View source for Queen Elizabeth-class battleship

{{Short description|Class of British battleships}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = HMS Queen Elizabeth Lemnos 1915 AWM H12931 clipped.jpeg
| Ship caption = {{HMS|Queen Elizabeth|1913|2}} in her original configuration at [[Lemnos]], 24 April 1915
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = ''Queen Elizabeth'' class
| Builders = 
*[[Armstrong Whitworth]]
*[[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering|Fairfields]]
*[[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]]
*[[John Brown and Company|John Brown & Co.]]
*[[Portsmouth Dockyard]]
| Operators = {{navy|United Kingdom}}
| Class before = {{sclass|Iron Duke|battleship|4}}
| Class after = {{sclass|Revenge|battleship|4}}
| Cost = 
| Built range = 
| In service range = 
| In commission range = 1914–1947
| Total ships planned = 6
| Total ships completed = 5
| Total ships cancelled = 1
| Total ships lost = 1
| Total ships scrapped = 4
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = (as built)
| Ship type = [[Dreadnought#Super-dreadnoughts|Super dreadnought battleship]]
| Ship displacement = *{{convert|32590|LT|t|lk=on}} (normal)
* {{convert|33260|LT|t}} ([[Deep load]])
| Ship length = {{convert|643|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on|1}} ([[o/a]])
| Ship beam = {{convert|90|ft|7|in|m|abbr=on|1}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|33|ft|7|in|m|abbr=on|1}} ([[deep load]])
| Ship power =* 24 [[water-tube boiler]]s
*{{convert|75000|shp|lk=on|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = *4 shafts; 2 [[steam turbine]] sets
| Ship speed = {{convert|24|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range = {{convert|5000|nmi|abbr=on|-1}} at {{convert|12|kn}}
| Ship complement = *923–951 (as completed) 
*1,249–1,262 (as flagships, 1920)
| Ship armament = *4 × twin [[BL 15 inch Mk I naval gun|{{cvt|15|in|mm|0}} guns]]
* 12, 14, or 16 × single [[BL 6 inch Mk XII naval gun|{{cvt|6|in|mm|0}} guns]]
* 2 × single [[QF 3 inch 20 cwt|{{cvt|3|in|mm|0}}]] [[AA gun]]s
* 4 × [[British 21-inch torpedo|{{cvt|21|in|mm|0}}]] [[torpedo tube]]s
| Ship armour = *[[Belt armor|Waterline belt]]: {{convert|13|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{convert|1|-|3|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Barbette]]s: {{convert|7|-|10|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
* [[Gun turret]]s: {{convert|11|-|13|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Conning tower]]: {{convert|13|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
}}
|}

The '''''Queen Elizabeth''-class battleships''' were a group of five [[dreadnought#Super-dreadnoughts|super-dreadnoughts]] built for the [[Royal Navy]] during the 1910s. These battleships were superior in firepower, protection and speed to their Royal Navy predecessors of the {{sclass|Iron Duke|battleship|4}} as well as preceding German classes such as the {{sclass|König|battleship|4}}. The corresponding {{sclass|Bayern|battleship|0}} ships were generally considered competitive, although the ''Queen Elizabeth'' class were {{convert|2|kn|km/h}} faster and outnumbered the German class 5:2. The ''Queen Elizabeth''s are generally considered the first [[fast battleships]] of their day.

The ''Queen Elizabeth''s were the first battleships to be armed with [[BL 15 inch Mk I naval gun|{{convert|15|in|adj=on|0}} guns]], and were described in the 1919 edition of ''[[Jane's Fighting Ships]]'' as "the most successful type of capital ship yet designed."<ref name="Jane's 1919">{{cite book
| title = Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I
| last = Jane
| first = Fred T. (Parkes, Surgeon-Lt. R.N. Dr. Oscar and Prendergast, Maurice co-ed.)
| publisher = Jane's Publishing (1990 reprint, Military Press, New York; dist. by Crown Publishers)
| year = 1919
| isbn = 0-517-03375-5
| location = London
| pages = 36
}}</ref> They saw much service in both world wars. [[HMS Barham (04)|''Barham'']] was lost to a [[U-boat]] attack in 1941, but the others survived the wars and were scrapped in the late 1940s.

