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{{Short description|Dreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy launched in 1912}}
{{Other ships|HMS Iron Duke}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{good article}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Iron Duke.png
|Ship caption=HMS ''Iron Duke'' in 1914
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=HMS ''Iron Duke''
|Ship namesake=[[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington]]
|Ship builder=[[HMNB Portsmouth|Portsmouth Dockyard]]
|Ship laid down=12 January 1912
|Ship launched=12 October 1912
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=March 1914
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=Sold for scrap, March 1946
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type={{sclass|Iron Duke|battleship}}
|Ship displacement=
*Normal: {{cvt|25000|LT|t|0|lk=on}}
*[[Full load]]: {{cvt|29560|LT|t}}
|Ship length={{convert|622|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|o/a]]
|Ship beam={{convert|90|ft|m|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship draught={{convert|29|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=
*18 × [[Babcock & Wilcox]] boilers
*{{convert|29000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=
*4 × [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] [[Steam turbine|turbine]]s
*4 × screw [[propeller]]s
|Ship speed={{convert|21.25|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship range={{convert|7800|nmi|mi km|abbr=on|0}} at {{convert|10|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship complement=995–1,022
|Ship armament=* 10 × [[BL 13.5 inch Mk V naval gun|BL {{convert|13.5|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}/45 cal Mk V gun]]s
* 12 × [[BL 6 inch Mk VII naval gun|{{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}/45 cal Mk VII gun]]s
* 2 × [[QF 3 inch 20 cwt|QF {{convert|3|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} 20 cwt]] [[Anti-aircraft warfare|AA]] guns
* 4 × [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder]] ({{convert|47|mm|in|abbr=on}}) guns
* 4 × [[British 21 inch torpedo|21 inch (533 mm)]] submerged beam [[torpedo tube]]s

|Ship armour=*[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{convert|2.5|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Barbette]]s: {{convert|10|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Gun turret|Turret]]s: {{convert|11|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}

|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Iron Duke''''' was a [[dreadnought battleship]] of the [[Royal Navy]], the [[lead ship]] of [[Iron Duke-class battleship|her class]], named in honour of [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington]]. She was built by [[HMNB Portsmouth|Portsmouth Dockyard]], and her [[keel]] laid in January 1912. Launched ten months later, she was commissioned into the [[British Home Fleet|Home Fleet]] in March 1914 as the fleet [[flagship]]. She was armed with a [[main battery]] of ten {{convert|13.5|in|adj=on|0}} guns and was capable of a top speed of {{convert|21.25|kn|lk=in}}.

''Iron Duke'' served as the flagship of the [[Grand Fleet]] during the [[World War I|First World War]], including at the [[Battle of Jutland]]. There, she inflicted significant damage on the German battleship {{SMS|König}} early in the main fleet action. In January 1917, she was relieved as fleet flagship. After the war, ''Iron Duke'' operated in the Mediterranean as the flagship of the [[Mediterranean Fleet]]. She participated in both the [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War]] in the [[Black Sea]] and the [[Greco-Turkish War (1919–22)|Greco-Turkish War]]. She also assisted in the evacuation of refugees from [[İzmir|Smyrna]]. In 1926, she was assigned to the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]], where she served as a training ship.

''Iron Duke'' remained on active duty for only a few more years; in 1930, the [[London Naval Treaty]] specified that the four ''Iron Duke''-class battleships be scrapped or otherwise demilitarised. ''Iron Duke'' was therefore converted into a gunnery training ship; her armour and much of her armament was removed to render her unfit for combat. She served in this capacity until the outbreak of the [[Second World War]] in September 1939, when she was moored in Scapa Flow as a harbour defence ship. In October, she was badly damaged by German bombers and was run aground to avoid sinking. She continued to serve as an anti-aircraft platform for the duration of the war, and was eventually refloated and broken up for scrap in the late 1940s.

