View source for Revenge-class battleship

{{Short description|Class of Battleships built for royal navy}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Royal Sovereign FL18403.jpg
|Ship caption=''Royal Sovereign'' at [[Philadelphia]], September 1943
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Revenge'' class
|Builders=
*[[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]]
*[[Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company|Palmers]]
*[[Portsmouth Dockyard]]
*[[Vickers]]
*[[William Beardmore and Company|William Beardmore]]
|Operators=*{{navy|United Kingdom}}
* {{navy|Soviet Union}}
|Class before={{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|4}}
|Class after=*{{sclass2|N3|battleship|4}} (planned)
* {{sclass|Nelson|battleship|4}} (actual)
|Built range=1913–1917
|In commission range=1916–1949
|Total ships planned=8
|Total ships completed=5
|Total ships cancelled=3
|Total ships lost=1
|Total ships retired=4
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship type=[[Dreadnought battleship]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|29590|LT|t|lk=on}}
* {{convert|32820|LT|t}} ([[Deep load]])
|Ship length={{convert|620|ft|7|in|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship beam={{cvt|88|ft|6|in|0}}
|Ship draught={{convert|33|ft|7|in|abbr=on|1}} ([[Deep load]])
|Ship power=* 18 [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s
*{{cvt|40000|shp|lk=on}}
|Ship propulsion=4 shafts; 2 [[steam turbine]] sets
|Ship speed={{convert|21|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|7000|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}}
|Ship crew=940 (1917)
|Ship armament=*4 × twin [[BL 15 inch Mk I naval gun|{{cvt|15|in|0}}]] guns
* 14 × single [[BL 6 inch Mk XII naval gun|{{cvt|6|in|0}}]] guns
* 2 × single [[QF 3 inch 20 cwt|{{cvt|3|in|0}}]] [[AA gun]]s
* 4 × single {{cvt|47|mm|1}} 3-pdr guns
* 4 × [[British 21 inch torpedo|21&nbsp;in (533&nbsp;mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armour=*[[Belt armor|Waterline belt]]: {{convert|13|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{convert|1|-|4|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Barbette]]s: {{convert|6|-|10|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
* [[Gun turret]]s: {{convert|11|-|13|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Conning tower]]: {{convert|3|-|11|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkheads]]: {{convert|4|to|6|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The '''''Revenge'' class''', sometimes referred to as the '''''Royal Sovereign'' class''' or the '''R class''', consisted of five [[Dreadnought battleship]]s built for the [[Royal Navy]] in the 1910s. All of the ships were completed to see service during the [[World War I|First World War]]. There were originally to have been eight of the class, but two were later redesigned, becoming the {{sclass|Renown|battlecruiser}}s, and another, which was to have been named HMS ''Resistance'', was cancelled outright. The design was based on that of the preceding {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|4}}, but with reductions in size and speed to make them more economical to build.

Two of the ships, {{HMS|Revenge|06|2}} and {{HMS|Royal Oak|08|2}}, were completed in time to see action at the [[Battle of Jutland]] during the [[First World War]], where they engaged German battlecruisers. The other three ships were completed after the battle, by which time the British and German fleets had adopted more cautious strategies, and as a result, the class saw no further substantial action. During the early 1920s, the ships were involved in the [[Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)|Greco-Turkish War]] and the [[Russian Civil War]] as part of the [[Mediterranean Fleet]]. They typically operated as a unit during the [[interwar period]], including stints in the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]]. All five members of the class were modernised in the 1930s, particularly to strengthen their anti-aircraft defences and [[Ship gun fire-control system|fire-control equipment]].

The ships saw extensive action during the [[Second World War]], though they were no longer front-line units by this time and thus were frequently relegated to secondary duties such as convoy escort and [[naval gunfire support]]. ''Royal Oak'' was sunk at her moorings in [[Scapa Flow]] in October 1939 by a German [[U-boat]], and two other ships of the class were torpedoed during the war; {{HMS|Resolution|09|2}}, hit by a [[Vichy French]] submarine off [[Dakar]] in 1940 and {{HMS|Ramillies|07|2}}, attacked by a Japanese submarine in Madagascar in 1942; both survived. {{HMS|Royal Sovereign|05|2}} ended the war in service with the [[Soviet Navy]] as ''Arkhangelsk'', but she was returned in 1949, by which time her three surviving [[sister ship]]s had been [[ship breaking|broken up]] for [[scrap]]. She, too, was dismantled that year.

