberts38_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELyon_&_Roberts38-3">[3]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMcBride200166–67,_69_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEMcBride200166–67,_69-5">[5]</a></sup> As was customary for battleships of the period, she was also equipped with five <a href="/enwiki/wiki/British_18_inch_torpedo" class="mw-redirect" title="British 18 inch torpedo">18-inch (457 mm) torpedo</a> tubes submerged in the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Hull_(watercraft)" title="Hull (watercraft)">hull</a>; two were on each broadside, with the fifth in the stern.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt267_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt267-6">[6]</a></sup>
</p><p><i>Africa</i> had an <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Armoured_belt" class="mw-redirect" title="Armoured belt">armoured belt</a> that was 9 inches (229 mm) thick; the transverse <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Bulkhead_(partition)" title="Bulkhead (partition)">bulkheads</a> on the aft end of the belt was 8 to 12 in (203 to 305 mm) thick. The sides of her main battery turrets were also 8 to 12 in thick, atop 12 in <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Barbette" title="Barbette">barbettes</a>, and the 9.2 turrets had 5 to 9 in (127 to 229 mm) sides. The casemate battery was protected with 7 in (178 mm) of armour plate. Her <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Conning_tower" title="Conning tower">conning tower</a> had 12-inch-thick sides. She was fitted with two armoured <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Deck_(ship)" title="Deck (ship)">decks</a>, 1 and 2.5 in (25 and 64 mm) thick, respectively.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTELyon_&_Roberts38_3-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELyon_&_Roberts38-3">[3]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Operational_history">Operational history</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=HMS_Africa_(1905)&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Operational history">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Early_career">Early career</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=HMS_Africa_(1905)&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Early career">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3>
<p>HMS <i>Africa</i> was <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Keel_laying" title="Keel laying">laid down</a> at <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Chatham_Dockyard" title="Chatham Dockyard">Chatham Dockyard</a> on 27 January 1904, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ship_naming_and_launching" class="mw-redirect" title="Ship naming and launching">launched</a> on 20 May 1905, and completed in November 1906. Named for the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British Empire</a>'s colonies in Africa, she was the last battleship constructed at Chatham, later classes of battleships being too large for the yard. <i>Africa</i> commissioned on 6 November 1906 at Chatham Dockyard for service in the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/British_Atlantic_Fleet" class="mw-redirect" title="British Atlantic Fleet">Atlantic Fleet</a>. She transferred to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Channel_Fleet" title="Channel Fleet">Channel Fleet</a> on 4 March 1907 and collided with the merchant steamer SS <i>Ormuz</i> off <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Portland,_England" class="mw-redirect" title="Portland, England">Portland</a> on 23 March 1907, suffering only slight damage. <i>Africa</i> transferred to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Commander-in-Chief,_The_Nore" title="Commander-in-Chief, The Nore">Nore Division</a>, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Home_Fleet" title="Home Fleet">Home Fleet</a>, in June 1908, and in April 1909 joined the Second Division, Home Fleet. During this service she commissioned at Chatham as <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Flagship" title="Flagship">flagship</a> of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Vice_Admiral" class="mw-redirect" title="Vice Admiral">Vice Admiral</a> Sir <a href="/enwiki/wiki/William_May_(Royal_Navy_officer)" title="William May (Royal Navy officer)">William Henry May</a>, commander of the Third and Fourth Divisions, Home Fleet, on 25 April 1911; the battleship <a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_King_Edward_VII" title="HMS King Edward VII"><i>King Edward VII</i></a> relieved her of this duty on 24 July 1911. In November 1911, she was placed in reserve at the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Nore" title="Nore">Nore</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt293-7">[7]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPreston9_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPreston9-8">[8]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEManning_&_Walker36_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEManning_&_Walker36-9">[9]</a></sup>
</p>
<div class="thumb tleft"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:222px;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:Fleet_Air_Arm_Museum_(11368341936).jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Fleet_Air_Arm_Museum_%2811368341936%29.jpg/220px-Fleet_Air_Arm_Museum_%2811368341936%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="124" class="thumbimage" srcset="/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Fleet_Air_Arm_Museum_%2811368341936%29.jpg/330px-Fleet_Air_Arm_Museum_%2811368341936%29.jpg 1.5x, /upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Fleet_Air_Arm_Museum_%2811368341936%29.jpg/440px-Fleet_Air_Arm_Museum_%2811368341936%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2979" data-file-height="1675" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:Fleet_Air_Arm_Museum_(11368341936).jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>A <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Short_Improved_S.27" class="mw-redirect" title="Short Improved S.27">Short Improved S.27</a> preserved at the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Fleet_Air_Arm_Museum" title="Fleet Air Arm Museum">Fleet Air Arm Museum</a></div></div></div>