==Design==
{{main|Iron Duke-class battleship}}
[[File:Iron Duke class battleship - Jane's Fighting Ships, 1919 - Project Gutenberg etext 24797.png|thumb|left|Plan and profile of the ''Iron Duke'' class]]

The four ''Iron Duke''-class battleships were ordered in the 1911 building programme, and were an incremental improvement over the preceding {{sclass|King George V|battleship|4||1911}}. The primary change between the two designs was the substitution of a heavier secondary battery in the newer vessels. ''Iron Duke'' was {{convert|622|ft|9|in|0}} [[length overall|long overall]] and had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|90|ft|abbr=on}} and an average [[draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|29|ft|6|in|abbr=on|0}}. She [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|25000|LT|0|lk=on}} as designed and up to {{convert|29560|LT|0}} at [[full load]]. Her propulsion system consisted of four [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] [[steam turbine]]s, with steam provided by eighteen [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s. The engines were rated at {{convert|29000|shp|lk=in|0}} and produced a top speed of {{convert|21.25|kn|abbr=on|0}}. Her cruising radius was {{convert|7800|nmi|lk=in|0}} at a more economical {{convert|10|kn|abbr=on|0}}. ''Iron Duke'' had a crew of 995&nbsp;officers and ratings, though during wartime this grew to up to 1,022.<ref name=GG31>Preston, p. 31</ref>

''Iron Duke'' was armed with a [[main battery]] of ten [[BL 13.5-inch Mk V naval gun|BL {{convert|13.5|in|adj=on|0}} Mk V naval guns]] mounted in five twin [[gun turret]]s. They were arranged in two [[superfire|superfiring]] pairs, one forward and one aft; the fifth turret was located [[amidships]], between the funnels and the rear [[superstructure]]. Close-range defence against [[torpedo boat]]s was provided by a [[secondary armament|secondary battery]] of twelve [[BL 6 inch Mk VII naval gun|BL 6-inch Mk VII guns]]. The ship was also fitted with a pair of [[QF 3-inch 20 cwt]] anti-aircraft guns and four {{convert|47|mm|abbr=on|0}} [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder]] guns.<ref group=Note>"Cwt" is the abbreviation for [[hundredweight]], 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.</ref> As was typical for capital ships of the period, she was equipped with four {{convert|21|in|abbr=on|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s submerged on the [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]].<ref name=GG31/>

''Iron Duke'' was protected by a main [[armoured belt]] that was {{convert|12|in|abbr=on|0}} thick over the ship's ammunition [[magazine (artillery)|magazines]] and [[engine room|engine]] and [[fire room|boiler rooms]], and reduced to {{convert|4|in|abbr=on|0}} toward the bow and stern. Her deck was {{convert|2.5|in|abbr=on|0}} thick in the central portion of the ship, and reduced to {{convert|1|in|abbr=on|0}} elsewhere. The main battery turret faces were {{convert|11|in|abbr=on|0}} thick, and the turrets were supported by {{convert|10|in|abbr=on|0}} thick [[barbette]]s.<ref name=GG31/>

==Service history==
''Iron Duke'' was laid down at [[HMNB Portsmouth|Portsmouth Dockyard]] on 12 January 1912 and launched on 12 October of that year. After completing [[fitting-out]] work, she began [[sea trial]]s on 25 November 1913.<ref>Burt, p. 216</ref> The ship was completed in March 1914,<ref name=GG31/> and she joined the [[British Home Fleet|Home Fleet]] after completing her trials. In the Home Fleet, she served as the [[flagship]] of [[Admiral (Royal Navy)|Admiral]] Sir [[George Callaghan]].<ref name=GG32>Preston, p. 32</ref> On 29 July 1914, as war loomed on the Continent, ''Iron Duke'' and the rest of the Home Fleet was ordered to proceed to [[Scapa Flow]] from [[Isle of Portland|Portland]] to safeguard the fleet from a possible German surprise attack.<ref>Massie, p. 19</ref>

===World War I===
[[File:HMS Iron Duke (1912) 2.jpg|thumb|''Iron Duke'' in November 1913]]

