IRN Algarve (SD-1906 (TS-1922))
The King Edward the 7th class batlleships were also rated as semi-dreadnoughts due to the secondary 9.2" guns that were fitted in turrets at the corners of the superstructure citadel. This gave the ships of the class 12", 9.2" and 6" guns whose splashes at long ranges could be mistaken for each other. A nightmare for the rangefinders and directors. The Dreadnought was started after this class was laid down and completed before the last of this class was finished. At one stroke eight brand new battleships were obsolete. By the end of WW1 the ships had already been reduced to secondary duties and were some of the first ships the Royal Navy was looking to discard. The Iberian Navy picked up two of the ships for virtually scrap value and incorporated them into the Iberian Navy in 1919. The two ships were to provide the four twin 12" turrets and barbettes required for a new capital ship. (See Granada)
Once the 12" turrets, barbettes and the side armour were removed, a decision on what remained needed to be made. The ambitious plans of the Iberian High Command required one thing, a continuing flow of new recruits and those recruits needed somewhere to be trained. In light of these needs these two ships had the rear quarter 9.2" turrets resited to the fore and aft position shown above. This made space where the old casemate 6" could be removed from their waterline position and resited in the aft superstructure. Four 4" AA guns were added during the 1930's. Some 20mm light AA guns were added in the late 1930's. The last major upgrade received by the ships was the replacing of the old 1900 mark 9.2" with the new Iberian produced 9.2" long range guns being built for the new Canarias class cruisers and coastal defence batteries. Nothing was ever done about the coal fired engines as it was thought that if the recruits could get through six months or so of training on board a coal fired ship they would emerge as real sailors.
| Displacement | As Built 17,500 tons std, 20,750 tons full load |
As Training Ship 17,000 tons std, 20,200 tons full load |
| Length | 454 ft | |
| Breadth | 78 ft | |
| Draught | 28 ft | |
| Machinery | 2 shaft Triple Expansion, 18,000shp | |
| Speed | 19 knots | |
| Range | 5000 miles at 12 knots | |
| Armour | 12" side, 2.5" deck, 12-8" turrets | 3" side, 2.5" deck, 6" turrets |
| Armament | As built 4 x 12" (2x2) 4 x 9.2" (4x1) 10 x 6" (10x1) 12 x 12pd (12x1) |
As rebuilt 4 x 9.2" (4x1) 8 x 6" (8x1) 4 x 4" (4x1) 7 x 20mm (7x1) |
| Aircraft | nil | nil |
| Complement | 800 | 600+Cadets+Marines |
| Notes | IRN
Algarve IRN Alicante |
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The two KE-VII class ships were only 12 years old when received by Iberia and had another 12-15 years of life or more in them as training ships. Algarve and Alicante on patrol.