HMS Dreadnought, 1916
HMS Dreadnought as she appeared in 1916.
Dreadnought had her stern torpedo tube removed, and the after control top was also removed, replaced by an open platform where the aft searchlights were remounted. As part of the fleet-wide changes following the Battle of Jutland, Dreadnought had anti-flash protection fitted to her magazines and ammunition hoists, and some extra deck protection was fitted over the magazines. She flies the flag of Vice-Admiral Edward Bradford as flagship of the 3rd Battle Squadron.
In 1916, Dreadnought was transferred to the 3rd BS, which was detached from the Grand Fleet and rebased to Sheerness. In addition to the flagship, the 3rd BS consisted of the surviving pre-dreadnought battleships of the King Edward VII class: Africa, Commonwealth, Hibernia, Dominion, Hindustan, Zealandia and Britannia, and was deployed to counter raids on the east coast of Britain by German heavy ships. On May 31, 1916, the 3rd BS sailed to support the Grand Fleet at Jutland, but the squadron did not arrive in time to see combat.
Coming soon, the last in this series:
HMS Dreadnought, 1918