Canopus class battleship
Encyclopedia
The Canopus class was a group of six pre-dreadnought
battleship
s of the Royal Navy
which were designed by Sir William White
for use in the Far East
and entered service between 1899 and 1902. The lead ship was which was followed by , , , and . The class had primary armament consisting of four 12 inch (305 mm) 35 calibre long guns
and six 6-inch (152 mm) 40 calibre long guns.
The introduction of HMS Dreadnought
in 1906 rendered the class, and all other pre-dreadnought
battleships, obsolete only a few years after the last-of-class entered service in 1902. The class saw service across the globe: in home waters, on the China Station
, in the Mediterranean Fleet
, in the Atlantic
, in Africa, at Archangel, and in the Mediterranean
where HMS Goliath and HMS Ocean were sunk during the Dardanelles campaign
. The four surviving ships were reduced to subsidiary duties late in World War I
and were scrapped in the early 1920s.
to counter the expanding Japanese
navy
and were required to be able to pass through the Suez Canal
. They were designed to be smaller, lighter and faster than their predecessors, the Majestic-class
battleships, although at 421.5 ft (128.5 m) they were slightly longer.
To save weight the Canopus class carried less armour than the Majestics, but a change from Harvey armour in the Majestics to Krupp armour
in the Canopus class meant that the protective capability of the armour was maintained.Pears, p.20, states that only the last Canopus-ship Vengeance had Krupp armour. Still, their armour was light enough to almost make them second-class battleships. Part of their armour scheme included the use of a special 1 in (2.5 cm) armoured deck over the armour belt to defend against plunging fire by the howitzers that France
had reportedly planned to install on its ships, although this report proved to be false.
Like the Majestics, the Canopus class ships had four 12 in (30.5 cm) guns mounted in twin turrets fore and aft. The final ship, Vengeance
, had an improved mounting that allowed loading at any elevation; her turret gunhouses differed from those of her sisters in being Krupp-armoured and flat-sided (Krupp armour plates were difficult to form into curves). The ships mounted twelve 6 in (15.2 cm) gunsSponson
mounting allowing some of them to fire fore and aft. in armoured casemates as well having some smaller guns and four submerged 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo
tubes.
made all pre-dreadnought
battleships, like those of the Canopus class, obsolete. Before World War I
the class saw service in home waters, on the China Station
and in the Mediterranean Fleet
. After the war began they saw service around the world, including home waters, the Atlantic
, Africa
, northern Russia
and the Mediterranean
where two were sunk during the Dardanelles campaign
. The careers of the ships were very similar. The four surviving ships were reduced to subsidiary duties late in the war and were scrapped in the early 1920s.
served in the Home Fleet during 1907 alongside and which served there during 1907–1908 and during 1906–1907. also served there in 1910–1914, along with in 1908–1914. Goliath served there again during 1909–1914, through the renaming of the Home Fleet as the Channel Fleet in 1914.
HMS Albion and Glory went to the Channel Fleet
prior to their Home Fleet service, 1905–1906, together with Canopus, 1906–1907.
served on the China Station
during 1901–1905 and in the Channel Fleet
in 1905–1906, the Home Fleet in 1907, the Atlantic Fleet in 1907–1909, and Home Fleet again during 1909–1914. At the beginning of World War I she was in the Channel Fleet and served in the Atlantic, in South Africa
and West Africa
1914–1915, and in the Mediterranean
1915–1916 where she saw combat against Ottoman
forces in the Dardanelles campaign
. She performed guard ship duty in Ireland and England during 1916–1918 before being reduced to subsidiary service in late 1918. She was scrapped in 1920.
, when Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee
's German squadron arrived there on 8 December 1914. The German squadron was destroyed in the Battle of the Falklands at the hands of the British battle-cruiser squadron. Canopus served in the Mediterranean in 1915–1916 and saw action against Ottoman forces in the Dardanelles campaign. She was decommissioned in 1916 and was scrapped in 1920.
saw service on the China Station 1900–1905, and in the Channel Fleet 1905–1906, Home Fleet 1906–1907, and Mediterranean Fleet 1907–1909, Home Fleet again 1909–1914, and the Channel Fleet upon the outbreak of World War I. She served on the North America and West Indies Station August 1914 – May 1915, and was then transferred to the Mediterranean where she served until 1916, including offering support during the Dardanelles campaign. She served in northern Russia in 1916–1919 and on her return to the United Kingdom was renamed HMS Crescent, performing subsidiary duties. She was sold for scrap in 1922.