==Design and description==
[[File:Queen Elizabeth class diagrams Brasseys 1923.jpg|thumb|left|Diagram of the {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|4}}, which provided the basis for the ''Revenge'' design|alt=Diagram showing armor and armament layout]]
In the early 1900s, Germany challenged Britain in a [[Anglo-German naval arms race|naval arms race]] under the direction of Admiral [[Alfred von Tirpitz]] that was exacerbated by the [[dreadnought]] revolution. The Royal Navy embarked on a construction programme to out-build the Germans to maintain its dominance of the seas. Beginning with the launch of {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|2}}, the British had built or [[keel laying|laid down]] twenty-seven all-big-gun battleships to the Germans' seventeen built or building by 1913; to cement their lead, the British ordered another group of battleships for the 1913 Estimates.{{sfn|Preston|pp=18–34, 134–136, 145–147}}

The ''Revenge''-class ships (sometimes referred to as the "''Royal Sovereign'' class"{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|p=31}} or the "R class"{{sfn|Smith 2008|p=451}}) were designed as slightly smaller, slower, and more heavily protected versions of the preceding {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|2}}s. The design staff, led by [[Eustace Tennyson d'Eyncourt]], the [[Director of Naval Construction]], had been charged by the [[Board of Admiralty]] with developing a version of the earlier {{sclass|Iron Duke|battleship|4}} armed with the same battery of {{convert|15|in|adj=on}} guns used in the ''Queen Elizabeth''s, albeit with the same number as the ''Iron Duke''s—ten rather than the eight of the ''Queen Elizabeth'' design. As an economy measure they were intended to revert to the previous practice of using both [[fuel oil]] and coal, but [[First Sea Lord]] [[John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher|Jackie Fisher]] rescinded the decision for coal in October 1914. Still under construction, the ships were redesigned to employ oil-fired [[boiler]]s that increased the power of the engines by {{convert|9000|shp|lk=in}} over the original specification.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=300–302, 309}}

The initial design completed by d'Eyncourt's team mounted only eight 15&nbsp;in guns, despite the request from the Board, since he could not fit the fifth twin-[[gun turret]] in the specified [[displacement (ship)|displacement]] limit. The Board suggested triple turrets to solve the weight problem, but d'Eyncourt pointed out that no suitable design existed, which would significantly delay construction. He was also opposed to the idea since a single hit on a turret would disable more guns. As a result, the Board approved d'Eyncourt's proposal on 31 March 1913.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=300}}

===General characteristics and propulsion===
[[File:HMS Revenge (1916) profile drawing.png|thumb|left|3-view drawing of HMS ''Revenge'' as she was in 1916|alt=coloured diagram showing the ship's paint scheme]]

The ships of the ''Revenge'' class were {{convert|580|ft|3|in|1}} [[length between perpendiculars|long between perpendiculars]], {{cvt|614|ft|6|in|1}} [[length at the waterline|long at the waterline]], and had a [[length overall]] of {{cvt|620|ft|7|in|1}}. They had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|88|ft|6|in|m|0}} (which was increased to approximately {{cvt|101|ft|6|in|1}} with the addition of [[anti-torpedo bulge]]s) and a deep [[draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|30|ft|9|in|m|1}} fully loaded without a bulge{{sfn|Burt 2012a|p=156}}{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=304–305}} and {{convert|29|ft|8|in|m|0}} with a bulge. They had a normal [[Displacement (ship)|displacement]] without a bulge of approximately {{convert|28000|LT|t|0|lk=on}} and {{convert|31200|LT|t}} at [[deep load]]. Equivalent figures for those ships fitted with a bulge were about {{convert|30000|LT|t|0}} or {{convert|32800|LT|t|0}}, depending on the type of bulge fitted.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|p=36}} The ships' [[metacentric height]] was {{convert|3.4|ft|m|1}} at deep load without a bulge fitted{{sfn|Burt 2012a|p=156}}{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=304–305}} and {{convert|5.1|ft|m}} with a bulge.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|p=36}}

Their crew numbered between 909 and 940&nbsp;officers and [[naval rating|ratings]] in 1917; by the early 1920s, the number of crew had grown to 1,012 to 1,240. Each battleship carried a number of smaller boats, including a variety of steam and sail [[Pinnace (ship's boat)|pinnaces]], steam [[Launch (boat)|launches]], [[Cutter (boat)|cutters]], [[whaler]]s, [[dinghy|dinghies]], and [[raft]]s. These were handled by five boat [[derrick]]s. The ships were fitted with eight [[searchlight]]s, four on the [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]], two at the base of the [[funnel (ship)|funnel]] and two on the after [[superstructure]].{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=305}}

They were powered by two sets of [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] [[steam turbine]]s, each driving two shafts with 3-bladed [[propeller|screws]], using steam provided by eighteen [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s at a working pressure of {{convert|235|psi|kPa kg/cm2|0|abbr=on|lk=on}} in all but ''Resolution'' and ''Royal Oak'', which received boilers manufactured by [[Yarrow boiler|Yarrow]]. The boilers were ducted into a single [[funnel (ship)|funnel]]. 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.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=305, 308–309}}