<p>In January 1912, <i>Africa</i> took part in aircraft experiments at <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Sheerness" title="Sheerness">Sheerness</a>. She was fitted for flying off aircraft with a 100-foot (30-metre) downward-sloping runway which was installed on her foredeck, running over her forward 12-inch (305-mm) turret from her forebridge to her bows and equipped with rails to guide the aircraft. <i>Africa</i><span class="nowrap" style="padding-left:0.1em;">'</span>s crew tested the strength and stability of the rails by jumping up and down on them, then held the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gnome_Engine_Company" class="mw-redirect" title="Gnome Engine Company">Gnome</a>-engined <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Short_Improved_S.27" class="mw-redirect" title="Short Improved S.27">Short Improved S.27</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Pusher_configuration" title="Pusher configuration">pusher</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Seaplane" title="Seaplane">seaplane</a> in place as Lieutenant <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Charles_Rumney_Samson" title="Charles Rumney Samson">Charles Samson</a> entered its cockpit to attempt the first British shipboard aircraft take-off on 10 January 1912 while the ship was at <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Anchor" title="Anchor">anchor</a> in the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/River_Medway" title="River Medway">River Medway</a>. The aircraft moved quickly down the runway, dipped slightly after leaving it, but then pulled up and climbed easily. Samson circled <i>Africa</i> several times to the cheers of the crew, although on one pass he came uncomfortably close to the ship. After a few minutes, Samson climbed to 800 feet (240 metres) and concluded his historic flight by landing safely at an airfield ashore.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt283,_293_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt283,_293-10">[10]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEThetford454_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEThetford454-11">[11]</a></sup>
</p><p><i>Africa</i> transferred her flight equipment to her sister ship <a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Hibernia_(1905)" title="HMS Hibernia (1905)"><i>Hibernia</i></a> in May. Based on the 1912 flight experiments on <i>Africa</i>, <i>Hibernia</i>, and battleship <a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_London_(1899)" title="HMS London (1899)"><i>London</i></a>, the Royal Navy concluded that shipboard aircraft were desirable for spotting and other fleet duties, but also that a fixed runway on a battleship interfered too much with the firing of the guns and that recovering seaplanes that had landed in a seaway was too difficult to be practical as a routine operation. But shipborne aviation had begun in the Royal Navy aboard <i>Africa</i>, and by 1917 would become an important part of British fleet operations.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt283_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt283-12">[12]</a></sup>
</p><p><i>Africa</i> underwent a refit at Chatham in 1912. Under a fleet reorganization in May 1912, <i>Africa</i> returned to full commission and she and all seven of her sisters (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Britannia_(1904)" title="HMS Britannia (1904)"><i>Britannia</i></a>, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Commonwealth_(1903)" class="mw-redirect" title="HMS Commonwealth (1903)"><i>Commonwealth</i></a>, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Dominion_(1903)" class="mw-redirect" title="HMS Dominion (1903)"><i>Dominion</i></a>, <i>Hibernia</i>, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Hindustan_(1903)" title="HMS Hindustan (1903)"><i>Hindustan</i></a>, <i>King Edward VII</i>, and <a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_New_Zealand_(1904)" class="mw-redirect" title="HMS New Zealand (1904)"><i>Zealandia</i></a>) were assigned to form the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/3rd_Battle_Squadron_(United_Kingdom)" class="mw-redirect" title="3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)">3rd Battle Squadron</a>, assigned to the First Fleet, Home Fleet. The squadron was detached to the Mediterranean in November 1912 because of the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/First_Balkan_War" title="First Balkan War">First Balkan War</a> (October 1912–May 1913); it arrived at <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Malta" title="Malta">Malta</a> on 27 November 1912 and subsequently participated in a <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Blockade" title="Blockade">blockade</a> by an international force of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Montenegro" title="Montenegro">Montenegro</a> and in an occupation of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Shkod%C3%ABr" title="Shkodër">Scutari</a>. <i>Africa</i> and <i>Hindustan</i> returned to the United Kingdom and the Home Fleet in February 1913 and were temporarily attached to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/4th_Battle_Squadron_(United_Kingdom)" class="mw-redirect" title="4th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)">4th Battle Squadron</a>; They rejoined the 3rd Battle Squadron when it returned to the United Kingdom and rejoined the Home Fleet on 27 June 1913.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt293-7">[7]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="World_War_I">World War I</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=HMS_Africa_(1905)&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: World War I">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="With_the_Grand_Fleet">With the Grand Fleet</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=HMS_Africa_(1905)&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: With the Grand Fleet">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h4>
<div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:172px;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:North_Sea_map-en.png" class="image"><img alt="" src="/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/North_Sea_map-en.png/170px-North_Sea_map-en.png" decoding="async" width="170" height="213" class="thumbimage" srcset="/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/North_Sea_map-en.png/255px-North_Sea_map-en.png 1.5x, /upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/North_Sea_map-en.png/340px-North_Sea_map-en.png 2x" data-file-width="2475" data-file-height="3100" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:North_Sea_map-en.png" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Map of the North Sea</div></div></div>