served on the China Station 1900–1903, in the Mediterranean Fleet 1906–1907, Home Fleet 1907–1908, Mediterranean Fleet again 1908–1909, and Home Fleet 1909–1914. At the outbreak of World War I she was in the Channel Fleet. She transferred to the East Indies Station
and saw action in German East Africa
in 1914–1915, including operations against the German light cruiser
SMS Königsberg. She was transferred to the Mediterranean in 1915, where she saw action against Ottoman forces in the Dardanelles campaign. She was torpedoed and sunk on 13 May 1915.
served in the Mediterranean Fleet 1900–1901, on the China Station 1901–1905, in the Channel Fleet 1906–1908, in the Mediterranean Fleet again 1908–1910, and in the Home Fleet 1910–1914. She was in the Channel Fleet at the beginning of World War I. She performed guard ship duty in Ireland
, served on the East Indies Station
, and transferred to the Mediterranean before the end of 1914. In 1915 she joined the Dardanelles campaign where she struck a mine and sank while also under fire from Ottoman shore batteries on 18 March 1915.
served in the Mediterranean Fleet 1902–1903, on the China Station 1903–1905, in the Channel Fleet 1906–1908, and in the Home Fleet 1908–1914. She began her World War I service in the Channel Fleet, then served in Egypt
and the Atlantic in 1914–1915 before being transferred to the Mediterranean where she saw action against Ottoman forces in the Dardanelles campaign of 1915. She served in East Africa
1916–1917 and then in subsidiary duties in home waters. She was scrapped in 1922.
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
which were designed by Sir William White
William Henry White
Sir William Henry White was a prolific British warship designer and Chief Constructor at the Admiralty....
for use in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
and entered service between 1899 and 1902. The lead ship was which was followed by , , , and . The class had primary armament consisting of four 12 inch (305 mm) 35 calibre long guns
BL 12 inch naval gun Mk VIII
The BL 12 inch naval gun Mark VIII was one of the first large British naval guns designed for the higher pressures generated by the new cordite propellant, and Britain's first large wire-wound gun...
and six 6-inch (152 mm) 40 calibre long guns.
The introduction of HMS Dreadnought
HMS Dreadnought (1906)
HMS Dreadnought was a battleship of the British Royal Navy that revolutionised naval power. Her entry into service in 1906 represented such a marked advance in naval technology that her name came to be associated with an entire generation of battleships, the "dreadnoughts", as well as the class of...
in 1906 rendered the class, and all other pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
battleships, obsolete only a few years after the last-of-class entered service in 1902. The class saw service across the globe: in home waters, on the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
, in the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
, in the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, in Africa, at Archangel, and in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
where HMS Goliath and HMS Ocean were sunk during the Dardanelles campaign
Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign
The naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign of the First World War were mainly carried out by the Royal Navy with substantial support from the French and minor contributions from Russia and Australia. The Dardanelles Campaign began as a purely naval operation...
. The four surviving ships were reduced to subsidiary duties late in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and were scrapped in the early 1920s.
Design
General characteristics
The Canopus class battleships were designed for use in the Far EastFar East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
to counter the expanding Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
and were required to be able to pass through the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
. They were designed to be smaller, lighter and faster than their predecessors, the Majestic-class
Majestic class battleship
The Majestic class was a class of pre-dreadnought battleships, built under the Spencer Programme of 8 December 1893, that sought to counter the growing naval strength of France and the Russian Empire...
battleships, although at 421.5 ft (128.5 m) they were slightly longer.
Armour
The armoured belt, situated at the waterline of the vessel, was 6 inches (15.2 cm) thick.To save weight the Canopus class carried less armour than the Majestics, but a change from Harvey armour in the Majestics to Krupp armour
Krupp armour
Krupp armour was a type of steel armour used in the construction of capital ships starting shortly before the end of the 19th century. It was developed by Germany's Krupp Arms Works in 1893 and quickly replaced Harvey armour as the primary method of protecting naval ships.The initial manufacturing...
in the Canopus class meant that the protective capability of the armour was maintained.Pears, p.20, states that only the last Canopus-ship Vengeance had Krupp armour. Still, their armour was light enough to almost make them second-class battleships. Part of their armour scheme included the use of a special 1 in (2.5 cm) armoured deck over the armour belt to defend against plunging fire by the howitzers that France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
had reportedly planned to install on its ships, although this report proved to be false.
Armament
HMS Vengeance (1899)
HMS Vengeance was a Royal Navy predreadnought battleship of the Canopus class.-Technical Characteristics:HMS Vengeance was laid down by Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness on 23 August 1898 and launched on 25 July 1899. Her completion was delayed by damage to the fitting-out dock, and she was not...
