For the year 1900–01 only two battleships were provided: the _Queen_, built at Devonport and engined by Harland and Wolff, and the _Prince of Wales_, built at Chatham and engined by the Greenock Foundry Co. These were laid down in 1901 and completed in 1904. They were copies of the _Londons_ in every detail, saving that, instead of being enclosed, their upper deck batteries were left open as in the _Duncans_. The _Queen_ was given Babcock boilers instead of Bellevilles. The 1901–02 Estimates provided three battleships and six armoured cruisers of the _County_ class. These were the last ships designed by Sir William White. The battleships, of which eight were built altogether--three for 1901–02, two for the next year--were of a different type from any which had preceded them, and to some extent may be said to mark the birth of the _Dreadnought_ era. That is to say, in them the old idea of the two calibres, 12in. and 6in., died out, and heavier auxiliary guns began to appear. Particulars of these ships, _the King Edward VII_ class, are as follows:-- Displacement--16,350 tons. Length--(over all) 453¾ft. Beam--78ft. Draught--(maximum) 26¾ft. Armament--Four 12-inch, 40 cal., four 9.2, 45 cal., ten 6-inch, 45 cal., twelve 12-pounders, fourteen 3-pounders, five 18-inch submerged tubes (of which one is in the stern). Armour--As in the _London_ (but a 6in. battery instead of casemates). Horse-power--18,000 = 18.9 knots. Coal--(normal) 950 tons; (maximum) 2,150 tons, also 400 tons of oil, except in the _New Zealand_. ==============================+===========+============+============== Name. | Laid down.| Built at. | Engines by. ------------------------------+-----------+------------+-------------- _Commonwealth_ | June, ’01 | Fairfield | Fairfield _King Edward_ | Mar. ’02 | Devonport | Harland & W. _Dominion_ | May, ’02 | Vickers | Vickers _Hindustan_ | Oct. ’02 | Clydebank | Clydebank _New Zealand_ (now _Zelandia_)| Feb. ’03 | Portsmouth | Humphrys & T. _Africa_ | Jan. ’04 | Chatham | Clydebank _Britannia_ | Feb. ’04 | Portsmouth | Humphrys & T. _Hibernia_ | Jan. ’04 | Devonport | Harland & W. ==============================+===========+============+============== Except the last three, all were completed in 1905. The others were completed very shortly afterwards.