HMS Hercules ( 1910 ) HMS " Hercules " was a " Colossus " - class battleship built by Palmers , launched on 10 May 1910 , and commissioned on 31 July 1911 at Portsmouth . She was a 20 , 000 - ton dreadnought , mounting ten 12 inch ( 305 mm ) guns in five twin gun turrets , sixteen 4 inch ( 101 . 6 mm ) , four 3 pounders , and three 21 inch ( 533 . 4 mm ) torpedo tubes . She was capable of 21 knots ( 39 km / h ) . Her crew numbered 751 . She was flagship of the 2nd Division Home Fleet and from July 1912 to March 1913 she was flagship of the 2nd Battle Squadron . On 22 March 1913 during a gale she collided with and damaged SS " Mary Parkes " of Glasgow , suffering only minor damage herself . In August 1914 she joined the Grand Fleet . 31 May 1916 , at the Battle of Jutland , she fought in the 6th Division along with " Marlborough " , " Revenge " and " Agincourt " . She was the 23rd ship in line after deployment . She engaged enemy battlecruiser s from 19 . 00 - 19 . 15 achieving hits with her fifth and sixth salvo es . She fired 98 rounds from her main armament during the whole engagement . She was straddled and hit by splinters , but sustained no damage or casualties . Turned to avoid several torpedo es , one of which was seen to pass right alongside . In June 1916 , " Hercules " was transferred to become flagship of the 4th Battle Squadron . 19 August 1916 she was at sea with the Squadron to intercept the German High Seas Fleet ' s attempted raid on Sunderland ; during this foray she carried out the first test of a towed kite balloon ( without observers ) . 24 April 1918 , with she was ordered to Orkney to support " Agincourt " and the 2nd Cruiser Squadron during the last sortie of the High Seas Fleet . 21 November , " Hercules " took part in Operation ZZ . She was in the southern line of ships escorting the nine battleship s , five battlecruiser s , seven light cruiser s and 49 destroyer s of the Imperial German Navy as they were surrendered to the Grand Fleet and sailed to the Firth of Forth . 3 December 1918 , " Hercules " was detached to take the Allied Armistice Commission to Kiel , returning to Rosyth on 10 December . She was accompanied by the destroyers " Verdun " , " Venetia " , " Viceroy " and . On this occasion , she flew three Admiral s ' flags from her single tripod mast . They were flown side by side on the lower yard , a British Vice Admiral ' s and an American Rear Admiral ' s on the ( senior ) starboard side and a French Rear Admiral ' s on the ( junior ) port side thus giving equal dignity to each flag . Junior officers commented that it was all very unseamanlike and irreverently speculated whether the yard could stand the strain . " Hercules " had a reputation as " ' A pugilists ship ' " amongst the men . Many a ' troublemaker ' was posted to " Hercules " . Discipline was strict . She was equipped with a boxing ring . Breaches of discipline , especially those that resulted in arguments or fights , would very often be dealt with by ' volunteering ' those involved to fight in the ring . Large wagers were often placed on these bouts by both the officers and men . Another punishment meted - out , was to lock miscreants in the brig with a length of used heavy hawser . The offender was allowed out as soon as he had , with his bare hands , unpicked the hawser . This might take days and result in ripped and bleeding nails . In February 1919 she was reduced to the Reserve Fleet . On 8 November 1921 , she was sold to a German ship breaker , " Hercules " left Rosyth under tow to be scrapped at Kiel .