HMS Majestic (1895)

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HMS Majestic
Career (United Kingdom) Royal Navy Ensign
Name: HMS Majestic
Builder: Portsmouth Dockyard
Laid down: 5 February 1894
Launched: 31 January 1895
Completed: December 1895
Commissioned: 12 December 1895
Fate: Torpedoed and sunk, 27 May 1915
General characteristics
Displacement: 14,900 tons
Length: 413 ft (126 m)
Beam: 75 ft (23 m)
Draught: 27.5 ft (8.4 m)
Propulsion: water tube boilers, triple expansion steam engines, 2 screws
Speed: 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
Complement: 757
Armament: 4 × 12 inch (305 mm) guns
12 × 6 inch (152 mm) guns
16 × 12 pdr guns
12 × 3 pdr guns
5 torpedo tubes
Armour: Harvey armour. 9 inch (200 mm) side belt, 3 inch (80 mm) deck, 10 inch (250 mm) barbettes, 5 inch (100 mm) secondary turrets
For other ships of the same name, see HMS Majestic.

HMS Majestic was a Majestic-class pre-Dreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy.

Contents

[edit] Technical Characteristics

HMS Majestic was laid down at Portsmouth Dockyard on 5 February 1894 and launched on 31 January 1895.[1]

[edit] Operational History

HMS Majestic commissioned into the Channel Squadron on 12 December 1895. She was present at the Fleet Review at Spithead for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria on 26 June 1897 and at the Coronation Review for King Edward VII on 16 August 1902. She underwent a refit at Portsmouth from February to July 1904, and she became a unit of the Atlantic Fleet when a reorganization resulted in the Channel Fleet becoming the Atlantic Fleet in January 1905. On 1 October 1906, she paid off into reserve at Portsmouth.[2]

Majestic recommissioned at Portsmouth on 26 February 1907 to become flagship of the Nore Division in the new Home Fleet, stationed at the Nore. She began a refit later that year in which she received radio and new fire control systems.[3] When the flag was transferred to another ship in January 1908, she became a private ship in the Nore Division.[4]

In June 1908, Majestic transferred to the Devonport Division of the Home Fleet, stationed at Devonport. Her refit was completed in 1909, and in March 1909 she transferred to the 3rd Division at Devonport, then in August 1910 to the 4th Division at Devonport, where she underwent another refit in 1911.[5]

In May 1912, Majestic became part of the 7th Battle Squadron in the 3rd Fleet at Devonport. On 14 July 1912 she collided with her sister ship HMS Victorious during maneuvers, suffering no serious damage.[6]

Upon the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, Majestic and the rest of the 7th Battle Squadron were assigned to the Channel Fleet. Majestic underwent a refit in August and September 1914, then covered the passage of the British Expeditionary Force to France in September 1914. She was detached from the 7th Battle Squadron from 3 October 1914 to 14 October 1914 to escort the first Canadian troop convoy.[7]

At the end of October 1914, Majestic was transferred to the Nore to serve as guard ship there. On 3 November 1914, she transferred to the Humber to serve as guard ship there. In December 1914 she became a unit of the Dover Patrol, and combined with battleship HMS Revenge to bombard German coastal artillery from off of Nieuwpoort, Belgium, on 15 December 1914. In January 1915, she was based at Portland.[8]

In February 1915, Majestic was assigned to participate in the upcoming Dardanelles Campaign to open the Turkish Straits, and she departed early that month under the command of Captain H. F. G. Talbot to join the Mediterranean Fleet. Upon arriving at Malta, she was fitted with what was termed "mine-catching" gear[9] so that she could serve as a "mine-bumper".[10] She joined the Dardenelles force on 24 February 1915, and on 26 February 1915 departed Tenedos to bombard the Ottoman Turkish inner forts at the Dardanelles that morning.[11]

On 26 February 1915, Majestic and battleships HMS Albion and HMS Triumph became the first Allied heavy ships to enter the Turkish Straits during the campaign, firing on the inner forts from 0914 until 1740 hours. Majestic took a hit below the waterline, but was able to continue operations and patrolled the area again on 27 February 1915. She supported the early landings, shelling the forts from 1125 until 1645 hours on 1 March 1915 and again while parolling on 3 March 1915. She arrived at Mudros on 8 March 1915.[12]

