Pre-dreadnought status did not make the King Edward VII class immediately useless. At the outbreak of war, the ships supported the Grand Fleet and Northern Patrol searches, while HMS King Edward VII sank after striking a German mine in 1916 with her crew safely evacuated. Survivors moved from front-line fleet service into coastal defence and operations connected with Gallipoli, while HMS Africa later served on Atlantic patrol and suffered an outbreak of Spanish flu. HMS Britannia was torpedoed by a German U-boat two days before the war ended, becoming one of the last British vessels lost in the conflict. Their disposal in the early 1920s also released many 9.2-inch guns that could have equipped later British heavy cruisers if the Royal Navy had pursued them.
Notable Point · 21:02-22:13
Pre-dreadnoughts remained useful in World War I
The King Edward VII class’s wartime service shows how pre-dreadnought battleships moved from fleet and patrol duties into secondary roles rather than becoming useless overnight.