==Background and design==
[[File:Queen Elizabeth class diagrams Brasseys 1923.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Right plan and elevation drawing from [[Brassey's Naval Annual]] 1923; the shaded areas represent the ships' armour plating]]
The early design history of the ''Queen Elizabeth'' class is not well known because not many records have survived in the files of the [[Admiral (United Kingdom)|Admiralty]]. When [[Winston Churchill]] became [[First Lord of the Admiralty]] in October 1911, the ships of the 1911–1912 Naval Programme, the four {{sclass|Iron Duke|battleship|2}}s and the battlecruiser {{HMS|Tiger|1913|6}} were being ordered and preliminary design work had begun on the new class of battleships scheduled for the 1912–1913 Naval Programme. Each class received its own alphabetical designation with the ''Iron Duke''s being MIV, the fourth major iteration of Design M. Presumably the improved 1912–1913 ships were Design N, but no details of it have been found in Admiralty records. The letter O was not used during this time. Naval historian [[Norman Friedman]] believes that Design P was a slow ship armed with ten {{convert|15|in|adj=on|0}} guns based on a passing reference in the official history of naval construction during the First World War that such a ship was a precursor to the ''Queen Elizabeth''s.<ref>Friedman 2015, pp. 134–135 and footnote 5</ref>

Churchill and the retired [[First Sea Lord]], [[John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher|Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher]] corresponded at length during this time with Fisher advocating for a fast (probably {{convert|28|kn|adj=on|lk=in}}) ship armed with eight guns and nearly as well armoured as a battleship, something that he sometimes called a "super-Lion", referring to the battlecruiser {{HMS|Lion|1910|6}}. Friedman believes that the [[Director of Naval Construction]] (DNC), Sir [[Philip Watts (naval architect)|Philip Watts]], designated Fisher's concept as Design Q with a slower version being the ''Queen Elizabeth'' class as Design R. "The destruction of papers may thus have concealed the reality that instead of being a spectacular advance on previous battleships, the ''Queen Elizabeth''s were a slow version of a ship which Fisher and probably Churchill badly wanted. Much of the fragmentary evidence for the fast ship is to be found in Fisher's letters to Churchill."<ref>Friedman 2015, pp. 134–135 and footnote 7</ref>

The tactical mission of these ships is portrayed as being fast enough to manoeuvre to catch the head of the enemy's [[battleline]] and concentrate fire against it,<ref>Burt 2012b, p. 277</ref> but they were actually intended to prevent the German battlecruisers, which were more heavily armoured than their British equivalents, from doing the same to the British fleet. A memo from Churchill to [[Rear-Admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]] [[Gordon Moore (Royal Navy officer)|Gordon Moore]], [[Controller of the Navy (Royal Navy)|Third Sea Lord]], on 27 October 1912, stated "the speed and power of the ''Queen Elizabeth''s...is sufficient to protect the battle fleet against any turning movement by German battlecruisers.<ref>Friedman 2014, p. 190 and footnote 5</ref>

Influenced by Fisher, Churchill ordered development of the 42-[[caliber (artillery)|calibre]] [[BL 15-inch Mk I naval gun|BL 15-inch Mk I gun]] using the codename "14inch Experimental" in January 1912. This was a risky decision as development of new heavy guns and their [[gun turret|turrets]] was normally a multi-year project, and a failure would seriously delay the completion of the ships. The first gun turret was successfully tested on 6 May 1914, likely much to the relief of the Admiralty.<ref name="Friedman 2015, p. 135">Friedman 2015, p. 135</ref>

The Admiralty decided on the design of the ''Queen Elizabeth''s on 15 June 1912, with the decision on whether they would solely use [[fuel oil]] deferred to a subsequent meeting. That meeting must have happened very shortly afterwards because the design that received the Board's stamp the following day was oil-fueled. The design had not been optimised to burn oil instead of coal and the fuel tanks had different requirements than the coal bunkers previously planned. [[Eustace Tennyson d'Eyncourt]], the DNC who followed Watts, estimated that the change so late in the design process cost some {{convert|300|LT|lk=on}} that could have been put to better use. To guarantee a supply of oil in wartime, Churchill negotiated the [[Anglo-Persian Oil Company#Creation of APOC|Anglo-Persian Oil Convention]].<ref>Friedman 2015, pp. 136–137</ref>

