Summary

HMS Dreadnought was a Royal Navy battleship. When it was launched by King Edward VII at Portsmouth Dockyard in February 1906 it was the largest and fastest battleship in the world. Its revolutionary design and armament influenced naval design the world over and is sometimes said to have begun a peace times arms race that led up to the First World War.

The Dreadnought was the outcome of then First Sea Lord Admiral John Fisher's order to design the world's first 'all big gun' battleship. The designs were produced by Sir Philip Watts who was then Director of Naval Construction.

As per Admiral Fisher's specifications, the Dreadnought was fitted with pairs of 12-inch guns in five twin gun turrets and twenty-seven 3-inch 50-calibre guns. The Dreadnought was fitted with steam turbines designed by Sir Charles Algernon Parsons and had a load displacement of 18,122 tons.