The dreadnought was the predominant type of battleship of the 20th century. The revolutionary HMS Dreadnought of 1906 adopted an 'all-big-gun' armament and steam turbine propulsion; her impact was so great that battleships built after her were referred to as 'dreadnoughts' and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts. The only other major advance in kind was the US Navy design with all main turrets on the centerline of the ship.
The concept of an all-big-gun ship had been in circulation for several years prior to Dreadnought's construction, and the Imperial Japanese Navy had even begun work on an all-big-gun battleship, the Satsuma, in 1904. The arrival of the dreadnoughts sparked a new arms race, principally between Britain and Germany but reflected worldwide, as the new class of warships became a crucial symbol of national power.
Her achilles heel was woven into her every texture. Cracked and crooked she leaked and leaned. Shattered lies she, broken in vogue and vain when we need her the very most.
She will be missed.