The turbines were rated at {{convert|40000|shp|lk=on}} and intended to give the ships a maximum speed of {{convert|23|kn|lk=in}}, although ''Revenge'' only reached a top speed of {{convert|21.9|kn}} from {{convert|41938|shp|abbr=on}} during her [[sea trial]]s on 24 March 1916. The other members of the class had similar performance, with only ''Royal Oak'' making {{cvt|22|kn}} on trials.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=305, 309}} The bulged ''Ramillies'' reached {{convert|21.4|kn}} from {{cvt|42383|shp}} during her sea trials on 20 September 1917, less than half a knot slower than the unbulged ships.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|p=37}} Fuel storage amounted to {{convert|900|LT}} of fuel oil and {{convert|3400|LT}} of coal as designed, but on conversion to only oil-fired boilers, the storage capacity was 3,400&nbsp;long tons of oil. This enabled the ships to steam for {{convert|7000|nmi|lk=in}} at a cruising speed of {{convert|10|kn|0}}, which fell to {{convert|2700|nmi}} at full speed.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=305, 309}}

===Armament and fire control===
[[File:The Royal Navy during the First World War Q17919.jpg|thumb|left|''Royal Oak''{{'}}s aft pair of turrets|alt=Two metal structures, each with two large gun barrels protruding from their fronts]]
The ''Revenge'' class was equipped with eight [[List of British ordnance terms#BL|breech-loading]] (BL) [[BL 15 inch Mk I naval gun|{{convert|15|in|adj=on|0}} 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 eighty shells per gun, but the [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]]s were later modified to allow for up to one hundred shells per gun.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=302–303}} The ships carried the guns in Mk&nbsp;I turrets that allowed for [[elevation (ballistics)|elevation]] to 20&nbsp;degrees and depression to -5&nbsp;degrees. The guns 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.{{sfn|Friedman 2011|pp=43–47}}

The ships' [[secondary armament|secondary battery]] consisted of fourteen [[BL 6 inch Mk XII naval gun|BL {{convert|6|in|adj=on|0}} Mk XII]] guns, twelve of which were mounted in [[Casemate#Single casemates (1889 onwards)|casemates]] along the [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]] of the vessel [[amidships]]; the remaining pair were mounted on the shelter deck and were protected by [[gun shield]]s. The casemate guns were moved further aft from the bow to reduce the tendency of the [[gun port]]s to ship water in heavy seas, a problem encountered with both the ''Iron Duke'' and ''Queen Elizabeth'' classes. 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}}.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=302}}{{sfn|Friedman 2011|p=84}}

The ships also mounted four [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder]] ({{convert|47|mm|in|adj=on}}) 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]]<ref group=Note>"Cwt" is the abbreviation for [[hundredweight]], 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.</ref> 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 twenty-one [[torpedo]]es of the Mk II, Mk IV, and MK IVHB types.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=304}}

The ''Revenge''-class ships were completed with two [[Fire-control system#Naval fire control|fire-control directors]] fitted with {{convert|15|ft|1|adj=on}} [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]]s. One was mounted above the [[conning tower]], protected by an armoured hood, and the other was aloft on the [[tripod mast]]. Each turret was also fitted with a 15-foot rangefinder. The main armament could be controlled by 'X' turret as well.<ref>{{cite web |title=Revenge Class Battleship (1914) |url=http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Revenge_Class_Battleship_(1914) |website=www.dreadnoughtproject.org |publisher=The Dreadnought Project |access-date=24 July 2019}}</ref> 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.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|p=33}} A torpedo-control director with a {{convert|9|ft|1|adj=on}} rangefinder was mounted at the aft end of the superstructure.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=304}} The rangefinders in 'B' and 'X' turrets were replaced by {{convert|30|ft|adj=on|1}} models between 1919 and 1922.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|p=44}}

[[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 two fighters and eight [[reconnaissance aircraft]]. These platforms were removed as the ships were refitted in the early 1930s. ''Resolution'' was briefly fitted with an [[aircraft catapult]] on the [[quarterdeck]] in early 1930 and ''Royal Sovereign'' had one in 1933–1936. All of the ships except ''Revenge'' and ''Royal Sovereign'' were equipped with a catapult atop 'X' turret in the mid-1930s. ''Resolution'' kept hers until late 1942 or early 1943.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|pp=44, 167–168, 170, 173, 177, 182, 189}}

