HMS Anson was a notable Admiral-class ironclad battleship of the Royal Navy, constructed during the 1880s. Laid down at Pembroke Dockyard on 24 April 1883, she was launched on 17 February 1886 and completed in March 1887, though her main armament was only installed two years later. The vessel measured approximately 330 feet (100.6 meters) in length between perpendiculars, with a beam of 68 feet 6 inches (20.9 meters) and a deep load draught of 27 feet 10 inches (8.5 meters). Displacing around 10,600 long tons (10,800 tons), Anson's design included a complement of 525–536 officers and ratings. Powered by two 3-cylinder inverted compound-expansion steam engines driving twin screws, she achieved impressive speeds—on her sea trials, reaching 17.4 knots—exceeding her design goal of 16 knots. Her propulsion system, fueled by a dozen cylindrical boilers, carried a maximum of 1,200 long tons of coal, providing a range of approximately 7,200 nautical miles at 10 knots. Anson’s main armament consisted of four 13.5-inch (343 mm) BL Mk II guns mounted in two twin-gun barbettes, designed for a range of about 12,620 yards with cordite charges. Her secondary armament included six 6-inch (152 mm) guns on the upper deck amidships, which were later converted into quick-firing guns, along with smaller Hotchkiss QF guns for defense against torpedo boats. She also mounted five 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes above water. Her armor scheme closely resembled that of her sister ships, with an waterline belt up to 7 feet 6 inches high, 18 inches thick, and protective armor on the barbettes up to 14 inches thick. The conning tower and vital protective structures also featured substantial armor, ensuring her resilience in combat. HMS Anson served as a flagship for the Channel Fleet, participated in operations in the Mediterranean, and acted as a guard ship at Queensferry. She was involved in a significant incident in 1891 when the passenger steamer SS Utopia collided with her in Gibraltar Bay, resulting in the loss of 562 lives. After her service, she was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1909 for £21,200, marking the end of her maritime career.

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