HMS Majestic (1895)

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Career

Builder:	Portsmouth Dockyard
Laid down:
Launched:	31 January 1895
Commissioned:	December 1895
Status:	Torpedoed and sunk, May 27, 1915
General Characteristics
Displacement:	14,900 tons
Length:	413 ft (126 m)
Beam:
Speed:	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
Complement:	757
Armament:	4 × 12 inch (300 mm) guns 12 × 6 inch (152 mm) guns 16 × 12 pdr guns 12 × 3 pdr guns 5 torpedo tubes

HMS Majestic was a Majestic-class pre-Dreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy, built at Portsmouth Dockyard and commissioned into the Channel Squadron in December 1895. In 1906 Majestic joined the Atlantic Fleet briefly before being relegated to reserve. In 1912 Majestic joined the Home Fleet. She collided with her sister ship Victorious in July of that year.

At the outbreak of World War I, Majestic served with the Battle Squadron and performed convoy escort and coastal bombardment duties. In 1915, under the command of Captain H. F. G. Talbot, Majestic joined the Mediterranean Fleet and participated in the Dardanelles Campaign including the final attempt to force the straits by naval power alone on March 18, 1915.

Majestic sinking

On May 27, while stationed off W Beach at Cape Helles, Majestic became the third battleship to be torpedoed off the Gallipoli peninsula in two weeks. Around 06:45 Commander Otto Hersing of the U-21 fired a single torpedo through the defensive screen of destroyers and anti-torpedo nets, striking Majestic and causing a huge explosion. The ship began to list to port and in nine minutes had capsized in 16 metres of water, killing 49 men. The upturned hull remained visible for many months until it was finally submerged during a storm on the night of November 17.

See HMS Majestic for other ships of the name.