===Protection===
The ships' [[Belt armor|waterline belt]] consisted of [[Krupp cemented armour]] (KC) that was {{convert|13|in|0}} thick between 'A' and 'Y' [[barbette]]s and thinned to 4 to 6 inches (102 to 152&nbsp;mm) towards the ships' ends, but did not reach either the bow or the stern. Above this was a [[strake]] of armour 6&nbsp;inches thick that extended between 'A' and 'X' barbettes. Transverse [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkheads]] 4 to 6 inches thick ran at an angle from the ends of the thickest part of the waterline belt to 'A' and 'Y' barbettes. The gun turrets were protected by {{convert|11|to|13|in|mm|0}} of KC armour, except for the turret roofs which were {{convert|4.75|-|5|in|0}} thick. The barbettes ranged in thickness from {{convert|6|-|10|in|0}} above the upper deck, but were only 4 to 6 inches thick below it. The ''Revenge''-class ships had multiple armoured decks that ranged from {{convert|1|to|4|in|0}} in thickness. The main conning tower had 11 inches of armour on the sides with a 3-inch roof. The torpedo director in the rear superstructure had 6 inches of armour protecting it. After the Battle of Jutland, 1 inch of high-tensile steel was added to the main deck over the [[magazine (artillery)|magazines]] and additional anti-flash equipment was added in the magazines.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=303–308}}{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|pp=36, 44}}

====Anti-torpedo Bulges====
''Ramillies'' was the least advanced in construction when the Director of Naval Construction decided to fit bulges to the ship to improve her survivability against [[naval mine]]s and torpedoes in March 1915, making her the first [[capital ship]] in the world to be bulged.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|pp=35, 139}} Testing had revealed that a bulge filled with hollow tubes substantially reduced the effectiveness of a torpedo [[warhead]]. The bulge scabbed onto ''Ramillies''{{'}}s hull was {{convert|220|ft|m|1}} long and {{convert|7|ft|3|in}} high; it was divided into two [[Ship floodability|watertight compartments]] with the upper and lower inner compartments filled with {{convert|9|in|cm|1|adj=on}} steel "crush" tubes with their ends plugged by wooden [[bung]]s. They were intended to absorb the force of an underwater detonation and prevent splinters and debris from penetrating the inner [[torpedo bulkhead]]. The watertight outer compartment was also divided longitudinally, but it was empty to allow the force of the detonation to disperse. The form of the bulge increased the ship's beam to {{convert|102|ft|6|in|m|1}}, decreased her draught by about {{convert|1|ft|cm|1}} and increased her displacement by {{convert|2500|LT|t}}.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|p=35}}{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=308}}

[[File:HMS Revenge WWII IWM CH 823.jpg|thumb|''Revenge'' at sea in 1940|alt=low-altitude, front-oblique aerial photo of a large ship leaving a prominent wake]]
''Resolution'' and ''Revenge'' were fitted with a different form of bulge in 1917–1918 that was intended to improve their stability as well as protect them against underwater threats. This discarded the crushing tubes to save weight and was only a single watertight compartment deep. It was divided into upper and lower compartments, of which the upper was filled with a mixture of concrete and scrap wood while the lower was empty. The bulge increased their beam to about {{convert|101|ft|5|in|1}}, reduced their draught by {{convert|16|in|cm|0}} and increased their displacement by {{convert|1526|LT|t}}.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|p=35}}{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=308}}

Yet another form of bulge was installed aboard ''Royal Sovereign'' during her 1920–1924 refit. Based on the preceding form, the upper compartment was enlarged so that it extended above the waterline and crush tubes replaced the concrete and wood mixture. This weighed {{convert|1474|LT|t}}. Reports had been received from the bulged ships of excessive [[Ship motions|rolling]] and the [[Admiralty Experiment Works]] conducted experiments to determine the best form of a bulge to eliminate the problem in conjunction with improved [[bilge keel]]s. ''Royal Oak'' was the only ship of the class lacking a bulge by this time. When fitted during her 1922–1924 refit, her bulges were mostly empty, although their lower compartments were partially filled with water. They also extended much further up the side of the ship. This form of the bulge increased her metacentric height to {{convert|5.5|ft|m|1}}. ''Ramillies''{{'}}s bulges were modified during her 1926–1927 to a form much like those of ''Royal Oak''; all of her crush tubes were removed, except those abreast of the magazines. ''Resolution'' had the concrete and wood mixture removed from her bulge and the lower compartment partially filled with water during her 1929–1931 refit; the same was done for ''Revenge'' during her 1931 refit.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|pp=36, 139, 167–168}}{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=308}}