, had an improved mounting that allowed loading at any elevation; her turret gunhouses differed from those of her sisters in being Krupp-armoured and flat-sided (Krupp armour plates were difficult to form into curves). The ships mounted twelve 6 in (15.2 cm) gunsSponson
Sponson
Sponsons are projections from the sides of a watercraft, for protection, stability, or the mounting of equipment such as armaments or lifeboats, etc...
mounting allowing some of them to fire fore and aft. in armoured casemates as well having some smaller guns and four submerged 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
tubes.
Propulsion
The Canopuses were the first British battleships with water-tube boilers, which generated more power for their weight when compared with the cylindrical boilers used in previous ships. The new boilers led to the adoption of fore-and-aft funnels, rather than the side-by-side funnel arrangement used in many previous British battleships. The Canopus-class ships proved to be good steamers, consuming 10 ST (9.1 MT) of coal per hour at full speed. At 18 kn (9.8 m/s) they were fast for battleships of their time, a full 2 kn (2.4 mph) faster than the Majestics. The Canopuses were able to reach 4500 mi (7,242 km) at 10 kn (5.4 m/s) with a full load of coal.Service history
| Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thames Iron Works | 3 December 1896 | 21 June 1898 | June 1901 | Scrapped 1920 | |
| Portsmouth Dockyard Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... |
4 January 1897 | 12 October 1897 | December 1899 | Scrapped 1920 | |
| Laird Cammell Laird Cammell Laird, one of the most famous names in British shipbuilding during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, came about following the merger of Laird, Son & Co. of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co. of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century.- Founding of the business :The Company... , Birkenhead Birkenhead Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool... |
1 December 1897 | 11 March 1899 | October 1900 | Scrapped 1922 | |
| Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional... |
4 January 1897 | 23 March 1898 | March 1900 | Sunk May 1915 by torpedo Torpedo The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for... |
|
| Devonport Dockyard HMNB Devonport Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England... |
15 February 1897 | 5 July 1898 | February 1900 | Mined Naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel... March 1915 |
|
| Vickers Vickers Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &... , Barrow Barrow-in-Furness Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle... |
23 August 1898 | 25 July 1899 | April 1902 | Scrapped 1921 |
made all pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
battleships, like those of the Canopus class, obsolete. Before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the class saw service in home waters, on the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
and in the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
. After the war began they saw service around the world, including home waters, the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, northern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
where two were sunk during the Dardanelles campaign
Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign
The naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign of the First World War were mainly carried out by the Royal Navy with substantial support from the French and minor contributions from Russia and Australia. The Dardanelles Campaign began as a purely naval operation...
. The careers of the ships were very similar. The four surviving ships were reduced to subsidiary duties late in the war and were scrapped in the early 1920s.
served in the Home Fleet during 1907 alongside and which served there during 1907–1908 and during 1906–1907. also served there in 1910–1914, along with in 1908–1914. Goliath served there again during 1909–1914, through the renaming of the Home Fleet as the Channel Fleet in 1914.
HMS Albion and Glory went to the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
prior to their Home Fleet service, 1905–1906, together with Canopus, 1906–1907.
HMS
Albion HMS AlbionHMS Albion (1898)
HMS Albion was a British Canopus-class predreadnought battleship.-Technical Description:HMS Albion was laid down by Thames Iron Works at Leamouth, London on 3 December 1896...
served on the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
during 1901–1905 and in the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
in 1905–1906, the Home Fleet in 1907, the Atlantic Fleet in 1907–1909, and Home Fleet again during 1909–1914. At the beginning of World War I she was in the Channel Fleet and served in the Atlantic, in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
1914–1915, and in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
1915–1916 where she saw combat against Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
forces in the Dardanelles campaign
Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign
The naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign of the First World War were mainly carried out by the Royal Navy with substantial support from the French and minor contributions from Russia and Australia. The Dardanelles Campaign began as a purely naval operation...
. She performed guard ship duty in Ireland and England during 1916–1918 before being reduced to subsidiary service in late 1918. She was scrapped in 1920.
HMS Canopus
HMS Canopus served in the Mediterranean Fleet 1899–1903, Atlantic Fleet 1905–1906, Channel Fleet 1906–1907, Home Fleet 1907–1908, Mediterranean Fleet again in 1908–1909, and Home Fleet again during 1909–1914. She began World War I in the Channel Fleet in 1914, then served in the Atlantic and on the South America Station. While on the South America Station she was guard ship at Stanley, Falkland IslandsStanley, Falkland Islands
Stanley is the capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2006 census, the city had a population of 2,115...