Fisher also believed that the 1912–1913 ships should all be battlecruisers instead of the usual mix of three battleships and a battlecruiser. Churchill initially agreed with him, but was persuaded to go back to the original plan, much to Fisher's fury.<ref name="Friedman 2015, p. 135"/> Given the speed of the new ships, envisaged as {{convert|25|kn}}, it was decided that the battlecruiser would not be needed and a fourth battleship would be built instead. When the [[Federation of Malay States]] offered to fund a further capital ship, the Admiralty decided to add a fifth unit to the class, {{HMS|Malaya}}.<ref name=raven17/>

In some respects, the ships did not quite fulfil their extremely demanding requirement. They were seriously overweight, as a result of which the draught was excessive and they were unable to reach the planned top speed of 25&nbsp;knots. In the event, the combination of oil fuel and more boilers provided for a service speed of about {{convert|24|kn}}, still a useful improvement on the traditional battle line speed of {{convert|21|kn}} and just fast enough to be thought of as the first [[fast battleship]]s.<ref name=greger101>Greger, p. 101</ref> After Jutland Admiral [[John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|John Jellicoe]] was persuaded that the slowest ship of this class was good only for about {{convert|23|kn}}, he concluded that, since this should be considered as the speed of the squadron, it would not be safe to risk them in operations away from the main battlefleet.

==Description==
The ships of the ''Queen Elizabeth'' class were {{convert|600|ft|6|in|1}} [[length between perpendiculars|long between perpendiculars]], {{cvt|634|ft|6|in|1}} [[length at the waterline|long at the waterline]], and had a [[length overall]] of {{cvt|643|ft|9|in|1}}, excluding the [[sternwalk]] fitted on several ships. They had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|90|ft|6|in|m|0}} and a [[draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|33|ft|7|in|m|1}} at [[deep load]]. They had a normal displacement of approximately {{convert|32590|LT|t|0}} and {{convert|33260|LT|t}} at [[deep load]]. The ships had a [[metacentric height]] of {{convert|6.5|ft|m|1}} at deep load. Their crew numbered between 923 and 951&nbsp;officers and [[naval rating|ratings]] as completed; by 1920, the number of crew had grown to 1,016 then to 1,025. Service as a flagship increased these numbers from 1,249 to 1,262 that same year.<ref>Burt 2012b, pp. 281, 284–285</ref><ref>Raven & Roberts, p. 36</ref>

They were powered by two sets of [[steam turbine#Direct drive|direct-drive steam turbines]], [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons units]] were fitted in {{HMS|Queen Elizabeth|1913|2}}, {{HMS|Warspite|03|2}} and ''Malaya'' while {{HMS|Barham|04|2}} and {{HMS|Valiant|1914|2}} had [[Brown-Curtis turbine]]s. The latter pair were not equipped with the cruising turbines to improve fuel economy at slow speeds used in the first three ships. Each turbine set drove two shafts with {{convert|12|ft|m|1|adj=on}}, three-bladed [[propeller]]s, using steam provided by 24 [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s at a working pressure of {{convert|235|psi|kPa kg/cm2|0|abbr=on|lk=on}} in all but ''Warspite'' and ''Barham'', which received boilers manufactured by [[Yarrow boiler|Yarrow]]. The boilers were ducted into a pair of [[funnel (ship)|funnel]]s. The turbines were divided into three watertight compartments arranged side by side; the low-pressure turbines driving the inner pair of shafts were in the centre engine room together, while the high-pressure outboard turbines were in the rooms on either side.<ref>Burt 2012b, pp. 284, 286–287</ref>

The turbines were rated at {{convert|75000|shp|kW|lk=on}} at overload and were intended to give the ships a maximum speed of {{convert|25|kn|lk=in}},<ref name=b4>Burt 2012b, p. 284</ref> although they fell short of that. Due to the war only ''Barham'' ran her [[sea trial]]s on a measured course; in August 1916 she reached a top speed of {{convert|23.9|kn}} from {{convert|70788|shp|abbr=on}} at deep load.<ref>Friedman 2015, p. 138</ref> Fuel storage amounted to {{convert|3400|LT}} of fuel oil which enabled the ships to steam for {{convert|5000|nmi|lk=in}} at a cruising speed of {{convert|12|kn|0}}, which fell to {{convert|1600|nmi}} at full speed.<ref name=b4/>