In August 1914, after the outbreak of [[World War I]], the Home Fleet was reorganised as the [[Grand Fleet]]; ''Iron Duke'' remained the flagship of the fleet, now under Admiral [[John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|Sir John Jellicoe]].<ref name=GG32/> On the evening of 22 November 1914, the Grand Fleet conducted a fruitless sweep in the southern half of the [[North Sea]]; ''Iron Duke'' stood with the main body in support of Vice Admiral [[David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty|David Beatty]]'s [[1st Battlecruiser Squadron]]. The fleet was back in port in Scapa Flow by 27 November.<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 163&ndash;165</ref> ''Iron Duke'' and most of the fleet initially remained in port during the German [[raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby]] on 16 December 1914, though the [[3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|3rd Battle Squadron]] was sent to reinforce the British forces in the area. After receiving further information about the possibility of the rest of the German fleet being at sea, Jellicoe gave the order for the fleet to sortie to try to intercept the Germans, though by that time they had already retreated.<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 177&ndash;179</ref> ''Iron Duke'' went to sea with the [[2nd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|2nd]] and [[4th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|4th Battle Squadrons]] for gunnery practice north of the [[Hebrides]] on 23 and 24 December.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 182</ref> The following day, the rest of the fleet joined ''Iron Duke'' for a sweep in the North Sea, which concluded on 27 December.<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 183&ndash;184</ref>

''Iron Duke'' and the rest of the fleet conducted gunnery drills on 10&ndash;13 January 1915 west of [[Orkney]] and [[Shetland]].<ref>Jellicoe, p. 190</ref> On the evening of 23 January, the bulk of the Grand Fleet sailed in support of Beatty's Battlecruiser Fleet, but ''Iron Duke'' and the rest of the fleet did not become engaged in the ensuing [[Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)|Battle of Dogger Bank]] the following day.<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 194&ndash;196</ref> Upon returning from the operation, ''Iron Duke'' went to [[Invergordon]] for refit; while she was away, {{HMS|Centurion|1911|6}} acted as the temporary fleet flagship.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 197</ref> The work was completed by 23 February, after which she returned to Scapa Flow.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 200</ref> On 7&ndash;10 March, the Grand Fleet conducted a sweep in the northern North Sea, during which it conducted training manoeuvres. Another such cruise took place on 16&ndash;19 March.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 206</ref> On 11 April, the Grand Fleet conducted a patrol in the central North Sea and returned to port on 14 April; another patrol in the area took place on 17&ndash;19 April, followed by gunnery drills off Shetland on 20&ndash;21 April.<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 211&ndash;212</ref>

The Grand Fleet conducted a sweep into the central North Sea on 17&ndash;19 May without encountering any German vessels.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 217</ref> On 25 May, ''Iron Duke'' carried Jellicoe to [[Rosyth]] to meet with Admiral [[Henry Jackson (Royal Navy officer)|Henry Jackson]], the new [[First Sea Lord]]. ''Iron Duke'' returned to Scapa Flow on 28 May, in time to participate in another sweep into the North Sea on 29&ndash;31 May.<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 218&ndash;219</ref> After returning to Scapa Flow, ''Iron Duke'' immediately departed for [[Cromarty]].<ref>Jellicoe, p. 220</ref> The fleet conducted gunnery training in mid-June.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 221</ref> ''Iron Duke'', the 2nd Battle Squadron, and the [[1st Cruiser Squadron]] conducted gunnery training at Cromarty on 2 August; after completing the drills, the ships returned to Scapa Flow. On 7 August, the ship again took Jellicoe to Cromarty for another meeting, this time with the Prime Minister, [[H. H. Asquith]].<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 234&ndash;236</ref> ''Iron Duke'' was back in Scapa Flow by 16 August.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 241</ref>

[[File:HMS Iron Duke2.png|thumb|left|''Iron Duke'' underway]]
On 2&ndash;5 September, the fleet went on another cruise in the northern end of the North Sea and conducted gunnery drills.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 243</ref> Throughout the rest of the month, the Grand Fleet conducted numerous training exercises.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 246</ref> ''Iron Duke'' went to Invergordon on 1 October for another period of refitting—the work lasted until 11 October.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 252</ref> Two days later, the majority of the fleet conducted another sweep into the North Sea, returning to port on 15 October.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 250</ref> On 2&ndash;5 November, ''Iron Duke'' participated in another fleet training operation west of Orkney.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 253</ref> Another such cruise took place on 1&ndash;4 December.<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 257&ndash;258</ref> Later in the month, ''Iron Duke'' took part in gunnery drills, and during them, conducted an experiment of sorts to determine the accuracy of the ship's gunners. Jellicoe concluded that the "result was very satisfactory."<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 260&ndash;261</ref>

