HMS Invincible (1907)

The fifth Invincible of the Royal Navy was a battlecruiser, the lead ship of her class of three, and the first battlecruiser to be built by any country in the world.

Related Topics:
''Invincible'' - Royal Navy - Battlecruiser - Lead ship - Her class

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The ship was built at Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., Ltd on Tyneside. She was laid down on 2 April 1906, and launched at 3:00PM 13 April 1907 by Lady Allendale. On 28 December, while still fitting out, she was hit by the collier Oden, which resulted in the buckling of beams and frames in the hull and 5 bottom plates were stove in. She was officially completed on 16 March 1909. On 18 March, she sailed from the Tyne to Portsmoutn, where she would be commissioned. On the way, she collided with the brigantine Mary Ann, and stood by until the lifeboat John Birch arrived from Yarmouth to take the brigantine in tow. She was commissioned into the fleet on 20 March 1909.

Related Topics:
Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., Ltd - Tyneside - 2 April - 1906 - 13 April - 1907 - Lady Allendale - 28 December - 16 March - 1909 - 18 March - Tyne - Portsmoutn - Yarmouth - 20 March

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She participated in fleet maneuvers in April and June of 1909, the Spithead Review on 12 June 1909, and the Fleet Review off Southend on 2 July. Invincible initially served with the 1st Cruiser Squadron until 1913, when she was assigned to the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron. In March 1913, she collided with the Submarine C-34.

Related Topics:
12 June - 1909 - Southend - 2 July

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At the beginning of the First World War, she took part in the action at Heligoland Bight on 2 August 1914, before being sent along with her sister Inflexible to the South Atlantic where she fought in the first Battle of the Falkland Islands on 8 December 1914. In this battle, she fired off 513 12-inch shells at the enemy.

Related Topics:
2 August - 1914 - ''Inflexible'' - South Atlantic - Battle of the Falkland Islands - 8 December

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At the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916, she was the flagship of the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron. She was hit in her "Q" turret by a salvo from Lützow, which blew the roof of the turret over the site. It was either this shell hit which caused a flash down the magazine or a second shell in the same salvo that penetrated the armor and exploded in the magazine, causing a massive explosion. The ship broke in two and sank with the loss of all but six of her crew of 1,021. Admiral Hood was among the dead.

Related Topics:
Battle of Jutland - 31 May - 1916 - ''Lützow'' - Hood

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After the war, the wreckage was located by a minesweeper at 57-02-40 North Latitude, 06-07-15 East Longitude, 180 feet down.

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