HMS Dreadnought: a question

[Roy vd M.]

Hi all,

Currently I'm building the Zvezda Dreadnought kit. I have one question for the experts: does anyone know which hull strakes are recessed and which are raised? I only need that information for the hull above waterline.

Is the below info (recessed/raised) correct?

The John Roberts book (Anatomy of the ship Dreadnought) doesn't give a clear answer.

Any response would be greatly appreciated!

[ShipbuilderMN]

If you look closely at the cross sections on pages 113 and 114, you can see them!

Bob

[Roy vd M.]

Thank you very much for this information sir! Much appreciated!

I should have been more careful to state that the Roberts book didn't give a clear answer. The book is fabulous and serves as a necessity for everyone who plans on building a HMS Dreadnought model and who wishes to correct Trumpeter's, Zvezda's and Kagero's major deficiencies in (particularly port side) scuttle placement, as well as for so much more.

[ShipbuilderMN]

Here is my Dreadnought, built using plans from the book. I don't normally build warships, so it probably has a lot of mistakes in it.

Bob

[Roy vd M.]

To me it looks beautiful, just like the other items on your amazing site.

[Roy vd M.]

Bob and others,

I have one more question about the ship... what's the function of the vertical side beams along the hull? I don't mean the torpedo net booms, but the vertical beams riveted to the hull. Shining in the sunlight, they can be clearly seen on this picture:

My questions:

- What are they for?

- Am I wrong to assume there are no drawings in the Roberts book?

- Does anyone know the dimensions?

Thanks again for your help!

[ShipbuilderMN]

Roy,

I have no idea! I have not seen them before in any other photographs. They could be permanent or temporary. Quite a mystery.

Bob

[FIGHTS ON]

I don't know either, but like Bob says, I've not seen before either. As a complete guess, the photo seems to show Dreadnought sailing from Portsmouth, but the additional ensigns and flags suggest an unusual occasion, perhaps for one of the Spithead reviews? If so could these vertical strakes be a temporary fitting to allow the subsequent fixing of floodlights after anchoring? The RN tends to use floodlights extended on poles shinning back at the ship when performing this evolution. Electricity on board ships was still very new back then (queue famous phot of fleet review, lit up by "electric" for the first time), so figuring out the how's and whys might have seen a local dockyard temporary fit......?

That's my completely random guess!

In my youth, I had the privilege to know an older gentleman who'd joined the service in 1913 as a boy seaman. Amongst his "dits" was his witnessing of operations in the Baltic in 1919 and waking up in the morning to find many of the ships at anchor having had their sides "crushed in like corrugated iron" from the freezing sea. (Ships frames becoming clearly recognisable)

[FIGHTS ON]

After further investigation, my guess above is clearly complete crap! The following picture from the net shows. Dreadnought in number 3 basin having some work done. Perhaps they are re-enforcements for placing of beams when the ship is in dry dock?

http://dennilfloss.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/battleship-hms-dreadnought.html

[Roy vd M.]

Thank you Fights On for your input and thoughts!

Meanwhile I have learned that those vertical beams are for reinforcement of the armor plates. Along the waterline there's armor against torpedo impact.

Your link to that picture is much appreciated, I can't believe you found one that I didn't already have in my file... and a good one at it!

[FIGHTS ON]

I've seen similar 'vertical beams' on a picture of Queen Mary. Yes your answer makes good sense about additional reinforcement for armour plates. The science into building armour to protect against torpedoes was still in it's infancy pre 1914. It was still assumed that the coal in the bunkers provided a level of protection, it was the subsequent switch to oil AND the realisation that any explosion needed "dead space" to vent into (my very crude explanation!) that saw the subsequent introduction of 'torpedo bulges' that we modellers so easily recognise on post 1915 battleships.

[FIGHTS ON]

I should add that the Royal Navy was massively constrained by the width of her dry docks (all built in Victorian times) when it came to building or widening existing ships as the requirement for torpedo bulges became apparent. This constraint has continued even up to today (issues with putting a post 1990's refitted HMS INVINCIBLE into Victorian dry docks with added sponsons on ship's side! Good job the RN hasn't just ordered 2 new super sized aircraft carriers to be based in Portsmouth......oh wait a minute