''Iron Duke'' collided with the tanker {{SS|Prudentia|1889|2}} on 12 January 1916 while in Scapa Flow, and the latter sank.<ref name=B231/> The tanker had come loose during a severe gale, which had winds of up to {{convert|80|mph}}. ''Iron Duke'' was undamaged in the accident. The typical routine of gunnery drills and squadron exercises occurred in January.<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 267&ndash;269</ref> The fleet departed for a cruise in the North Sea on 26 February; Jellicoe had intended to use the [[Harwich Force]] to sweep the [[Heligoland Bight]], but bad weather prevented operations in the southern North Sea. As a result, the operation was confined to the northern end of the sea.<ref>Jellicoe, p. 271</ref> On the night of 25 March, ''Iron Duke'' and the rest of the fleet sailed from Scapa Flow to support the Battlecruiser Fleet and other light forces that raided the German [[zeppelin]] base at [[Tondern]]. By the time the Grand Fleet approached the area on 26 March, the British and German forces had already disengaged and a severe gale threatened the light craft. ''Iron Duke'' guided the [[destroyer]]s back to Scapa while the rest of the fleet retired independently.<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 279&ndash;280</ref>

On 21 April, the Grand Fleet conducted a demonstration off [[Horns Reef]] to distract the Germans while the Russian Navy relaid its defensive minefields in the [[Baltic Sea]].<ref>Jellicoe, p. 284</ref> The fleet returned to Scapa Flow on 24 April and refuelled before proceeding south in response to intelligence reports that the Germans were about to launch a [[Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft|raid on Lowestoft]]. The Grand Fleet did not arrive in the area until after the Germans had withdrawn, however.<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 286&ndash;287</ref><ref>Marder, p. 424</ref> On 2&ndash;4 May, the fleet conducted another demonstration off Horns Reef to keep German attention focused on the North Sea.<ref>Jellicoe, pp. 288&ndash;290</ref>

====Battle of Jutland====
[[File:Map of the Battle of Jutland, 1916.svg|thumb|350px|Maps showing the manoeuvres of the British (blue) and German (red) fleets on 31 May&nbsp;– 1 June 1916|alt=The British fleet sailed from northern Britain to the east while the Germans sailed from Germany in the south; the opposing fleets met off the Danish coast]]
{{main|Battle of Jutland}}

In an attempt to lure out and destroy a portion of the Grand Fleet, the German [[High Seas Fleet]], composed of 16 dreadnoughts, six pre-dreadnoughts, six light cruisers, and 31 torpedo boats, departed the Jade early on the morning of 31 May. The fleet sailed in concert with Rear Admiral [[Franz von Hipper]]'s five battlecruisers and supporting cruisers and torpedo boats.<ref>Tarrant, p. 62</ref> The Royal Navy's [[Room 40]] had intercepted and decrypted German radio traffic containing plans of the operation. The Admiralty ordered the Grand Fleet, totalling some 28 dreadnoughts and 9 battlecruisers, to sortie the night before to cut off and destroy the High Seas Fleet.<ref>Tarrant, pp. 63–64</ref> On the day of the battle, ''Iron Duke'' steamed with the 4th Battle Squadron, and was the 9th ship in the British [[line of battle|line]].<ref>Campbell, p. 16</ref>

The initial action was fought primarily by the British and German [[battlecruiser]] formations in the afternoon,<ref>Campbell, p. 37</ref> but by 18:00, the Grand Fleet approached the scene. At around 18:14, two large-calibre shells fell near ''Iron Duke'' but caused no damage.<ref>Campbell, pp. 121&ndash;122</ref> Fifteen minutes later, ''Iron Duke'' had closed to effective gunnery range—some {{convert|26000|yd}}—of the German fleet, and took the dreadnought {{SMS|König}} under fire. ''Iron Duke''{{'}}s first salvo fell short, but the next three were on target; the ship's gunner claimed at least six hits on the German battleship.<ref>Campbell, p. 156</ref> In fact, they had scored seven hits on ''König'' and inflicted significant damage.<ref>Campbell, pp. 188&ndash;191</ref>