<div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:222px;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:Battleship_HMS_Africa_-_IWM_Q_75234.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Battleship_HMS_Africa_-_IWM_Q_75234.jpg/220px-Battleship_HMS_Africa_-_IWM_Q_75234.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="133" class="thumbimage" srcset="/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Battleship_HMS_Africa_-_IWM_Q_75234.jpg/330px-Battleship_HMS_Africa_-_IWM_Q_75234.jpg 1.5x, /upwiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Battleship_HMS_Africa_-_IWM_Q_75234.jpg/440px-Battleship_HMS_Africa_-_IWM_Q_75234.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="483" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:Battleship_HMS_Africa_-_IWM_Q_75234.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Battleship HMS <i>Africa</i></div></div></div>
<p>Upon the outbreak of the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/First_World_War" class="mw-redirect" title="First World War">First World War</a> in August 1914, the 3rd Battle Squadron, at the time under the command of Vice Admiral <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Edward_Eden_Bradford" title="Edward Eden Bradford">Edward Bradford</a>, was assigned to the Grand Fleet and based at <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Rosyth" title="Rosyth">Rosyth</a>, where it was reinforced with the five <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Duncan-class_battleship" title="Duncan-class battleship"><i> Duncan</i>-class battleships</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTECorbett_192039–40,_457_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTECorbett_192039–40,_457-13">[13]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe24_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe24-14">[14]</a></sup> It was used to supplement the Grand Fleet's <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Cruiser" title="Cruiser">cruisers</a> on the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Northern_Patrol" title="Northern Patrol">Northern Patrol</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt293-7">[7]</a></sup> On 6 August, the day after Britain declared war on Germany, elements of the Grand Fleet sortied to inspect the coast of Norway in search of a German naval base violating Norwegian neutrality. <i>Africa</i> and the rest of the 3rd Battle Squadron provided distant support to the operation. No such base was found, and the ships returned to port the next day. On 14 August, the ships of the Grand Fleet went to sea for battle practice before conducting a sweep into the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/North_Sea" title="North Sea">North Sea</a> later that day and into 15 August.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe91–92,_98–99_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe91–92,_98–99-15">[15]</a></sup> During sweeps by the fleet, she and her sisters often steamed at the heads of divisions of the far more valuable <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dreadnought" title="Dreadnought">dreadnoughts</a>, where they could protect the dreadnoughts by watching for <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Naval_mines" class="mw-redirect" title="Naval mines">mines</a> or by being the first to strike them.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt277–278_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt277–278-16">[16]</a></sup> On 2 November 1914, the squadron was detached to reinforce the Channel Fleet and was rebased at Portland. It returned to the Grand Fleet on 13 November 1914.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt290–291_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt290–291-17">[17]</a></sup>
</p><p>On 14 December, the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/1st_Battlecruiser_Squadron" title="1st Battlecruiser Squadron">1st Battlecruiser Squadron</a>, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/2nd_Battle_Squadron" title="2nd Battle Squadron">2nd Battle Squadron</a>, and accompanying cruisers and destroyers left port to intercept the German forces preparing to <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Raid_on_Scarborough,_Hartlepool_and_Whitby" title="Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby">raid Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby</a>. On the first reports of contact with German units on the morning of 16 December, the Grand Fleet commander, Admiral <a href="/enwiki/wiki/John_Jellicoe,_1st_Earl_Jellicoe" title="John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe">John Jellicoe</a>, ordered Bradford to take the 3rd Battle Squadron to support the ships in contact at 10:00. Four hours later, they met the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/1st_Battle_Squadron" title="1st Battle Squadron">1st</a> and <a href="/enwiki/wiki/4th_Battle_Squadron" title="4th Battle Squadron">4th Battle Squadrons</a>, en route from <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Scapa_Flow" title="Scapa Flow">Scapa Flow</a>, though they failed to reach the German <a href="/enwiki/wiki/High_Seas_Fleet" title="High Seas Fleet">High Seas Fleet</a> before the latter withdrew. The Grand Fleet remained at sea until late on 17 December, at which point the 3rd Battle Squadron was ordered back to Rosyth.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe174–180_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe174–180-18">[18]</a></sup> <i>Africa</i> and the rest of the squadron joined the Grand Fleet for another sweep into the North Sea on 25 December. The fleet returned to its ports two days later, having failed to locate any German vessels.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe182–184_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe182–184-19">[19]</a></sup>