===Armament and fire control===
The ''Queen Elizabeth'' class was equipped with eight [[List of British ordnance terms#BL|breech-loading (BL)]] 15-inch Mk I guns in four twin-gun turrets, in two [[superfire|superfiring pairs]] fore and aft of the superstructure, designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to rear. The guns were initially supplied with 80 shells per gun, but the [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]]s were later modified to allow for up to one hundred shells per gun.<ref name=b4/> The ships carried the guns in Mk&nbsp;I mounts that allowed for [[elevation (ballistics)|elevation]] to 20&nbsp;degrees and depression to -5&nbsp;degrees. The mounts had a weight of 782 t and a train of- 150 to + 150 degrees. The guns themselves had a weight of 101 t.<ref> {{cite web |url= http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_15-42_mk1.php#mountnote7.1back  |title=15-inch (38.1 cm) Mark I |access-date=July 22, 2022}}</ref> They could be loaded at any angle, but the crews typically returned to +5&nbsp;degrees, since the guns could be cleared faster that way. They fired {{convert|1929|lb|kg|adj=on|0}} projectiles at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|2450|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} to a range of {{convert|24423|yd}}. Their designed [[rate of fire]] was one shot every 36&nbsp;seconds.<ref>Friedman 2011, pp. 43–47</ref>

The gun even remained competitive in the [[World War II|Second World War]] after receiving further shell upgrades and mountings with greater elevation, and HMS ''Warspite'' would eventually record a hit during the [[Battle of Calabria]] which to this day is one of the longest-range naval gunnery hits in history - 24,000 metres (26,000 yd).

The guns could elevate to 20° and depress to −5°, but the turret sights could only elevate 15°, effectively limiting the range that could be achieved unless firing under director control.  The sights were equipped to permit the guns to fire at full charge or with {{fraction|3|4}} charge.<ref>ADM 186/216 ''The Sight Manual, 1916'', pp. 20–22, 108</ref>

[[File:HMS Queen Elizabeth aft port casemates 1918.jpg|thumb|''Queen Elizabeth'' c. 1918 showing the two aft port secondary casemates plated over]]
[[File:HMS Warspite No 7 6 inch gun after Jutland.jpg|thumb|[[Forecastle]] deck gun as added to all ships in 1915–1916, here seen on {{HMS|Warspite|03|2}} after [[Battle of Jutland|Jutland]]]]

The ships' [[secondary armament|secondary battery]] consisted of sixteen 45-calibre [[BL 6 inch Mk XII naval gun|BL {{convert|6|in|adj=on|0}} Mk XII]] guns.<ref name=b4/> The guns had a muzzle velocity of {{cvt|2825|ft/s}} from their {{convert|100|lb|kg|adj=on|0}} projectiles. At their maximum elevation of 15&nbsp;degrees, they had a range of {{cvt|13600|yd}}.<ref>Friedman 2011, p. 84</ref> As designed twelve of these were mounted in [[Casemate#Single casemates (1889 onwards)|casemates]] on the [[Deck (ship)#Upper deck|upper deck]], six of each on the [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]] of the vessel [[amidships]]; the remaining four guns were on the [[Deck (ship)#Main deck|main deck]] aft abreast 'Y' turret. In an effort to ameliorate the flooding problems that the casemated guns in the ''Iron Duke''-class ships had in heavy seas, the guns in the ''Queen Elizabeth''s were moved back from abreast 'A' turret to 'B' turret, but this made little difference in service. The aft guns were more prone to flood and were virtually useless even in moderate seas. Only ''Queen Elizabeth'' was completed with them; one pair was removed and the other was repositioned on the [[forecastle]] and protected by [[gun shield]]s in May 1915. The casemates were plated over to improve their seaworthiness. The other ships were similarly modified while [[fitting-out]].<ref>Burt 2012b, p. 281</ref>