Shortly after 19:00, fighting around the disabled German cruiser {{SMS|Wiesbaden}}—which had been badly damaged earlier in the engagement—resumed. ''Iron Duke'' opened fire on the crippled cruiser and nearby destroyers with her secondary battery at 19:11 at a range of {{convert|9000|to|10000|yd}}. ''Iron Duke''{{'}}s gunners claimed to have sunk one of the destroyers and hit a second, but they had in fact missed their targets entirely.<ref>Campbell, p. 210</ref> Shortly thereafter, the German destroyers attempted to launch a torpedo attack on the British line; ''Iron Duke'' began firing at 19:24. The sinking of the destroyer {{SMS|S35|1914|6}} is credited to a salvo from ''Iron Duke'', but determining which ship fired which shells in the melee is difficult, according to naval historian John Campbell.<ref>Campbell, p. 212</ref>

Following the German destroyer attack, the High Seas Fleet disengaged, and ''Iron Duke'' and the rest of the Grand Fleet saw no further action in the battle. This was, in part, due to confusion aboard ''Iron Duke'' over the exact location and course of the German fleet; without this information, Jellicoe could not bring his fleet to action.<ref>Campbell, p. 256</ref> At 21:30, the Grand Fleet began to reorganise into its nighttime cruising formation.<ref>Campbell, p. 274</ref> Early on the morning of 1 June, the Grand Fleet combed the area, looking for damaged German ships, but after spending several hours searching, they found none.<ref>Campbell, pp. 309&ndash;310</ref> ''Iron Duke'' returned to Scapa Flow, arriving at 11:30.<ref>Campbell, p. 322</ref> Over the course of the battle, ''Iron Duke'' had fired ninety rounds from her main battery,<ref>Campbell, p. 346</ref> along with fifty rounds from her secondary guns.<ref>Campbell, p. 358</ref>

====Subsequent actions in the North Sea====
[[File:Kitchener boarding HMS Iron Duke 5 June 1916 IWM HU 66128.jpg|thumb|Field Marshal [[Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener|Herbert Kitchener]] boarding ''Iron Duke'' on 5 June 1916]]
On 18 August, the Germans again sortied, this time to bombard [[Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland]]; Scheer hoped to draw out Beatty's battlecruisers and destroy them. British signals intelligence decrypted German wireless transmissions, allowing Jellicoe enough time to deploy the Grand Fleet in an attempt to engage in a decisive battle. Both sides withdrew, however, after their opponents' [[submarine]]s inflicted losses in the [[action of 19 August 1916]]: the British cruisers {{HMS|Nottingham|1913|2}} and {{HMS|Falmouth|1910|2}} were both torpedoed and sunk by German [[U-boat]]s, and the German battleship {{SMS|Westfalen}} was damaged by the British submarine {{HMS|E23||2}}. After returning to port, Jellicoe issued an order that prohibited risking the fleet in the southern half of the North Sea due to the overwhelming risk from mines and U-boats unless the odds of defeating the High Seas Fleet in a decisive engagement were high.<ref>Massie, pp. 682&ndash;684</ref>

In the aftermath of Jutland, the Royal Navy determined that horizontal protection, particularly over ammunition magazines, was insufficient. As a result, many ships in the Grand Fleet had additional armour installed; ''Iron Duke'' went into dock for this work in October. The work, which saw over {{convert|100|LT}} of armour added to the ship, was completed by December.<ref>Burt, p. 215</ref> On 28 November 1916, while she was still in dry dock, Admiral Beatty replaced Jellicoe as the commander of the Grand Fleet; ''Iron Duke'' served as his flagship until January 1917, when he transferred to {{HMS|Queen Elizabeth|1913|2}}.<ref name=B231>Burt, p. 231</ref> In 1918, flying-off platforms for aircraft were installed on ''Iron Duke''{{'}}s "B" and "Q" turrets.<ref name=B218>Burt, p. 218</ref>