, when Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee
Maximilian von Spee
Vice Admiral Maximilian Reichsgraf von Spee was a German admiral. Although he was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the counts von Spee belonged to the prominent families of the Rhenish nobility. He joined the Kaiserliche Marine in 1878. In 1887–88 he commanded the Kamerun ports, in German West...
's German squadron arrived there on 8 December 1914. The German squadron was destroyed in the Battle of the Falklands at the hands of the British battle-cruiser squadron. Canopus served in the Mediterranean in 1915–1916 and saw action against Ottoman forces in the Dardanelles campaign. She was decommissioned in 1916 and was scrapped in 1920.
HMS
Glory HMS GloryHMS Glory (1899)
HMS Glory was a Royal Navy battleship of the Canopus class.-Technical Characteristics:HMS Glory and her five sister ships were designed for service in the Far East, where the new rising power Japan was beginning to build a powerful and dangerous navy, and to able to transit the Suez Canal...
saw service on the China Station 1900–1905, and in the Channel Fleet 1905–1906, Home Fleet 1906–1907, and Mediterranean Fleet 1907–1909, Home Fleet again 1909–1914, and the Channel Fleet upon the outbreak of World War I. She served on the North America and West Indies Station August 1914 – May 1915, and was then transferred to the Mediterranean where she served until 1916, including offering support during the Dardanelles campaign. She served in northern Russia in 1916–1919 and on her return to the United Kingdom was renamed HMS Crescent, performing subsidiary duties. She was sold for scrap in 1922.
HMS
Goliath HMS GoliathHMS Goliath (1898)
HMS Goliath was one of the six Canopus-class pre-dreadnought battleships built by the Royal Navy in the late 19th century. In the First World War Goliath took part in the blockade of the German light cruiser in the Rufiji River but unsuccessful to bombard the cruiser in the delta.On 13 May 1915...
served on the China Station 1900–1903, in the Mediterranean Fleet 1906–1907, Home Fleet 1907–1908, Mediterranean Fleet again 1908–1909, and Home Fleet 1909–1914. At the outbreak of World War I she was in the Channel Fleet. She transferred to the East Indies Station
East Indies Station
The East Indies Station was a formation of the British Royal Navy from 1865 to 1941.From 1831 to 1865 the East Indies and the China Station were a single command known as the East Indies and China Station...
and saw action in German East Africa
German East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
in 1914–1915, including operations against the German light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
SMS Königsberg. She was transferred to the Mediterranean in 1915, where she saw action against Ottoman forces in the Dardanelles campaign. She was torpedoed and sunk on 13 May 1915.
HMS Ocean
HMS OceanHMS Ocean (1898)
The fourth HMS Ocean was a Canopus-class battleship of the British Royal Navy.-Technical Description:HMS Ocean was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 15 December 1897, launched on 5 July 1898, and completed in February 1900...
served in the Mediterranean Fleet 1900–1901, on the China Station 1901–1905, in the Channel Fleet 1906–1908, in the Mediterranean Fleet again 1908–1910, and in the Home Fleet 1910–1914. She was in the Channel Fleet at the beginning of World War I. She performed guard ship duty in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, served on the East Indies Station
East Indies Station
The East Indies Station was a formation of the British Royal Navy from 1865 to 1941.From 1831 to 1865 the East Indies and the China Station were a single command known as the East Indies and China Station...
, and transferred to the Mediterranean before the end of 1914. In 1915 she joined the Dardanelles campaign where she struck a mine and sank while also under fire from Ottoman shore batteries on 18 March 1915.
HMS Vengeance
HMS VengeanceHMS Vengeance (1899)
HMS Vengeance was a Royal Navy predreadnought battleship of the Canopus class.-Technical Characteristics:HMS Vengeance was laid down by Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness on 23 August 1898 and launched on 25 July 1899. Her completion was delayed by damage to the fitting-out dock, and she was not...
served in the Mediterranean Fleet 1902–1903, on the China Station 1903–1905, in the Channel Fleet 1906–1908, and in the Home Fleet 1908–1914. She began her World War I service in the Channel Fleet, then served in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the Atlantic in 1914–1915 before being transferred to the Mediterranean where she saw action against Ottoman forces in the Dardanelles campaign of 1915. She served in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
1916–1917 and then in subsidiary duties in home waters. She was scrapped in 1922.