Each gun was provided with 130 [[Cartridge (firearms)|rounds]]. Stowage was provided for 30 rounds at each gun as the only ammunition hoists for them were located at the forward end of the battery. [[Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain]] [[Morgan Singer]], commander of the RN's gunnery school [[HMS Excellent (shore establishment)|HMS ''Excellent'']], criticized this arrangement, saying that it had been proven inefficient in the pre-dreadnought battleships and he recommended using [[Dredging#Bucket dredgers|dredger]] [[hoist (device)|hoist]]s as they were much faster. His comments were rejected as the Admiralty believed that the guns would only intermittently be in use as destroyers attempted to close to torpedo range and they desired to maintain a break in the [[cordite]] supply between the magazines and the battery. In service this led to the gun crews keeping additional rounds immediately available at the guns in case they were needed.<ref>Raven & Roberts, pp. 20, 26</ref> This resulted in an ammunition fire aboard ''Malaya'' during the [[Battle of Jutland]] that nearly resulted in the loss of the ship.<ref>Campbell 1998, p. 132</ref>

The ships also mounted four [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder]] ({{convert|47|mm|in|adj=on}}) [[Salute#Heavy arms: gun salutes|saluting guns]]. Their [[anti-aircraft gun|anti-aircraft]] (AA) armament consisted of two [[quick-firing gun|quick-firing (QF)]] [[QF 3 inch 20 cwt|{{convert|3|in|adj=on|0}} 20&nbsp;cwt Mk I]]{{efn-lr|"Cwt" is the abbreviation for [[hundredweight]], 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.}} guns. They were fitted with four submerged {{convert|21|in|adj=on|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s, two on each broadside. Each ship was supplied with a total of 20 [[British 21-inch torpedo|Mk II or Mk IV torpedoes]].<ref name=b4/>

The ''Queen Elizabeth''-class ships were completed with two [[Fire-control system#Naval fire control|fire-control directors]]. The one that was mounted above the [[conning tower]] was protected by an armoured hood and was fitted with a {{convert|15|ft|1|adj=on}} [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]]. The other director was on top of the [[tripod mast]] and was equipped with a {{convert|9|ft|1|adj=on}}. The main armament could be controlled by 'X' turret as well and each turret was fitted with a 15-foot rangefinder. A torpedo-control director with a 9-foot rangefinder was mounted at the aft end of the superstructure.{{Cn|date=January 2024}} The secondary armament was primarily controlled by directors mounted on each side of the compass platform on the foremast once they began to be fitted in March 1917. The rangefinders in 'B' and 'X' turrets were replaced by {{convert|30|ft|adj=on|1}} models between 1919 and 1922.<ref>Raven & Roberts, pp. 20–21, 30</ref>

[[Flight deck#Early|Flying-off platforms]] were fitted on all the ships on the roofs of 'B' and 'X' turrets in 1918. Between them the ships carried three fighters and seven [[reconnaissance aircraft]].<ref>Raven & Roberts, p. 30</ref>

===Armour===
Armour protection was modified from the previous {{sclass|Iron Duke|battleship|4}}, with a thicker belt and improved underwater protection.<ref name=raven17/> The scale of deck armour was less generous, though typical of contemporary practice.

==Ships==
A further ship was authorised in 1914 and would have been named ''Agincourt'' (a name later applied to [[HMS Agincourt (1913)|a dreadnought expropriated from Ottoman Turkey]]). Although most sources and several official papers in the class's [[Ships Cover]]{{efn-lr|A Ships Cover was an official volume prepared by the Constructor's Department and contained machinery contracts, rough design specifications, trials reports, and other documents relating to the design, construction, and repair work for a specific class of ships. Surviving Covers are held by the [[National Maritime Museum]] at its out-station in [[Woolwich]].}} describe her as a further repeat of the ''Queen Elizabeth'' design, one historian - Nicholas Lambert - has claimed that ''Agincourt'' would have been built on battlecruiser lines. This design would have kept the ''Queen Elizabeth'' armament, but substituted thinner armour down to {{convert|10|in|mm|0}} instead of {{convert|12|in|mm|0}}, for example] in order to gain a {{convert|28|kn|adj=on}} top speed.<ref>Lambert, Nicholas A. "'Our Bloody Ships' or 'Our Bloody System': Jutland and the Loss of the Battle Cruisers, 1916." ''The Journal of Military History'': '''61''', January 1998, pp. 29–55</ref>