===Post-war career===
[[File:The Burning of Smyrna as seen from HMS King George V.jpg|thumb|alt=A city burns in flames; in the foreground, a large battleship sits in the water. A smaller vessel is berthed next to her. Another small ship sails away from the city on the left.|HMS ''Iron Duke'' as seen from HMS ''King George V'' at the [[Great Fire of Smyrna]]]]

In March 1919, ''Iron Duke'' was transferred to the [[Mediterranean Fleet]], where she again served as flagship. The ship went into the [[Black Sea]] in April to participate in the [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War]].<ref name=B231/> While en route, the ship stopped in [[Constantinople]] on 7 April.<ref>Halpern, p. 33</ref> There, ''Iron Duke'' was involved in the destruction of warships and other [[materiel]] that might be used by the [[Bolshevik]]s.<ref>Halpern, p. 47</ref> On 12 May, ''Iron Duke'' travelled from Constantinople to [[İzmir|Smyrna]], where she provided a landing party to occupy some of the city's outer forts.<ref>Halpern, pp. 67, 74</ref> She returned to the Black Sea, where she remained until June, when she returned to the Mediterranean.<ref name=B231/>

''Iron Duke'' returned to the Black Sea in late 1919. She arrived in [[Novorossiysk]] on 12 October, where she met the [[White movement|White Russian]] [[protected cruiser]] [[Russian cruiser Kagul|''General Kornilov'']].<ref>Halpern, p. 114</ref> On 14 October, the ship stopped in [[Sevastopol]].<ref>Halpern, p. 115</ref> ''Iron Duke'' returned to Novorossiysk on 19 January 1920.<ref>Halpern, p. 143</ref> On 25 January, she stopped in the ports of [[Yalta]] and Sevastopol to inspect the situation of the White Russians there.<ref>Halpern, p. 148</ref> On 17 June, shore parties from ''Iron Duke'' and the destroyer {{HMS|Shark|1918|2}} destroyed Turkish guns in the forts protecting the [[Bosporus]] on the Black Sea.<ref>Halpern, p. 250</ref>

On 2 September 1922, ''Iron Duke'' was steaming to the [[Dalmatia|Dalmatian coast]] for a training cruise, when she received news of the Greek defeat in Turkey. Admiral [[Osmond Brock]], the Mediterranean Fleet commander, ordered ''Iron Duke'' to proceed to Smyrna, where he expected disturbances.<ref>Halpern, p. 376</ref> There, she served as the flagship of the British naval forces participating in the evacuation of Greek refugees from the city. She was present during the [[Great Fire of Smyrna|Great Fire]] that devastated the city.<ref name=B231/> During the chaos, a number of refugees managed to come alongside ''Iron Duke'' in small boats, and were brought aboard the battleship.<ref>Halpern, p. 381</ref> The following month, the Allies held a conference aboard ''Iron Duke'' at [[Mudania]] to mediate the Greco-Turkish dispute.<ref name=B231/> The ship thereafter proceeded to Constantinople.<ref>Halpern, p. 403</ref>

[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Het slagschip HMS 'Iron Duke' voor anker bij het kantoor van de Suezkanaal Maatschappij in de haven van Port Said TMnr 60021739.jpg|thumb|left|''Iron Duke'' in [[Port Said]] in 1921]]
In November 1924, ''Queen Elizabeth'' relieved ''Iron Duke'' as the Mediterranean Fleet flagship; ''Iron Duke'' was then transferred to the 3rd Battle Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet, where she became the squadron flagship. The 3rd Squadron was moved to the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]] in March 1926, where it was used as a training squadron. ''Iron Duke'' remained the squadron flagship during this period, until 30 May 1928, when she was relieved by her sister ''Benbow''.<ref name=B231/> In 1927, the Navy considered adding [[anti-torpedo bulge]]s to ''Iron Duke'' and her sister ships, but the plan was discarded because the ships were due to be replaced in 1931&ndash;1932 under the terms of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] of 1922 and the plan was not economical.<ref name=B2213>Burt, pp. 221, 223</ref> That year, the aircraft launching-platform mounted on ''Iron Duke''{{'}}s "B" turret was removed. The ship went into dry dock in May 1928 for a periodic refit; the work lasted until May 1929. Two {{convert|4|in|abbr=on}} anti-aircraft guns were installed on the forward superstructure. The aircraft platform on "Q" turret was also removed during this period.<ref>Burt, p. 220</ref>

