The British invention of the steam turbine propulsion engine in 1884 was important for its use in ships by exhausting the fresh water to a condenser that could be reclaimed to feed a boiler as salty, corrosive seawater could not be used. HMS Dreadnought was the first capital warship to replace the proven technology of the triple-expansion engine with the experimental steam turbine, making her the fastest battleship in the world at the time of her launch. The Dreadnought promoted a speed of 21 knots (39 km/h) which allowed her to outrun any existing battleship with like-firepower as well as the ability to outgun a faster cruiser. With that said, prior to and during World War 1 and 2, the triple expansion engine dominated marine vessels when high speed was not essential.
Dreadnought reversed the old sailing arrangement and housed officers forward, closer to the bridge, and enlisted men aft so that both officers and most enlisted men were closer to their action stations. Another major improvement was the removal of longitudinal passageways between compartments below deck. Doors connecting compartments were always closed during combat as they are in submarines to prevent the spread of fires and flooding.
Dreadnought was commissioned for trials in December of 1906 and, in January of 1907, she sailed for the Mediterranean Sea and then to Port of Spain, Trinidad. Her successful trials were observed by many navies from around the world and inspired a naval arms race with all major fleets adding Dreadnought-type battleships in time. At Dreadnought's commissioning, Britain possessed a lead of 25 first-class battleships over the fleets of foreign navies. With Dreadnought, Britain now possessed a lead of only one ship - all other British first class battleships became second class Pre-Deadnaught vessels.
At the start of World War 1 in the summer of 1914, Dreadnought was the flagship of the Fourth Battle Squadron based at Scapa Flow. Interestingly, for a vessel designed to engage enemy battleships, her only major action was the the ramming and sinking of German submarine U-29 on March 18th, 1915, thus becoming the only battleship to ever sink a submarine. As a result, she missed the Battle of Jutland while undergoing refit. Like most of the older battleships she was in bad condition from constant touring of the North Sea and was put up for sale in 1920 and sold for scrap at 44,000 pounds in 1921.
All of the constructed dreadnoughts followed suit and were either scrapped or used as targets after the end of World War 1. Some of the advanced "super-dreadnoughts" continued in service through World War 2 until they had met their useful service lives in turn. The term "dreadnought", therefore, gradually dropped from slang beginning at the conclusion of World War 1. They were superceded by battleships who showcased superior performance and firepower characteristics.
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