Whatever the case, ''Agincourt'' was cancelled at the outbreak of war in 1914.<ref name=autogenerated1>Breyer, p. 140.</ref> The cancellation, proposed by Churchill in memoranda of 1 and 14 June 1914, was intended to shave around £900,000 off that year's naval estimates, which had met with resistance from leading members of the ruling Liberal Party. It had been proposed to build a new type of semi-submersible [[torpedo cruiser]], the [[HMS Polyphemus|''Polyphemus'']] class, in place of ''Agincourt'', and submarines in place of another planned battleship, {{HMS|Resistance}}, and in place of all but two or three of that year's planned destroyers.<ref>Lambert 1999, pp. 300–301</ref>

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data
|-
!scope="col"|Name
!scope="col"|Builder
!scope="col"|[[Laid down]]
!scope="col"|[[Ceremonial ship launching|Launched]]
!scope="col"|[[Ship commissioning|Commissioned]]
!scope="col"|Fate
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Queen Elizabeth|1913|2}}
|[[HMNB Portsmouth|HM Dockyard, Portsmouth]] 
|21 October 1912
|16 October 1913 
|22 December 1914
|Broken up at [[Dalmuir]], 1948
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Warspite|03|2}}
|[[HMNB Devonport|HM Dockyard, Devonport]]
|31 October 1912
|26 November 1913
|8 March 1915
|Towed for scrapping at [[Faslane]]; ran aground at [[Prussia Cove]] April 1947<br />Broken up at [[Marazion]], 1950
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Valiant|1914|2}}
|[[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company|Fairfield]], [[Clydebank]]
|31 January 1913 
|4 November 1914
|13 January 1916 
|Broken up at [[Cairnryan]], 1948
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Barham|04|2}}
|[[John Brown & Company|John Brown]], Clydebank
|24 February 1913
|31 December 1914 
|19 October 1915
|Sunk by submarine, 25 November 1941
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Malaya||2}}
|[[Armstrong Whitworth]], [[Tyneside]]
|20 October 1913
|18 March 1915  
|1 February 1916
|Broken up at [[Faslane]], 1948
|-
!scope="row"|''Agincourt''
|HM Dockyard, Portsmouth
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
|Cancelled, August 1914
|}

==Service==
===First World War===
In the [[First World War]], ''Queen Elizabeth'' was detached from the squadron and took part in the [[Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign|Dardanelles Campaign]], but missed Jutland as she was undergoing dock maintenance.

At the [[Battle of Jutland]], four of the ships formed Admiral [[Hugh Evan-Thomas]]'s [[5th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|5th Battle Squadron]], and in the clash with the German 1st Scouting Group under Admiral [[Franz von Hipper]] they "fired with extraordinary rapidity and accuracy" (according to [[Reinhard Scheer|Admiral Scheer]], commander of the High Seas Fleet), damaging {{SMS|Lützow}} and {{SMS|Seydlitz}} and a number of other German warships. These battleships were able to engage German battlecruisers at a range of 19,000 yards (17,400 m), which was beyond the maximum range of the Germans' guns.<ref>[http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_15-42_mk1.htm Britain 15/42 (38.1 cm) Mark I]</ref> Three of the ''Queen Elizabeth''s received hits from German warships during the engagement, yet they all returned home. ''Warspite'' was the most heavily damaged, with her rudder jammed and taking fifteen hits, coming close to foundering.

===Between the wars===
Between the wars, the ships received considerable upgrades, including new machinery, small-tube boilers, deck armour upgrades, [[torpedo belt]] armour, trunked funnels, new secondary armament and anti-aircraft armament, and many improvements in gunlaying and electronics. ''Queen Elizabeth'', ''Valiant'', and ''Warspite'' were the most modernised, with all three receiving the new "[[Queen Anne's Mansions]]" block superstructure for the bridge, whilst twenty 4.5" dual-purpose guns in 10 turret mountings replaced the 6" casemate secondary weapons on ''Queen Elizabeth'' and ''Valiant''. ''Warspite'' kept her 6" secondary guns, now reduced to just four per battery.<ref>[http://www.friesian.com/kongo.htm The Battleship Kongô]</ref>