''Iron Duke'' returned to service on 30 May 1929, when she was recommissioned as a gunnery training ship. She served in this capacity for only a year and a half, however.<ref name=B231/> In November 1931, under the terms of the [[London Naval Treaty]], ''Iron Duke'' was disarmed and converted into a gunnery training vessel. The work lasted until 21 September 1932, when she was commissioned for new sea trials. The ship's "B" and "Y" turrets were also removed, and several small guns of various types were installed atop "B" barbette. Two {{convert|4.7|in|abbr=on}} anti-aircraft guns were installed as well, but these were later removed in 1935. A high-angle director for the anti-aircraft guns was also added in place of the aft [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]]. Over {{convert|2500|LT}} of steel from her belt armour was removed during the demilitarisation; in all, {{convert|4258|LT}} of material was removed from the ship and {{convert|202|LT}} added.<ref name=B2213/> The ship was recommissioned on 4 October 1932 at [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport]], again as a gunnery training ship.<ref name=B231/> She was featured in the film [[Brown on Resolution (film)|''Brown on Resolution'']], which was released in May 1935.<ref>Mackenzie, p. 17</ref> On 16 July 1935, she was present at the Silver Jubilee [[fleet review]] at [[Spithead]] for King [[George V]]. She attended another Fleet Review, the coronation review for [[George VI]], on 20 May 1937.<ref name=B231/> In 1939, a twin [[QF 5.25 inch gun|QF 5.25-inch dual-purpose gun]] mount was installed aft of "Y" barbette.<ref name=B2213/>

===Second World War===
[[File:WinchesterCathedral Dreyer HMS Iron Duke.jpg|upright|thumb|The ship's bell of HMS ''Iron Duke'', which was presented to [[Winchester Cathedral]] by Admiral Sir [[Frederic Charles Dreyer]] (1878–1956), her captain during the Battle of Jutland. The bell stands above a slab commemorating Dreyer and his wife.]]

During the [[Second World War]], she was used as a base ship and a floating anti-aircraft platform at Scapa Flow.<ref name=B231/> Her secondary guns were removed and used for coastal defence around the base.<ref name=GG32/> On 17 October 1939, four [[Junkers Ju 88]] medium bombers attacked Scapa Flow, and damaged ''Iron Duke'' with several near misses. To prevent her from sinking, her crew had to run the ship aground.<ref>Rohwer, p. 7</ref> On 16 March 1940 the ship, which was still beached, was attacked again by ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' aircraft. This time, eighteen Ju 88s attacked the harbour and surrounding installations. ''Iron Duke'' was again badly damaged, as was the [[heavy cruiser]] {{HMS|Norfolk|78|2}}.<ref>Rohwer, p. 17</ref>

The ship's presence in Scapa Flow may have affected the Germans' plans during [[Operation Rheinübung]], the Atlantic sortie of the battleship {{ship|German battleship|Bismarck||2}} in May 1941. German aerial reconnaissance spotted ''Iron Duke'' and two decoy battleships, merchant ships that had been camouflaged with wood and canvas to look like [[Revenge-class battleship]]s, in the harbour, and erroneously identified them as active units of the Home Fleet.  Under the mistaken impression that the heavy units of the Home Fleet were still in port, the German fleet commander, [[Günther Lütjens]], decided to break into the Atlantic via the [[Denmark Strait]], which resulted in the [[Battle of the Denmark Strait]].<ref>Zetterling & Tamelander, pp. 137&ndash;140</ref>

The ship was later repaired and returned to service as a harbour ship for the duration of the war, though she remained beached.<ref name=GG32/> ''Iron Duke'' remained in the Royal Navy inventory until March 1946, when she was sold for scrapping to [[Metal Industries, Limited|Metal Industries]], still beached in Scapa Flow.<ref name=GG31/><ref name=B231/> The ship was refloated on 19 April 1946 and transferred to [[Faslane]] on 19 August. In September 1948, she was re-sold and moved to [[Glasgow]], arriving on 30 November 1948, and subsequently broken up for scrap.<ref name=B231/><ref>Colledge & Warlow, p. 198</ref> ''Iron Duke''{{'}}s bell is on display at [[Winchester Cathedral]].<ref>Goldsmith, p. 2</ref> Some of the ship's timbers were used to create commemorative souvenirs, often bearing a plaque describing their origin.<ref>{{Cite web|title=small teak barrel made from the HMS Iron Duke|url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30083543|access-date=2021-10-10|website=Imperial War Museums}}</ref>

