HMS Thunderer was the third Orion class battleship built for the Royal Navy and was the last vessel to be constructed by Thames Iron Works. She was the last and largest warship ever built on the River Thames.
By a margin of £1000 she was the most expensive battleship of the 1909 Construction programme built, and after her completion her builders declared bankruptcy. She proved to be the slowest (by a knot) of the Orion class on trials.
During World War 1 Thunderer served in the 2nd Battle Squadron of The Grand Fleet. In December 1914 she was refitted. She was present with 2BS at The Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916, firing 37 13.5" shells. She suffered no damage. In 1917 she was fitted with flying-off platforms on B and X turrets.
As a result of the Washington Naval Convention she was decomissioned in 1921. From 1922 she served as a cadet ship, the sole surviving ship of her class until she was sold for scrap in December 1926.