== Ships in class ==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data
|-
!scope="col"|Name
!scope="col"|[[Pennant number|Pennant]]
!scope="col"|Builder{{sfn|Preston|p=35}}
!scope="col"|[[Laid down]]{{sfn|Preston|p=35}}
!scope="col"|[[Ceremonial ship launching|Launched]]{{sfn|Preston|p=35}}
!scope="col"|[[Ship commissioning|Commissioned]]{{sfn|Preston|p=35}}
!scope="col"|Fate{{sfn|Preston|pp=35–36}}
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Revenge|06|2}} ({{nowrap|ex-''Renown''}})
|style="text-align: center;"|06
|[[Vickers]]
|22 December 1913
|29 May 1915
|1 February 1916
|Broken up at [[Inverkeithing]], 1948
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Resolution|09|2}}
|style="text-align: center;"|09
|[[Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company|Palmers]]
|29 November 1913
|14 January 1915
|30 December 1916
|Broken up at [[HMNB Clyde|Faslane]], 1949
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Royal Oak|08|2}}
|style="text-align: center;"|08
|[[HMNB Devonport|HM Dockyard, Devonport]]
|rowspan=2|15 January 1914
|17 November 1914
|1 May 1916
|Sunk at Scapa Flow, October 1939
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Royal Sovereign|05|2}}
|style="text-align: center;"|05
|[[HMNB Portsmouth|HM Dockyard, Portsmouth]]
|29 April 1915
|18 April 1916
|Transferred to the [[Soviet Navy]] as ''Arkhangelsk'' 1944–1949; Broken up at Inverkeithing, 1949
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Ramillies|07|2}}
|style="text-align: center;"|07
|[[William Beardmore and Company|W. Beardmore]]
|12 November 1913
|12 June 1916
|1 September 1917
|Broken up at [[Troon]], 1949
|-
!scope="row"|''Resistance''
| rowspan=3 {{n/a}}
|[[HMNB Devonport|HM Dockyard, Devonport]]
| rowspan=3 {{n/a}}
| rowspan=3 {{n/a}}
| rowspan=3 {{n/a}}
|Cancelled, August 1914
|-
!scope="row"|''Renown''
| rowspan=2 {{n/a}}
|Redesigned as a {{sclass|Renown|battlecruiser|1}}
|-
!scope="row"|''Repulse''
|Redesigned as a {{sclass|Renown|battlecruiser|1}}
|}

== Service history ==
===First World War===
[[File:The Royal Navy during the First World War Q18142.jpg|thumb|''Royal Oak'' firing a [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]] during the First World War|alt=Two ships in line astern; the rear one with a prominent cloud of dirty-grey gunsmoke beside it]]

Three members of the class entered service by May 1916: ''Revenge'', ''Royal Sovereign'', and ''Royal Oak''. ''Revenge'' was assigned to the 6th Division of the [[1st Battle Squadron]] (BS), [[Grand Fleet]], while ''Royal Oak'' initially served with the 3rd Division, [[4th Battle Squadron]].{{sfn|Jellicoe|p=318}} ''Royal Sovereign'' was left in port when the fleet sortied to meet the German [[High Seas Fleet]] off the coast of [[Jutland]] in late May, as her crew had not fully worked up by that time.{{sfn|Massie|p=576}} During the ensuing [[Battle of Jutland]], both ''Revenge'' and ''Royal Oak'' engaged German [[battlecruiser]]s, ''Revenge'' damaging two of them—{{SMS|Derfflinger}} and {{SMS|Von der Tann}}—while ''Royal Oak'' scored a hit on a third—{{SMS|Seydlitz}}. ''Revenge'' was forced to turn away to avoid torpedoes that damaged her squadron flagship and caused her squadron to lose contact with the rest of the fleet. ''Royal Oak'' remained with the main fleet for the duration of the action. Both ships emerged from the battle unscathed.{{sfn|Campbell|pp=205, 207–209, 211–216, 220–226, 235}}

All three ships were present for the [[action of 19 August 1916]], but the British and German fleets both withdrew before engaging each other directly, the British having lost a pair of [[light cruiser]]s to German [[U-boat]]s and the Germans having had one battleship damaged by a British [[submarine]]. By the end of the year, ''Resolution'' had joined the fleet, which was by that time reduced to patrolling the northern North Sea as both sides turned to positional warfare since the threat of underwater weapons was too great to risk another major fleet action like Jutland.{{sfn|Friedman 2014|pp=174–176}} ''Ramillies'' did not enter service until late 1917, as she had been badly damaged during her [[ceremonial ship launching|launching ceremony]], which slowed her completion significantly. But during the lengthy period of repairs and [[fitting-out]], the navy decided to experiment with the installation of anti-torpedo bulges to improve her ability to resist underwater damage. The bulges proved to be a success, not only increasing her defensive characteristics but also improving stability, while not having a significant negative impact on her speed; as a result, they were later added to the other members of the class during refits after the war.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=308, 317–320}}