==Footnotes==

===Notes===
{{reflist|group=Note}}

===Citations===
{{reflist|20em}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Burt|first=R. A.|title=British Battleships of World War One|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis|year=1986|isbn=0-87021-863-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=John |title=Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting |year=1998 |location=London |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |isbn=1-55821-759-2}}
* {{cite book |last1=Colledge |first1=J. J. |last2=Warlow |first2=Ben |title=Ships of the Royal Navy |year=2010 |location=Havertown |publisher=Casemate Publishers |isbn=978-1-61200-027-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Goldsmith |first=Robert Frederick Kinglake |title=The Military Memorials of Winchester Cathedral |year=1974 |location=Winchester |publisher=Friends of Winchester Cathedral |isbn=0-903346-05-2}}
*{{cite book|editor1-last=Halpern|editor1-first=Paul|title=The Mediterranean Fleet 1920–1929|date=2011|author-link=Paul G. Halpern |publisher=Ashgate |series=Navy Records Society Publications|volume=158|location=Farnham|isbn=978-1-4094-2756-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Jellicoe|first=John|authorlink=John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|title=The Grand Fleet, 1914&ndash;1916: Its Creation, Development, and Work|url=https://archive.org/details/grandfleet19141900jell|year=1919|location=New York|publisher=George H. Doran Company}}
* {{cite book |last=Mackenzie|first=S. P.|title=British War Films, 1939–1945: The Cinema and the Services |year=2001 |publisher=Hambledon and London|isbn=0-826-44644-2|location=London}}
* {{cite book|last=Marder|first=Arthur J.|authorlink=Arthur Marder|title= Volume II: The War Years to the eve of Jutland: 1914&ndash;1916|series=From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1965}}
* {{cite book |last=Massie |first=Robert K. |authorlink=Robert K. Massie |title=[[Castles of Steel|Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea]] |year=2003 |location=New York |publisher=Ballantine Books |isbn=0-345-40878-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis|year=2005|edition=Third Revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2 |author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
*{{cite book|editor1-last=Gray|editor1-first=Randal|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 |year=1985 |location=Annapolis|publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=0-85177-245-5 |chapter=Great Britain and Empire Forces |first1=Antony|last1=Preston|author-link=Antony Preston|pages=1–104}}
* {{cite book |last=Tarrant|first=V. E.|title=Jutland: The German Perspective|year=1995|publisher=Cassell Military Paperbacks|isbn=0-304-35848-7|location=London}}
* {{cite book | last1=Zetterling|first1=Niklas|last2=Tamelander|first2=Michael|title=Bismarck: The Final Days of Germany's Greatest Battleship|year=2009|location=Drexel Hill|publisher=Casemate|isbn=978-1-935149-04-0}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal|last1=Buxton|first1=Ian L.|last2=Gibbs|first2=J.|last3=van Dijk|first3=A. |year=1989 |title=Question 8/88 |journal=Warship International|volume=XXVI |issue=2 |pages=203–204 |issn=0043-0374|name-list-style=amp}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Iron Duke (ship, 1912)}}
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/battleships/iron_duke/hms_iron_duke.htm Maritimequest HMS ''Iron Duke'' photo gallery]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131111130114/http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships%20Misc/Miscellaneous/slides/Coaling%20Ship-09.html Photo of HMS Iron Duke coaling]
* [https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/community/2915 Imperial War Museums: Lives of the First World War: HMS Iron Duke at the Battle of Jutland (Crew List)]
*[https://www.jutlandcrewlists.org/iron-duke Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project - HMS Iron Duke Crew List]

{{Iron Duke class battleship}}
{{October 1939 shipwrecks}}

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