The term pre-dreadnought refers to the last type of battleship before HMS Dreadnought (1906). They were designed and built between about 1890 and 1908. Pre-dreadnoughts were evolved from earlier turret and barbette ships. A classic example of pre-dreadnought was the Royal Navy's Royal Sovereign class. They were characterized by having a main battery of (typically) four 12-inch (305 mm) guns in two turrets, one fore and one aft, an intermediate battery of a number of guns in the 8- to 10-inch range placed in the superstructure, and a tertiary battery of light, rapid-fire guns for defence against torpedo boats. The mixed armament was ideal for the battle ranges of approximately 3,000 yards that pre-dreadnoughts were designed for. The smaller weapons "smothered" (peppered with holes) the "upp