After German forces began raiding British convoys to Norway in late 1917, the Grand Fleet began sending a battle squadron to cover them, prompting the Germans to attempt to ambush and destroy the isolated squadron in April 1918. German radio silence prevented the British from learning of the operation in advance, as they had at Jutland, though faulty German intelligence did not provide the correct date of the convoy. By the time the British realized the Germans were at sea, the High Seas Fleet had withdrawn far enough south so that the Grand Fleet could not catch them.{{sfn|Massie|pp=747–748}}{{sfn|Friedman 2014|pp=176–177}} On 21 November, following the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|Armistice]], the entire Grand Fleet left port to escort the surrendered German fleet into internment at Scapa Flow.{{sfn|Smith 2009|p=10}}

===Interwar period===
[[File:HMS Ramillies LOC ggbain 29184.jpg|left|thumb|''Ramillies'', probably in the late 1910s or 1920s|alt=A warship riding high in a river or harbour with a tugboat adjacent]]

Through the 1920s and 1930s, the ''Revenge''-class battleships operated as a unit, alternating between the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]] and the [[Mediterranean Fleet]], typically trading places with the five ''Queen Elizabeth''-class ships. While serving in the Mediterranean Fleet in the early 1920s, the ships were involved in the [[Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)|Greco-Turkish War]] and the [[Russian Civil War]]. Four of the ships (all but ''Resolution'') landed [[Royal Marine]]s to take part in the [[Occupation of Constantinople#Military occupation of Constantinople|occupation of Constantinople]] in March 1920. Throughout June and July, the ships participated in the fighting in the collapsing Ottoman Empire; ''Ramillies'' and ''Revenge'' shelled Turkish troops around [[Ismid]] in June and both ships, joined by ''Royal Sovereign'', assisted with Greek landings elsewhere in Turkey. Also in July, ''Royal Sovereign'' assisted in the escape of [[White émigré]]s fleeing from the Soviet [[Red Army]].{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=320}}{{sfn|Halpern|pp=129–130, 174–175, 198–200, 239, 243, 269–272}}{{sfn|Smith 2009|p=13}} During this period, ''Resolution'' primarily operated in the [[Black Sea]], including a period at [[Batumi]] in southern Russia.{{sfn|Halpern|pp=198–199, 237, 251, 268}}

As the ''Revenge''s were refitted during the 1920s, their [[forecastle]]-deck six-inch guns were removed and they exchanged their pair of three-inch AA guns for [[QF 4-inch naval gun Mk V|QF four-inch (102&nbsp;mm) Mk V guns]], another pair of Mk V guns was added later. Each ship received an anti-aircraft control position with a {{convert|12|ft|m|1|adj=on}} rangefinder on its foremast, except for ''Revenge'' which was fitted with an anti-aircraft [[director (military)|director]] [[HACS]] Mk I system instead. In addition the torpedo-control arrangements were improved and equipped with 12-foot rangefinders.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|pp=137–140, 144–145}}

After a stint in the Atlantic Fleet in 1921, the ships briefly returned to the Mediterranean in September 1922 during a crisis in [[Smyrna]] that culminated in the [[Great fire of Smyrna]] as the Greco-Turkish War came to its conclusion. The ships returned to the Atlantic Fleet in November.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=316–320}} In 1924, ''Resolution'' accidentally rammed and sank the submarine {{HMS|L24}} during training exercises, killing all aboard.{{sfn|McCartney|pp=78–80}} ''Royal Oak'' was involved in the so-called "Royal Oak Mutiny", between her commander, Captain [[Kenneth Dewar]] and Commander Henry Daniel, also an officer aboard the ship and Rear-Admiral [[Bernard Collard]], the commander of the 1st Battle Squadron. The situation was ultimately resolved by Admiral [[Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes|Sir Roger Keyes]] removing all three from their posts.{{sfn|Gardiner|pp=132–134}}

