HMS Howe (1885)

HMS Howe was an Admiral-class battleship of the Royal Navy, the last of the Admiral-class to be completed.

Along with her sisters, HMS Rodney (1884), HMS Camperdown (1885) and HMS Anson (1886), she was a progressive development of the design of HMS Collingwood (1882). She carried a main armament of four 13.5 in guns, compared to the 12 in guns carried in the earlier ship. While the above-water dimensions of Collingwood were retained in Howe, it was found necessary to increase the draught from 26 ft to 27 ft, with a commensurate increase in displacement of some 800 LT. This meant that when the ship was fully loaded and with full fuel bunkers the armour belt would be virtually completely submerged; it was assumed that combat would not take place until some significant part of the fuel had been consumed, allowing the belt to rise above the waterline.

Guns
The guns of the main armament were mounted in two barbettes, one forward and one aft of the superstructure, and each one carrying a pair of guns. The barbettes were open, without hoods or gunshields, and the guns were fully exposed. The shells fired by these guns weighed 1250 lb, and when fired with a charge of 630 lb of gunpowder would penetrate 27 in of iron at 1000 yd. In later years, a charge of 187 lb of cordite was substituted for the gunpowder. There were significant delays in the production of the heavy guns for this ship and her sisters, leading to excessively prolonged building times. Even as late as early 1890, Howe only had two of her guns installed.

Improvements
When laid down, the torpedo boat was regarded as such a serious threat that many doubted if battleships were a good investment. Exceptional advances during the seven years she was building included the triple expansion steam engine which came into RN use in 1886, improvements in the structure of armour in 1886 and the appearance of nickel-steel armour, and the development of a quick firing gun which removed the threat from torpedo boats. Howe unfortunately lacked these developments and like her Second World War successor, she was — when commissioned — hardly the ultimate naval weapon hoped for when ordered.

History
She was delivered at Portsmouth on 15 November 1885, complete except for her main armament. She was commissioned in July 1889 to take part in fleet manoevres. Finally fully armed, she was posted to the Channel Fleet in May 1890, and then to the Mediterranean. On 2 November 1892, she grounded on Ferrol Rock, and was salvaged with great difficulty, being finally freed on 30 March 1893. She paid off at Chatham for repairs and overhaul, and then served in the Mediterranean until late 1896, when she became port guard ship at Queenstown. She was paid off at Devonport 12 October 1901, when Captain Fleet and the crew was transferred to HMS Empress of India, which took over as port guard ship at Queenstown.

Howe was relegated to the reserve, where she remained until sold in 1910.

Commanding officers

 * Captain H. L. Fleet - ? - 12 October 1901