The 9.2 were placed in double turrets fore and aft. For those of the _Minotaur_ electric manœuvring was substituted for the usual hydraulic. The 7.5’s are disposed in ten single gun houses on the upper deck, _Warrior_ fashion. The armour belt is of the same maximum thickness, but only 3in. for 50ft. from the bow. Thereafter it thickens gradually for the next 75ft. then reaches its maximum. Vertical armour above the main deck was given up in order to allow for the increased weight of armament and its protection--a total of 2,073 tons. The _Minotaur_ has Babcock, the other two Yarrow large-tube boilers. No cylindricals were fitted; the opponents of the water-tube system having lost their influence by 1905, when the ships were laid down. None of these ships came up to expectations on trial, though they developed considerably more than the contract horse-power. The _Minotaur_ just made her speed, the _Defence_ just failed to reach it, the _Shannon_ failed by half-a-knot. This last ship had been varied from the others with an idea that a new form of hull, would produce better speed--an unfortunate surmise. Shortly after completion all had 15ft. added to their funnels. The increased draught added to their power somewhat, but did not materially better their speeds. Further details of these three ships are:-- ============+============+===========+================== Name. | Laid down. | Built at. | Engined by. ------------+------------+-----------+------------------ _Minotaur_ | Jan. ’05 | Devonport | Harland & Wolff _Defence_ | Feb. ’05 | Pembroke | Scott S. & E. Co. _Shannon_ | Jan. ’05 | Chatham | Humphrys ============+============+===========+================== All were completed in 1908. Average cost, £1,400,000 per ship. In them solid bulkheads first appear, their engine-rooms having no water-tight doors. The battleships of the same programme (1904–05) were the _Lord Nelson_ and _Agamemnon_. Details are:-- Displacement--16,500 tons. Length (between perpendiculars)--410 ft., (over all) 445ft. Beam--79½ft. Draught--(mean) 27ft. Armament--Four 12-inch, 45 cal., ten 9.2, 50 cal. fifteen 12-pounders, sixteen 3-pounders, five submerged tubes (18in.). Horse-power--16,750 = 18.5 knots. Coal--(normal) 900 tons; (maximum) 2,000 tons; also 400 tons oil. The _Lord Nelson_ was built and engined by Palmer, the _Agamemnon_ by Beardmore and engined by Hawthorn. The former was given Babcock, the latter Yarrow boilers. Both on trial easily exceeded the contract speed, and proved abnormally handy ships. They cost £1,500,000 or only a little more than the _Minotaurs_.