The ships remained in the Atlantic until 1927, when they once again transferred to the Mediterranean. The ''Revenge''s and ''Queen Elizabeth''s again traded places in 1935, and the five ''Revenge''-class ships were present for the [[Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth#The Coronation Review of the Fleet|Coronation Review]] for [[George VI]] on 20 May 1937.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=312–320}} Throughout this period, the ships underwent repeated refits as anti-aircraft suites were upgraded so that each ship had a pair of HACS Mk III systems in lieu of their anti-aircraft control positions, except for ''Ramillies'' which received Mk I directors, and [[QF 4-inch naval gun Mk XVI|QF four-inch Mk XVI]] AA guns in twin mounts replaced the single Mk V guns. They also received light AA guns for the first time in the form of two octuple [[QF 2 pounder naval gun#QF 2-pounder Mark VIII|two-pounder ({{cvt|40|mm|in|1}}) Mk VIII "pom-pom"]] mounts, each with their own directors, and a pair of quadruple [[Vickers .50 machine gun|Vickers {{cvt|0.5|in|1}}]] [[anti-aircraft machine-gun|AA machinegun]] mounts. The submerged torpedo tubes were removed as was all of the torpedo-control equipment. ''Royal Oak'' was the exception as she had her submerged tubes replaced by above-water tubes. She was also the only ship to receive additional armour when 4-inch plates were added to the deck over her magazines and {{convert|2.5|in|adj=on|0}} over her engine rooms. This armour increased her displacement by {{convert|900|LT|t}}.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|pp=166–168, 170, 172–173, 177, 182}} The ''Royal Sovereign''s did not, however, receive the same extensive reconstructions that some of the ''Queen Elizabeth''-class ships underwent, as the modernization program was interrupted by the outbreak of the [[Second World War]] in 1939.{{sfn|Levy|p=9}} The war also forced the cancellation of a plan to add the same armour to ''Royal Sovereign'' and ''Ramillies''.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|p=185}}

===Second World War===
[[File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A11792.jpg|thumb|''Resolution'' and the aircraft carrier [[HMS Formidable (67)|''Formidable'']] sailing in the Indian Ocean in 1942–1943|alt=A large warship steaming through a calm sea with a large, flat-decked warship following behind]]

With the start of war in August 1939, ''Revenge'' and ''Resolution'' were assigned to the Channel Force, based in [[Isle of Portland|Portland]], while ''Royal Sovereign'' served with the [[Home Fleet]]. ''Ramillies'' was by this time at [[Alexandria]], Egypt, where she remained until early October, when she was sent to search for the German [[heavy cruiser]] {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Graf Spee||2}} in the Indian Ocean. At the same time, ''Resolution'' and ''Revenge'' were sent to the South Atlantic Command to participate in the hunt for ''Admiral Graf Spee'', but before they arrived they were sent to the North Atlantic Escort Force to cover [[convoy]]s from Canada to Britain. They carried [[gold bullion]] to Canada to safeguard it during the war during this period. ''Royal Oak'' remained in [[Scapa Flow]] during this period, and on 14 October, the U-boat {{ship|German submarine|U-47|1938|2}} broke through the harbour defences and torpedoed ''Royal Oak'', sinking her at her mooring and killing 833.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=317–320}}{{sfn|Levy|p=22}} ''Ramillies'' covered troop convoys from Australia to Egypt, including those that carried the [[2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force]] and the [[Second Australian Imperial Force]] in late 1939 and early 1940.{{sfn|Johnston|pp=111–116, 154–155}}

''Resolution'' took part in the [[Norwegian Campaign]], seeing action at the [[Battles of Narvik]] in April 1940.{{sfn|Brown|pp=102, 112–114}} The following month she was struck by a German bomb, but was not seriously damaged.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|pp=344, 346}} Also in May, ''Ramillies'' was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet in anticipation of Italy's entry into the war. The following month, ''Resolution'' had joined [[Force H]], and on 3 July she participated in the [[destruction of the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir]]. Following the Italian declaration of war, ''Ramillies'' bombarded Italian positions in [[Italian Libya]] in mid-August. In September, ''Resolution'' steamed south to [[Dakar]] with Force H to neutralise French warships there, but during the [[Battle of Dakar]], she was torpedoed and badly damaged by a French submarine. In October, ''Revenge'' bombarded the port of [[Cherbourg]] in occupied France to destroy German supplies being assembled for the planned invasion of Britain, [[Operation Sealion]]. ''Ramillies'' was present with the convoy that was attacked by Italian warships during the [[Battle of Cape Spartivento]] in late November but she was not involved in the battle.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=317–320}}{{sfn|Smith 2008|p=105}}{{sfn|Smith 2008|pp=156–158}}

Wartime changes to the battleships were generally limited to augmenting their deck armour, their anti-aircraft suites and the addition of radars. Each ship received a pair of quadruple two-pounder mounts and anywhere from 10 (''Revenge'' and ''Resolution'') to 42 (''Royal Sovereign'') [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|{{convert|20|mm|1|adj=on}} Oerlikon guns]]. Radars were added beginning in 1941, including [[early-warning radar|early-warning]], [[search radar|search]] and [[Fire-control radar|fire-control systems]]. Armour plates {{convert|2|in|}} thick were added over the magazines on ''Resolution'', ''Royal Sovereign'' and, partially, in ''Ramillies'' in 1941–1942. To increase the accommodation available for the greatly-enlarged wartime crew, the four forward six-inch guns were removed from each ship in 1943, except for ''Resolution'', which only lost two guns.{{sfn|Raven & Roberts|pp=166, 185, 189}}