On 9 March 1915, Majestic circumnaviagted the entrance to the Dardanelles and bombarded Ottoman Turkish positions from 1007 until 1215 hours. She returned to Tenedos on 10 March 1915, patrolled off the Dardanelles again on 15 March 1915, and again returned to Tenedos on 16 March 1915.[13]

Majestic participated in the final attempt to force the straits by naval power alone on 18 March 1915. She opened fire on Fort 9 at 1420 hours and also engaged Turkish field guns hidden in woods. She shelled Fort 9 while the fort fired on the mortally damaged battleship HMS Ocean, not ceasing fire until 1835 hours. Majestic was hit four times, twice in her lower tops and twice on her forecastle, and returned to Tenedos at 2200 hours with one dead and some wounded crew members.[14]

Majestic returned to patrol duties on 22 March 1915. She shelled Turkish positions on 28 March 1915 from 0950 to 1015 and from 1250 to 1340 hours and again opened fire on 14 April at 1458 hours. On 18 April, she fired on the abandoned British submarine E15 aground near Fort Dardanos and in danger of being captured; two picket boats, one from Majestic and one from Triumph, destroyed E15 with torpedoes, although the boat from Majestic was itself sunk by Turkish shore batteries while retiring. Majestic returned to Tenedos on 21 April 1915.[15]

On 25 April 1915, Majestic was back in action, signalling London that Allied landings had begun at Gallipoli and supporting them with coastal bombardments until 1915 hours. She brought 99 wounded troops aboard at 2110 hours and recovered all her boats before anchoring off Gallipoli for the night. On 26 April 1915, she was back in action early, opening fire at 0617 hours. On 27 April 1915 she exchanged fire with Turkish guns, with several Turkish shells achieing very near misses before both sides ceased firing at 1130 hours. On 29 April 1915 she again was anchored off Gallipoli.[16]

Majestic relieved Triumph as flagship of Admiral Nicholson,[17]

Majestic sinking
Majestic sinking

On 27 May 1915, while stationed off W Beach at Cape Helles, Majestic became the third battleship to be torpedoed off the Gallipoli peninsula in two weeks. Around 0645 hours, Commander Otto Hersing of the German submarine 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[18] had capsized in 54 feet (16 metres) of water, killing 49 men.[19] Her masts hit the mud of the sea bottom, and her upturned hull remained visible for many months until it was finally submerged when her foremast collapsed during a storm[20] on the night of 17 November 1915.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Burt, p. 130
  2. ^ Burt, p. 130
  3. ^ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921, p. 7
  4. ^ Burt, p. 130
  5. ^ Burt, p. 130
  6. ^ Burt, p.130
  7. ^ Burt, p. 130
  8. ^ Burt, p. 130
  9. ^ Burt, p. 130
  10. ^ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921, p. 7.
  11. ^ Burt, p. 130
  12. ^ Burt, p.130
  13. ^ Burt, p. 130
  14. ^ Burt, pp. 130-131
  15. ^ Burt, p. 131
  16. ^ Burt, p. 131
  17. ^ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921, p. 7 commanding the squadrons supporting the troops ashore off Cape Helles on 25 May 1915.<ref>Burt, p. 131, although ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921'', p. 7, says that the date of becoming flagship was 26 May 1915</li> <li id="cite_note-17">'''[[#cite_ref-17|^]]''' ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921'', p. 7, says she capsized in seven minutes</li> <li id="cite_note-18">'''[[#cite_ref-18|^]]''' Burt, p.131, and ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921'', p. 7, put the total lost at 40 men.</li> <li id="cite_note-19">'''[[#cite_ref-19|^]]''' Burt, p. 131</li></ol></ref>

[edit] References

  • Burt, R. A. British Battleships 1889-1904. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1988. ISBN 0870210610.
  • Chesneau, Riger, and Eugene M. Kolesnik, eds., Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905, (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1979), ISBN 0-85177-133-5
  • Dittmar, F. J and Colledge, J. J., "British Warships 1914-1919, (Ian Allen, London, 1972), ISBN 0-7110-0380-7
  • Gray, Randal, Ed. Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985. ISBN 0870219073.

[edit] External links

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