</p><p>The 3rd Battle Squadron went to sea on 12 January 1915 for gunnery training, steaming north and passing to the west of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Orkney" title="Orkney">Orkney</a> on the night of 13–14 January. After completing training on the 14th, they returned to Rosyth on 15 January.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe188_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe188-20">[20]</a></sup> On 23 January, the 1st and <a href="/enwiki/wiki/2nd_Battlecruiser_Squadron" title="2nd Battlecruiser Squadron">2nd Battlecruiser Squadrons</a> sortied to ambush the German <a href="/enwiki/wiki/I_Scouting_Group" title="I Scouting Group">I Scouting Group</a> in what resulted in the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Battle_of_Dogger_Bank_(1915)" title="Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)">Battle of Dogger Bank</a> the following day. Later on the 23rd, the rest of the Grand Fleet, including <i>Africa</i>, sortied to support the battlecruisers. The 3rd Squadron ships left first and steamed at full speed to reach ships of the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Harwich_Force" title="Harwich Force">Harwich Force</a>, which had reported contact with German vessels. The battlecruisers intervened first, and <i>Africa</i> and her sisters arrived around 14:00, by which time the battlecruisers had sunk the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Armoured_cruiser" class="mw-redirect" title="Armoured cruiser">armoured cruiser</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/SMS_Bl%C3%BCcher" title="SMS Blücher"><i>Blücher</i></a> and the surviving German ships had fled. The 3rd Battle Squadron patrolled the area with the rest of the Grand Fleet over the night before being detached at 08:00 on 25 January to steam to Rosyth.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe193–196_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe193–196-21">[21]</a></sup>
</p><p>Elements of the Grand Fleet went to sea repeatedly over the next few months. The 3rd Battle Squadron patrolled the central North Sea in company with the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/3rd_Cruiser_Squadron" title="3rd Cruiser Squadron">3rd Cruiser Squadron</a> from 10 to 13 March. The two units again went to sea to sweep the central North Sea from 5 to 8 April. A major fleet operation followed on 11 April, with the entire Grand Fleet sortieing for a sweep of the North Sea on 12 and 13 April. The squadrons returned to their ports on 14 April to replenish their fuel. Another such operation followed on 17 April, which also failed to find any German ships. The 3rd Battle Squadron returned to Rosyth late on 18 April. The fleet sortied again on 21 April, returning to port two days later. The 3rd Battle Squadron, joined by the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, patrolled the northern North Sea from 5 to 10 May, during which a German <a href="/enwiki/wiki/U-boat" title="U-boat">U-boat</a> attacked the battleships but failed to score a hit.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe206,_210–216_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe206,_210–216-22">[22]</a></sup>
</p><p>Another sweep into the North Sea took place on 17–19 May, and no German forces were encountered. The fleet went to sea again on 29 May for a patrol south to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dogger_Bank" title="Dogger Bank">Dogger Bank</a> before returning to port on 31 May, again without having located any German vessels. The Grand Fleet spent much of June in port conducting training, but the most modern units went to sea on 11 June for gunnery practice to the northwest of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Shetland" title="Shetland">Shetland</a>. While they were training, <i>Africa</i> and the rest of the 3rd Battle Squadron, along with the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, patrolled the central North Sea. Fleet activities were limited in July, owing to a threatened <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Strike_action" title="Strike action">strike</a> by coal miners, which began on 18 July and threatened the supply of coal for the fleet's ships. The strike continued into August, which led Jellicoe to continue to limit fleet activities to preserve his stocks of coal. The fleet saw little activity in September, and during this period, the Grand Fleet began to go to sea without the older ships of the 3rd Battle Squadron.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe217,_219,_221–223,_228,_234,_243–250_23-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe217,_219,_221–223,_228,_234,_243–250-23">[23]</a></sup> In December, <i>Africa</i> went to <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Belfast" title="Belfast">Belfast</a> for a refit that lasted until January 1916.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt293-7">[7]</a></sup> On her way back to Scapa Flow, she passed unharmed through an area off <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Cape_Wrath" title="Cape Wrath">Cape Wrath</a> that had been <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Naval_mine" title="Naval mine">mined</a> by the German <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Auxiliary_cruiser" class="mw-redirect" title="Auxiliary cruiser">auxiliary cruiser</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/SMS_M%C3%B6we_(1914)" title="SMS Möwe (1914)">SMS <i>Möwe</i></a>; her sister <i>King Edward VII</i> was not so lucky, striking one of the mines a few hours later and sinking.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe265–266_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe265–266-24">[24]</a></sup>
</p>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Later_operations">Later operations</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=HMS_Africa_(1905)&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Later operations">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h4>
<p>On 29 April 1916, the 3rd Battle Squadron was rebased at Sheerness (where <i>Africa</i> arrived on 2 May 1916), and on 3 May 1916 the squadron was separated from the Grand Fleet, being transferred to the Nore Command. <i>Africa</i> remained there with the squadron until August 1916. <i>Africa</i> began a refit at <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Portsmouth_Dockyard" class="mw-redirect" title="Portsmouth Dockyard">Portsmouth Dockyard</a> in August 1916. Upon its completion in September 1916, she left the 3rd Battle Squadron and transferred to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Adriatic_Sea" title="Adriatic Sea">Adriatic Sea</a>, where a British squadron had reinforced the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Italian_Navy" title="Italian Navy">Italian Navy</a> against the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Austro-Hungarian_Navy" title="Austro-Hungarian Navy">Austro-Hungarian Navy</a> since Italy's entry into the war in 1915.