[[File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A23814.jpg|thumb|left|''Royal Sovereign'' as ''Arkhangelsk'' in Soviet service|alt=a stationary warship in harbour painted in camouflage]]

In late 1940, ''Revenge'' and ''Royal Sovereign'' returned to convoy escort duties in the North Atlantic, and ''Ramillies'' joined them in January 1941 after completing a refit. During this period, ''Ramillies'' discouraged the two German {{sclass|Scharnhorst|battleship|1}}s from attacking a convoy she escorted. ''Revenge'' and ''Ramillies'' were at sea during [[Operation Rheinübung]], the sortie of the German battleship {{ship|German battleship|Bismarck||2}} in May and they joined the hunt for the ship, but did not locate her.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=317–320}}{{sfn|Johnston|p=121}} ''Resolution'' spent much of 1941 under repair, first in [[Freetown]], West Africa and then the United States.{{sfn|Smith 2008|pp=156–158}} Late in the year, the Admiralty decided to deploy the four ''Revenge''-class ships to the [[Far East]] as the [[3rd Battle Squadron]] in anticipation of war with Japan. They arrived in early 1942, by which time the Japanese had already declared war and inflicted a string of defeats on the Allied countries in the region. The ships fled in advance of the Japanese [[Indian Ocean raid]], as they were no match for the [[aircraft carrier]]s of the powerful [[1st Air Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|1st Air Fleet]]. The battleships thereafter primarily operated off the coast of Africa, escorting troop convoys.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=317–320}}{{sfn|Smith 2008|pp=287, 297}}{{sfn|Jackson|pp=293, 295–296, 298}} ''Ramillies'' was present during the [[Battle of Madagascar]] in May, where she was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. She was repaired first in [[Durban]], South Africa, and then [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport]].{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=318}}

In late 1943, ''Revenge'' and ''Resolution'' were recalled to Britain, owing to their poor condition; the former carried Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] part of the way to the Tehran Conference in November and December while the latter underwent a refit. Both ships were then decommissioned and assigned to the Portsmouth Command; ''Resolution'' joined the training establishment {{HMS|Imperieuse|training establishment|6}}, while ''Revenge'' remained out of service. In January 1944, ''Royal Sovereign'' and ''Ramillies'' were also recalled; ''Ramillies'' was refitted and assigned to the fire support force for the [[invasion of Normandy]]; ''Revenge'' and ''Resolution'' were disarmed to provide spare barrels for this work. ''Royal Sovereign'' was transferred to the [[Soviet Navy]] as ''Arkhangelsk'' to reinforce the fleet covering convoys to the Soviet Union in the Arctic Ocean. ''Revenge'' and ''Resolution'' were sold for [[scrap]] in 1948 and were dismantled at [[Inverkeithing]] and [[Faslane]], respectively. ''Ramillies'' went to the [[ship breaking|breakers' yard]] at [[Cairnryan]], also in 1948.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|pp=317–320}}{{sfn|Smith 2008|pp=354–356, 360}} ''Royal Sovereign'' was returned to Britain in 1949 in poor condition as a result of being poorly maintained in Soviet service; her turrets were jammed and much of her equipment was unusable. The last surviving member of the class, she was sold for scrap that year and broken up at Inverkeithing.{{sfn|Burt 2012b|p=320}}{{sfn|Daniel|pp=98–99}}

== See also ==

* [[Project Catherine]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist|20em}}

== References ==
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* {{cite book
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  }}
* {{Cite book
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* {{cite book
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* {{Cite book
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* {{cite book
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* {{cite book
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* {{cite book
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* {{cite book
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* {{cite book
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* {{cite book
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* {{cite book
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* {{cite book|title=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea |last=Massie |first=Robert K.|author-link=Robert K. Massie|publisher=Random House|year=2003|location= New York|isbn=978-0-679-45671-1|title-link=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea| ref = {{sfnRef|Massie}} }}
* {{cite book
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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|ref={{sfnRef|Preston}}}}
* {{cite book
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* {{Cite book
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* {{Cite book
  |last=Smith
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  |ref={{sfnRef|Smith 2008}}
  }}

== External links ==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* [http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Revenge_Class_Battleship_(1914) Dreadnought Project] Technical material on the weaponry and fire control for the ships

{{Revenge class battleship}}
{{WWI British ships}}
{{WWII British ships}}
{{WWII Soviet ships}}
{{Authority control}}

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