 A postcard ofCenturion under way, about 1913 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Centurion |
| Namesake | Romancenturion |
| Builder | HM Dockyard, Devonport |
| Laid down | 16 January 1911 |
| Launched | 18 November 1911 |
| Commissioned | 22 May 1913 |
| Decommissioned | 1924 |
| Reclassified | As atarget ship, 1927 |
| Fate | Sunk as aMulberry harbourblockship offNormandy, 7 June 1944 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class & type | King George V-classdreadnought battleship |
| Displacement | 25,420long tons (25,830 t) (normal) |
| Length | 597 ft 9 in (182.2 m) (o/a) |
| Beam | 89 ft 1 in (27.2 m) |
| Draught | 28 ft 8 in (8.7 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 4 × shafts; 2 ×steam turbine sets |
| Speed | 21knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) |
| Range | 6,310 nmi (11,690 km; 7,260 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 862 (1913) |
| Armament |
|
| Armour | |
HMSCenturion was the second of fourKing George V-classdreadnought battleships built for theRoyal Navy in the early 1910s. She spent the bulk of her career assigned to theHome andGrand Fleets. Aside from participating in the failed attempt to intercept the German ships that hadbombarded Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby in late 1914, and theBattle of Jutland in May 1916, her service during theFirst World War generally consisted of routine patrols and training in theNorth Sea.
By the end of 1919,Centurion had been transferred to theMediterranean Fleet. Although she spent much of her time inreserve, she had a peripheral role in theAllied intervention in the Russian Civil War. After her return home in 1924, the ship became the flagship of the Reserve Fleet. In 1926Centurion was converted into atarget ship and participated in trials evaluating the effectiveness ofaerial bombing in addition to her normal duties. During theSecond World War, the ship was rearmed with light weapons and was converted into ablockship in 1941. When that operation was cancelled, she was then modified into adecoy with dummygun turrets in an attempt to fool theAxis powers.Centurion was sent to the Mediterranean in 1942 to escort aconvoy to Malta, although the Italians quickly saw through the deception. The ship was deliberately sunk during theInvasion of Normandy in 1944 to form abreakwater.
TheKing George V-class ships were designed as enlarged and improved versions of the precedingOrion-class battleship.[1] They had anoverall length of 597 feet 9 inches (182.2 m), abeam of 89 feet 1 inch (27.2 m) and adraught of 28 feet 8 inches (8.7 m). Theydisplaced 25,420long tons (25,830 t) at normal load and 27,120 long tons (27,560 t) atdeep load.Centurion's crew numbered 862 officers andratings upon completion.[2]
Ships of theKing George V class were powered by two sets ofParsonsdirect-drivesteam turbines, each driving two shafts, using steam provided by 18Yarrow boilers. The turbines were rated at 27,000shaft horsepower (20,000 kW) and were intended to give the battleships a speed of 21knots (39 km/h; 24 mph).[3] During hersea trials on 19–20 February 1913,Centurion reached a maximum speed of 22.9 knots (42.4 km/h; 26.4 mph) from 34,530 shp (25,750 kW). She carried enough coal andfuel oil to give her a range of 6,310nautical miles (11,690 km; 7,260 mi) at a cruising speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[4]
Like theOrion class, theKing George Vs were equipped with 10breech-loading (BL)13.5-inch (343 mm) Mark V guns in five hydraulically powered twin-gun turrets, all on the centreline. The turrets were designated 'A', 'B', 'Q', 'X' and 'Y', from front to rear. Theirsecondary armament consisted of 16BL 4-inch (102 mm) Mark VII guns. Eight of these were mounted in the forwardsuperstructure, four in the aft superstructure, and four incasemates in the side of the hull abreast of the forward main gun turrets, all in single mounts. Four47 mm (1.9 in)saluting guns were also carried. The ships were equipped with three21-inch (533 mm) submergedtorpedo tubes, one on eachbroadside and another in thestern, for which 14 torpedoes were provided.[5]
TheKing George V-class ships were protected by awaterline 12-inch (305 mm)armoured belt that extended between the endbarbettes. Theirdecks ranged in thickness between 1 inch (25 mm) and 4 inches with the thickest portions protecting the steering gear in the stern. Themain battery turret faces were 11 inches (279 mm) thick, and the turrets were supported by 10-inch-thick (254 mm) barbettes.[2]