===Second World War===
[[File:F4F over HMS Warspite off Salerno 1943.jpg|thumb|right|HMS ''Warspite'' off Salerno, 1943]]

By the [[World War II|Second World War]], the class were showing their age. ''Barham'' and ''Malaya'', the least-modernized of the class, were at a disadvantage compared to modern battleships.  In spite of this, ''Malaya'' prevented an attack on a transatlantic convoy by the modern German [[battlecruiser]]s {{ship|German battleship|Scharnhorst||2}} and {{ship|German battleship|Gneisenau||2}} by her presence.<ref>[http://www.scharnhorst-class.dk/scharnhorst/history/scharnberlin.html www.scharnhorst-class.dk]</ref> ''Queen Elizabeth'', ''Warspite'', and ''Valiant'', the more modernised of the class, fared better. With her modern fire control equipment, ''Warspite'' scored a hit on an Italian battleship during the [[Battle of Calabria]] at a range of more than 26,000 yards, one of the longest range naval artillery hits in history.{{efn-lr|The German warship {{ship|German battleship|Scharnhorst||2}} scored a hit on the British aircraft carrier {{HMS|Glorious}} at approximately the same range, a month earlier, during the evacuation of Norway.}}

Modern [[torpedo]]es outclassed their torpedo belt protection: in November 1941, ''Barham'' was torpedoed by a U-boat and sank in five minutes, with the loss of over 800 of her crew, when her magazines detonated. ''Warspite'' survived a direct hit and two near-misses by German glider bombs, while ''Queen Elizabeth'' and ''Valiant'' were repaired and returned to service after being badly damaged by limpet mines<ref>{{cite book| last = Winton| first = John| title = Cunningham| publisher = John Murray Publishers, 1998| isbn = 0-7195-5765-8| year = 1998| url-access = registration| url = https://archive.org/details/cunningham0000wint}}</ref> placed by Italian frogmen during a [[Raid on Alexandria (1941)|raid at Alexandria Harbour]] in 1941.

===HMS ''Queen Elizabeth''===
{{HMS|Queen Elizabeth|1913|2}} took part in the [[Dardanelles Campaign]] of 1915 bombarding forts, but missed Jutland in 1916. She became Admiral Beatty's flagship in 1917 after he assumed command of the Grand Fleet. In the Second World War she was [[Raid on Alexandria (1941)|mined]] by Italian frogmen and badly damaged, but did not ground in the shallow water of [[Alexandria Port|Alexandria Harbour]] in 1941.<ref>Burt 2012a, pp. 120–121: "Prior to the attack ''Queen Elizabeth'' had a draught of 33ft 5in forward and 32ft 7in aft; after the explosion: draught 41ft 10in forward, 33ft 10in aft." ''Queen Elizabeth'' was moored in approximately 48ft (8 fathoms) of water.</ref><ref>Brown, David. p. 225.</ref> She was subsequently repaired, and served in the Far East until 1945.

===HMS ''Warspite''===
{{HMS|Warspite|03|2}} suffered severe damage at Jutland, being hit by at least 15 heavy shells. She lost 14 men, with 32 wounded, firing a total of 259 shells. In the Second World War, she took part in many battles, including [[Battle of Narvik|Narvik]], [[Battle of Cape Matapan|Cape Matapan]], [[Battle of Crete|Crete]], and [[Operation Avalanche (World War II)|Salerno]], where she was hit by a [[Fritz X|glider bomb]]. She was never fully repaired, and became a coastal bombardment ship, covering the [[Normandy landings]], further operations in other parts of [[France]], and the [[Operation Infatuate|Walcheren landings]]. She holds the most battle honours for an individual ship in the Royal Navy's history, with 15.

===HMS ''Valiant''===
{{HMS|Valiant|1914|2}} received no hits at Jutland but suffered one wounded and fired 288 shells. In the Second World War, she took part in the [[Attack on Mers-el-Kébir|attack on the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir]], and was mined and damaged at Alexandria in 1941. She was repaired, and served in the Far East until 1944. On 8 August 1944 whilst in the floating dock at [[Trincomalee]], [[Ceylon]], she was severely damaged when the dock collapsed with the result that repairs were stopped.