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt293-7">[7]</a></sup> Admiral <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Paolo_Thaon_di_Revel" title="Paolo Thaon di Revel">Paolo Thaon di Revel</a>, the Italian naval chief of staff, believed that the threat from Austro-Hungarian <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Submarine" title="Submarine">submarines</a> and naval mines in the narrow waters of the Adriatic was too serious for him to use the fleet for active operations. Instead, Revel decided to implement a blockade at the relatively safer southern end of the Adriatic with the main fleet, while smaller vessels, such as the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/MAS_(boat)" class="mw-redirect" title="MAS (boat)">MAS boats</a>, conducted raids on Austro-Hungarian ships and installations.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHalpern141–142,_150_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHalpern141–142,_150-25">[25]</a></sup> As a result, she saw little activity while stationed there. She left the Adriatic in January 1917 for a refit at <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gibraltar" title="Gibraltar">Gibraltar</a>, during which the 6-inch guns on her main deck were replaced with four 6-inch guns a deck higher because the original guns were awash in even slightly rough weather.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt285,_293_26-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt285,_293-26">[26]</a></sup>
</p><p>When her refit was completed in March 1917, <i>Africa</i> was attached to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/9th_Cruiser_Squadron" title="9th Cruiser Squadron">9th Cruiser Squadron</a> for service in the <a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Atlantic_Patrol_(United_Kingdom)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Atlantic Patrol (United Kingdom) (page does not exist)">Atlantic Patrol</a> and for <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Convoy" title="Convoy">convoy</a> escort duties. She was based mainly at <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Sierra_Leone" title="Sierra Leone">Sierra Leone</a> and escorted convoys between Sierra Leone and <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Cape_Town" title="Cape Town">Cape Town</a>, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/South_Africa" title="South Africa">South Africa</a>. She underwent a refit at <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro" title="Rio de Janeiro">Rio de Janeiro</a>, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Brazil" title="Brazil">Brazil</a>, from December 1917 to January 1918.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt293-7">[7]</a></sup> In September 1918, while <i>Africa</i> was based at Sierra Leone, some of her crew became ill during the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic" class="mw-redirect" title="1918 flu pandemic">influenza pandemic</a> that broke out that year. Their numbers virtually doubled each day from less than a handful at the start of the month until 9 September, when 476 crew members were reported ill. On that day, one crewman was reported dead of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Pneumonia" title="Pneumonia">pneumonia</a> following a case of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Influenza" title="Influenza">influenza</a>. Five more crewmen died on 12 September. The next day, another eight perished. On 14 September, ten more crewmen died. <i>Africa</i> sent burial parties ashore daily, and the ship was put into quarantine. By the time <i>Africa</i> hauled down her quarantine flag on 30 September 1918, 52 crew members had died of illness out of a total complement of less than 800.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27">[27]</a></sup>
</p><p>In October 1918, <i>Africa</i> returned to the United Kingdom; she went into reserve at Portsmouth in November 1918. Following World War I, <i>Africa</i> was briefly the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Depot_ship" title="Depot ship">depot ship</a> of the 9th <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Cruiser_Squadron" title="Cruiser Squadron">Cruiser Squadron</a> and was employed as an accommodation ship. In December 1919 she was selected to replace the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Protected_cruiser" title="Protected cruiser">protected cruiser</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Diadem_(1896)" title="HMS Diadem (1896)"><i>Diadem</i></a> as <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Stoker_(occupation)" class="mw-redirect" title="Stoker (occupation)">stokers'</a> training ship at Portsmouth, but this was cancelled. <i>Africa</i> was placed on the sale list in March 1920, and was sold for scrapping to Ellis & Company of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Newcastle_upon_Tyne" title="Newcastle upon Tyne">Newcastle upon Tyne</a>, England on 30 June 1920. She was scrapped at Newcastle.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt293-7">[7]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Notes">Notes</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=HMS_Africa_(1905)&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Notes">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
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<ol class="references">
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt264–266-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt264–266_1-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBurt">Burt</a>, pp. 264–266.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEPreston21-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPreston21_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFPreston">Preston</a>, p. 21.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTELyon_&_Roberts38-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELyon_&_Roberts38_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELyon_&_Roberts38_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELyon_&_Roberts38_3-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFLyon_&_Roberts">Lyon & Roberts</a>, p. 38.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt282-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt282_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBurt">Burt</a>, p. 282.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEMcBride200166–67,_69-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMcBride200166–67,_69_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFMcBride2001">McBride 2001</a>, pp. 66–67, 69.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt267-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt267_6-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBurt">Burt</a>, p. 267.