ABSTRACT
HMS Dreadnought, launched by King Edward VII at Portsmouth Dockyard on 10 February 1906, seemed to be a very special ship in every way.2 At a normal load displacement of 18,122 tons she was the largest warship in the world. She had also taken a remarkably short time to build, having been ocially laid down on 2 October 1905. Prefabricating the ship’s parts, however, had already begun in May 1905 with some 6,000 man weeks of work undertaken laying the keel at a cost of £41,295.3 Aer much toil, with 1,100 men working 12-hour days, Dreadnought was undocked for steam trials on 29 September 1906. While still not completely tted out, she le Portsmouth under her own power 364 days from her ocial keel-laying to begin preliminary steam trials. She was commissioned on 11 December 1906 in dry dock, where she was repairing damage coming alongside in Portsmouth aer her acceptance trial. On 5 January 1907 Dreadnought departed for an experimental cruise that lasted until 23 March. Four days later she became agship of the Nore Division of the Home Fleet.