===HMS ''Barham''===
{{HMS|Barham|04|2}} was named after [[Lord Barham]], First Lord of the Admiralty. The ''Barham'' received five hits at Jutland, suffering 26 dead and 46 wounded and fired 337 shells. In the Second World War, she fought at [[Battle of Cape Matapan|Cape Matapan]]. On 25 November 1941 she was struck by three torpedoes from {{GS|U-331||2}}, commanded by ''[[Oberleutnant zur See]]'' [[Hans-Diedrich von Tiesenhausen]], and went down with 850 of her crew.

===HMS ''Malaya''===
{{HMS|Malaya||2}} was hit eight times at Jutland, suffering 63 dead and 68 wounded, and fired 215 shells. In the Second World War, she escorted [[convoy]]s and was damaged by a torpedo from {{GS|U-106|1940|2}} in 1941. Subsequently, she escorted several convoys and supported various operations following the [[Operation Overlord|Normandy invasion]] until she was decommissioned in 1945.

===HMS ''Agincourt''===
HMS ''Agincourt'' was to be the sixth member of the ''Queen Elizabeth'' class. She was authorized in 1913, and intended for completion in late 1916, but was cancelled after the outbreak of the First World War.<ref name=raven17>Raven & Roberts, p. 17</ref> She is not to be confused with {{HMS|Agincourt|1913|6}} that was ordered by Brazil, sold to the Ottoman Empire while under construction, and seized for use by the Royal Navy before the beginning of the first World War.

===Other ships===
The Canadian [[Naval Aid Bill]] of 1913 intended to provide the funds for three modern battleships, which most likely would have been three more members of the ''Queen Elizabeth'' class, potentially named as ''Acadia'', ''Quebec'' and ''Ontario'',<ref>{{cite journal |last=Schleihauf |first=William |date=2000 |title="Necessary stepping stones" - The transfer of ''Aurora'', ''Patriot'' and ''Patrician'' to the Royal Canadian Navy after the First World War |url=http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol9/iss3/4/|journal=Canadian Military History |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=21–28 |access-date=19 March 2014}}</ref> in much the same way as ''Malaya'' had been funded. The bill met with stiff opposition in Parliament, and was not passed.<ref>[http://www.gwpda.org/naval/pwr02000.htm Borden's Naval Aid Bill, 1912]</ref> It is unclear if these ships would have served in the Royal Navy (as with outright gifts like ''Malaya'' or the battlecruiser {{HMS|New Zealand|1911|2}}), or if they would have served in the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] ({{HMAS|Australia|1911|6}}, an {{sclass|Indefatigable|battlecruiser|2}}, served with the [[Royal Australian Navy]]).

==Notes==
{{notelist-lr}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
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* {{cite book|last=Breyer|first=Siegfried|title=Battleships and Battle Cruisers 1905–1970|location=New York|publisher=Doubleday|year=1973|isbn=0-385-07247-3}}
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* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations; An Illustrated Directory|publisher= Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84832-100-7 |author-link=Norman Friedman}}
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*{{cite book|editor1-last=Gray|editor1-first=Randal|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 |year=1985 |location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=0-85177-245-5 |chapter=Great Britain and Empire Forces|first1=Antony|last1=Preston|author-link=Antony Preston|pages=1–104}}
* {{cite book
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  |name-list-style=amp
  }}

==External links==

{{Commons category|Queen Elizabeth class battleship}}
* Troels Hansen, [http://www.warspite.dk Queen Elizabeth class and Battle of Jutland]
* [http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Queen_Elizabeth_Class_Battleship_(1913) Dreadnought Project] Technical material on the weaponry and fire control for the ships

{{Queen Elizabeth class battleship}}
{{WWI British ships}}
{{WWII British ships}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Queen Elizabeth Class Battleship}}
[[Category:Battleship classes]]
[[Category:Queen Elizabeth-class battleships| Queen Elizabeth class battleship]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:World War I battleships of the United Kingdom| Queen Elizabeth class battleship]]
[[Category:World War II battleships of the United Kingdom| Queen Elizabeth class battleship]]