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt293-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt293_7-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBurt">Burt</a>, p. 293.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEPreston9-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPreston9_8-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFPreston">Preston</a>, p. 9.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEManning_&_Walker36-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEManning_&_Walker36_9-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFManning_&_Walker">Manning & Walker</a>, p. 36.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt283,_293-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt283,_293_10-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBurt">Burt</a>, pp. 283, 293.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEThetford454-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEThetford454_11-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFThetford">Thetford</a>, p. 454.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt283-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt283_12-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBurt">Burt</a>, p. 283.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTECorbett_192039–40,_457-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTECorbett_192039–40,_457_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFCorbett_1920">Corbett 1920</a>, pp. 39–40, 457.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe24-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe24_14-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFJellicoe">Jellicoe</a>, p. 24.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe91–92,_98–99-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe91–92,_98–99_15-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFJellicoe">Jellicoe</a>, pp. 91–92, 98–99.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt277–278-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt277–278_16-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBurt">Burt</a>, pp. 277–278.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt290–291-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt290–291_17-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBurt">Burt</a>, pp. 290–291.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe174–180-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe174–180_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFJellicoe">Jellicoe</a>, pp. 174–180.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe182–184-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe182–184_19-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFJellicoe">Jellicoe</a>, pp. 182–184.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe188-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe188_20-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFJellicoe">Jellicoe</a>, p. 188.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe193–196-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe193–196_21-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFJellicoe">Jellicoe</a>, pp. 193–196.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe206,_210–216-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe206,_210–216_22-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFJellicoe">Jellicoe</a>, pp. 206, 210–216.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe217,_219,_221–223,_228,_234,_243–250-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe217,_219,_221–223,_228,_234,_243–250_23-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFJellicoe">Jellicoe</a>, pp. 217, 219, 221–223, 228, 234, 243–250.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEJellicoe265–266-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJellicoe265–266_24-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFJellicoe">Jellicoe</a>, pp. 265–266.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHalpern141–142,_150-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHalpern141–142,_150_25-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHalpern">Halpern</a>, pp. 141–142, 150.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEBurt285,_293-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBurt285,_293_26-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFBurt">Burt</a>, pp. 285, 293.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r999302996">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-01-HMS_Africa.htm">"HMS AFRICA – September 1916 to November 1918, Mediterranean, Central and South Atlantic convoys (9th Cruiser Squadron)"</a>. <i>naval-history.net</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">27 December</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=naval-history.net&rft.atitle=HMS+AFRICA+%E2%80%93+September+1916+to+November+1918%2C+Mediterranean%2C+Central+and+South+Atlantic+convoys+%289th+Cruiser+Squadron%29&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.naval-history.net%2FOWShips-WW1-01-HMS_Africa.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></span>
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</ol></div>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="References">References</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=HMS_Africa_(1905)&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: References">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFBurt" class="citation book cs1">Burt, R. A. (2013) [1988]. <i>British Battleships 1889–1904</i>. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84832-173-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84832-173-1"><bdi>978-1-84832-173-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=British+Battleships+1889%E2%80%931904&rft.place=Barnsley&rft.pub=Seaforth+Publishing&rft.date=2013&rft.isbn=978-1-84832-173-1&rft.aulast=Burt&rft.aufirst=R.+A.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFCorbett_1920" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Julian_Corbett" title="Julian Corbett">Corbett, Julian Stafford</a> (1920). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/navaloperations04corb"><i>Naval Operations: To The Battle of the Falklands, December 1914</i></a>. <b>I</b>. London: Longmans, Green & Co. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="/enwiki//www.worldcat.org/oclc/174823980">174823980</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Naval+Operations%3A+To+The+Battle+of+the+Falklands%2C+December+1914&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Longmans%2C+Green+%26+Co.