The four ships came from Portsmouth Royal Dockyard, Armstrong Whitworth, William Beardmore and Thames Iron Works. Their construction ran from Orion's laying down in November 1909 through the last commissioning dates in 1912. Each ship cost just under £1.9 million according to the figures given here. Thames Iron Works built Thunderer as its final battleship and then failed during the Anglo-German naval race. The yard's fate complicates the familiar image of uninterrupted British shipbuilding expansion during the competition with Germany.
Notable Point · 37:28-39:23
Building the four Orion-class ships
Orion, Monarch, Conqueror and Thunderer were built between 1909 and 1912 at a Royal Dockyard and three private yards, showing the industrial base behind British dreadnought construction.