HMS Vanguard was a St Vincent-class dreadnought battleship built for the Royal Navy, launched on 22 February 1909 and completed on 1 March 1910. She measured 536 feet (163.4 meters) in length, with a beam of 84 feet (25.6 meters) and a normal draught of 28 feet (8.5 meters). Displacing approximately 19,700 long tons (20,000 tonnes) at normal load, she was powered by two Parsons direct-drive steam turbines and eighteen Babcock & Wilcox boilers, rated at 24,500 shaft horsepower, aiming for a maximum speed of 21 knots, with trials reaching up to 22.3 knots under light load conditions. Her range was about 6,900 nautical miles at 10 knots. Armament consisted of ten 12-inch (305 mm) Mk XI guns in five twin turrets—'A', 'X', 'Y' on the centerline, and 'P', 'Q' as wing turrets—along with twenty 4-inch (102 mm) secondary guns and three 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes. The ship's armor included an 8–10 inch waterline belt, main turret faces of 11 inches, and supporting barbettes of 9–10 inches. Over her service life, modifications included removal of some guns, addition of anti-aircraft guns, and reinforcement of deck armor. Vanguard served primarily in the Home and Grand Fleets, participating notably in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, where she engaged German ships and fired 65 shells from her main guns. She also took part in routine patrols, fleet exercises, and fleet actions throughout WWI. On 9 July 1917, at Scapa Flow, Vanguard suffered catastrophic magazine explosions, resulting in almost instant sinking and the loss of 843 of her 845 crew. The explosion was attributed to a spontaneous detonation of cordite, possibly caused by a fire or high temperature in a magazine, though the precise cause remains uncertain. Her wreck lies at about 34 meters depth, heavily salvaged post-war, and designated as a war grave in 1984. The site is protected, and diving is generally prohibited. The wreck's extensive survey reveals significant structural destruction, with the amidships area nearly obliterated and the 'P' and 'Q' turrets blown 40 meters away. In 2025, the ship's bell, badge, and tampion were recovered for conservation and display, commemorating her service and tragic loss.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.