&rft.date=1920&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F174823980&rft.aulast=Corbett&rft.aufirst=Julian+Stafford&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fnavaloperations04corb&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFHalpern" class="citation book cs1">Halpern, Paul G. (1995). <i>A Naval History of World War I</i>. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-352-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-352-7"><bdi>978-1-55750-352-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=A+Naval+History+of+World+War+I&rft.place=Annapolis&rft.pub=Naval+Institute+Press&rft.date=1995&rft.isbn=978-1-55750-352-7&rft.aulast=Halpern&rft.aufirst=Paul+G.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFJellicoe" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/John_Jellicoe,_1st_Earl_Jellicoe" title="John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe">Jellicoe, John</a> (1919). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/grandfleet19141900jell"><i>The Grand Fleet, 1914–1916: Its Creation, Development, and Work</i></a>. New York: George H. Doran Company. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="/enwiki//www.worldcat.org/oclc/162593478">162593478</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Grand+Fleet%2C+1914%E2%80%931916%3A+Its+Creation%2C+Development%2C+and+Work&rft.place=New+York&rft.pub=George+H.+Doran+Company&rft.date=1919&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F162593478&rft.aulast=Jellicoe&rft.aufirst=John&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fgrandfleet19141900jell&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFLyon_&_Roberts" class="citation book cs1">Lyon, David & Roberts, John (1979). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M. (eds.). <span class="cs1-lock-registration" title="Free registration required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2"><i>Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860–1905</i></a></span>. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 1–113. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-85177-133-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-85177-133-5"><bdi>978-0-85177-133-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Great+Britain+and+Empire+Forces&rft.btitle=Conway%27s+All+the+World%27s+Fighting+Ships%2C+1860%E2%80%931905&rft.place=Greenwich&rft.pages=1-113&rft.pub=Conway+Maritime+Press&rft.date=1979&rft.isbn=978-0-85177-133-5&rft.aulast=Lyon&rft.aufirst=David&rft.au=Roberts%2C+John&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fconwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFManning_&_Walker" class="citation book cs1">Manning, Thomas Davys & Walker, Charles Frederick (1959). <i>British Warship Names</i>. London: Putnam. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="/enwiki//www.worldcat.org/oclc/561921929">561921929</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=British+Warship+Names&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Putnam&rft.date=1959&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F561921929&rft.aulast=Manning&rft.aufirst=Thomas+Davys&rft.au=Walker%2C+Charles+Frederick&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFMcBride2001" class="citation book cs1">McBride, Keith (2001). "<span class="cs1-kern-left">'</span>The Wobbly Eight': The <i>King Edward VII</i> Class Battleships, 1897–1922". In Preston, Antony (ed.). <i>Warship 2001–2002</i>. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 63–69. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85177-901-8" title="Special:BookSources/0-85177-901-8"><bdi>0-85177-901-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=%27The+Wobbly+Eight%27%3A+The+King+Edward+VII+Class+Battleships%2C+1897%E2%80%931922&rft.btitle=Warship+2001%E2%80%932002&rft.place=London&rft.pages=63-69&rft.pub=Conway+Maritime+Press&rft.date=2001&rft.isbn=0-85177-901-8&rft.aulast=McBride&rft.aufirst=Keith&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFPreston" class="citation book cs1">Preston, Antony (1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (eds.). <i>Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921</i>. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. pp. 1–104. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87021-907-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-87021-907-8"><bdi>978-0-87021-907-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Great+Britain+and+Empire+Forces&rft.btitle=Conway%27s+All+the+World%27s+Fighting+Ships%2C+1906%E2%80%931921&rft.place=Annapolis&rft.pages=1-104&rft.pub=Naval+Institute+Press&rft.date=1985&rft.isbn=978-0-87021-907-8&rft.aulast=Preston&rft.aufirst=Antony&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFThetford" class="citation book cs1">Thetford, Owen (1991). <i>British Naval Aircraft Since 1912</i>. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-076-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-076-2"><bdi>978-1-55750-076-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=British+Naval+Aircraft+Since+1912&rft.place=Annapolis&rft.pub=Naval+Institute+Press&rft.date=1991&rft.isbn=978-1-55750-076-2&rft.aulast=Thetford&rft.aufirst=Owen&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Further_reading">Further reading</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=HMS_Africa_(1905)&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Further reading">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFColledgeWarlow2006" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/J._J._Colledge" title="J. J. Colledge">Colledge, J. J.</a>; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. <i><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ships_of_the_Royal_Navy" title="Ships of the Royal Navy">Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy</a></i> (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-86176-281-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-86176-281-8"><bdi>978-1-86176-281-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Ships+of+the+Royal+Navy%3A+The+Complete+Record+of+all+Fighting+Ships+of+the+Royal+Navy&rft.place=London&rft.edition=Rev.&rft.pub=Chatham+Publishing&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-1-86176-281-8&rft.aulast=Colledge&rft.aufirst=J.+J.&rft.au=Warlow%2C+Ben&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFDittmarColledge1972" class="citation book cs1">Dittmar, F. J. & Colledge, J. J. (1972). <i>British Warships 1914–1919</i>. London: Ian Allan. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7110-0380-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7110-0380-4"><bdi>978-0-7110-0380-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=British+Warships+1914%E2%80%931919&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Ian+Allan&rft.date=1972&rft.isbn=978-0-7110-0380-4&rft.aulast=Dittmar&rft.aufirst=F.+J.&rft.au=Colledge%2C+J.+J.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFGibbons1983" class="citation book cs1">Gibbons, Tony (1983). <i>The Complete Encyclopedia of Battleships and Battlecruisers: A Technical Directory of All the World's Capital Ships From 1860 to the Present Day</i>. London: Salamander Books Ltd. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-86101-142-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-86101-142-1"><bdi>978-0-86101-142-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Complete+Encyclopedia+of+Battleships+and+Battlecruisers%3A+A+Technical+Directory+of+All+the+World%27s+Capital+Ships+From+1860+to+the+Present+Day&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Salamander+Books+Ltd.&rft.date=1983&rft.isbn=978-0-86101-142-1&rft.aulast=Gibbons&rft.aufirst=Tony&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFParkes1990" class="citation book cs1">Parkes, Oscar (1990) [1957]. <i>British Battleships</i>. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-075-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55750-075-5"><bdi>978-1-55750-075-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=British+Battleships&rft.place=Annapolis&rft.pub=Naval+Institute+Press&rft.date=1990&rft.isbn=978-1-55750-075-5&rft.aulast=Parkes&rft.aufirst=Oscar&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li>
<li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFPears1979" class="citation book cs1">Pears, Randolph (1979). <i>British Battleships 1892–1957: The Great Days of the Fleets</i>. London: G. Cave Associates. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-906223-14-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-906223-14-7"><bdi>978-0-906223-14-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=British+Battleships+1892%E2%80%931957%3A+The+Great+Days+of+the+Fleets&rft.place=London&rft.pub=G.+Cave+Associates&rft.date=1979&rft.isbn=978-0-906223-14-7&rft.aulast=Pears&rft.aufirst=Randolph&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AHMS+Africa+%281905%29" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="External_links">External links</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=HMS_Africa_(1905)&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: External links">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
<table role="presentation" class="mbox-small plainlinks sistersitebox" style="background-color:#f9f9f9;border:1px solid #aaa;color:#000">
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<td class="mbox-image"><img alt="" src="/upwiki/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="40" class="noviewer" srcset="/upwiki/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/45px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, /upwiki/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/59px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></td>
<td class="mbox-text plainlist">Wikimedia Commons has media related to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:HMS_Africa_(ship,_1905)" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:HMS Africa (ship, 1905)">HMS Africa (ship, 1905)</a></span>.</td></tr>
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<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/battleships/africa/hms_africa.htm">Maritimequest HMS Africa Photo Gallery</a></li></ul>
<div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="King_Edward_VII-class_battleships" style=";wide;padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r992953826">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Template:King_Edward_VII_class_battleship" title="Template:King Edward VII class battleship"><abbr title="View this template" style=";background-color:#C3D6EF;;background:none transparent;border:none;box-shadow:none;padding:0;;text-decoration:inherit;">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Template_talk:King_Edward_VII_class_battleship" title="Template talk:King Edward VII class battleship"><abbr title="Discuss this template" style=";background-color:#C3D6EF;;background:none transparent;border:none;box-shadow:none;padding:0;;text-decoration:inherit;">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Template:King_Edward_VII_class_battleship&action=edit"><abbr title="Edit this template" style=";background-color:#C3D6EF;;background:none transparent;border:none;box-shadow:none;padding:0;;text-decoration:inherit;">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="King_Edward_VII-class_battleships" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/King_Edward_VII-class_battleship" title="King Edward VII-class battleship"><i> King Edward VII</i>-class battleships</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_King_Edward_VII" title="HMS King Edward VII"><i>King Edward VII</i></a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Commonwealth" title="HMS Commonwealth"><i>Commonwealth</i></a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Hindustan_(1903)" title="HMS Hindustan (1903)"><i>Hindustan</i></a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Britannia_(1904)" title="HMS Britannia (1904)"><i>Britannia</i></a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Dominion" title="HMS Dominion"><i>Dominion</i></a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Zealandia" title="HMS Zealandia"><i>New Zealand</i> / <i>Zealandia</i></a></li>
<li><a class="mw-selflink selflink"><i>Africa</i></a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/HMS_Hibernia_(1905)" title="HMS Hibernia (1905)"><i>Hibernia</i></a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li>Preceded by: <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Duncan-class_battleship" title="Duncan-class battleship"><i> Duncan</i> class</a></li>
<li>Followed by: <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Swiftsure-class_battleship" title="Swiftsure-class battleship"><i> Swiftsure</i> class</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2" style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"><div>
<ul><li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_pre-dreadnought_battleships_of_the_Royal_Navy" title="List of pre-dreadnought battleships of the Royal Navy">List of pre-dreadnought battleships of the Royal Navy</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
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