Afire-control director was installed on the roof of thespotting top before August 1914; her original poleforemast was reinforced by short tripod legs to stiffen it and allow it to bear the weight of the director.[6] By October 1914, a pair of three-inch (76 mm)anti-aircraft (AA) guns had been added[7] on thequarterdeck. Approximately 80 long tons (81 t) of additional deck armour was added after the Battle of Jutland. By April 1917, the four-inch guns had been removed from the hull casemates as they were frequently unusable in heavy seas. The casemates were plated over and some of the compartments were used for accommodations. In addition, one of the three-inch AA guns was replaced by a four-inch AA gun. Her stern torpedo tube was removed in either 1917 or 1918 andflying-off platforms were fitted on the roofs of 'B' and 'X' turrets during 1918.[8]
WhenCenturion was initially converted for use as a radio-controlled target ship for use by ships with guns up to 8 inches (203 mm) in diameter in 1926, the conversion was initially fairly minimal. All of her small fittings were removed, her boilers were converted to use diesel fuel instead of coal and numerous radio antennas were added for use by her controlling ship, thedestroyerShikari. The ship could steam at speeds of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) for three hours. Her gun turrets were removed shortly afterwards and some of the former coal bunkers were filled with rocks to compensate for weight of the turrets. This increased her draught to 31 feet 3 inches (9.5 m) which reduced the chances of steeply diving shells fired at maximum range penetrating beneath the armour belt. The ship was maintained by a crew of 242 who sailed her to the firing range and then disembarked. The spotting top was removed by 22 September 1930 and her forward superstructure was cut down and herfunnels were shortened in 1933 in preparation for aircraft bombing trials.[9]
Centurion was armed with a variety of weapons in June 1940 as the threat of German invasion increased and was then modified to serve as a repair ship for the local defence ships based in Devonport. In April–May 1941, she was converted into a blockship,[10] with hermagazines now serving as fuel tanks, but she was then modified with false gun turrets and masts to serve as a decoy for the battleshipHMS Anson. Her armament now comprised two2-pounder (40 mm) Mk II "pom-pom"s and eight20-millimetre (0.8 in) Oerlikon light AA guns, all on single mounts. The ship's anti-aircraft armament was augmented in June 1942 with two additional "pom-pom"s and nine more Oerlikons.[11]
Centurion, named after theRoman Army rank ofcenturion,[12] was the sixth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy.[13] She waslaid down atHM Dockyard, Devonport on 16 January 1911 andlaunched on 18 November.[14] While conducting her sea trials on the night of 9/10 December,Centurion accidentallyrammed and sank the ItaliansteamerSS Derna with the loss of all hands. The battleship'sbow was badly damaged and the ship was under repair until March 1913. She cost£1,950,671 at completion and wascommissioned on 22 May, joining hersister ships in the2nd Battle Squadron (BS). The ship was present with the 2nd BS to receive thePresident of France,Raymond Poincaré, atSpithead on 24 June. All four sisters represented the Royal Navy during the celebrations of the re-opening of theKaiser Wilhelm Canal, held in conjunction withKiel Week, inKiel, Germany, in June 1914.[15]
Between 17 and 20 July 1914,Centurion took part in a testmobilisation and fleet review as part of the British response to theJuly Crisis. Arriving inPortland on 25 July, she was ordered to proceed with the rest of the Home Fleet toScapa Flow four days later[15] to safeguard the fleet from a possible surprise attack by theImperial German Navy.[16] In August 1914, following the outbreak of the First World War, the Home Fleet was reorganised as theGrand Fleet, and placed under the command ofAdmiral SirJohn Jellicoe.[17] Repeated reports of submarines in Scapa Flow led Jellicoe to conclude that the defences there were inadequate and he ordered that the Grand Fleet be dispersed to other bases until the defences be reinforced. On 16 October the 2nd BS was sent toLoch na Keal on the western coast of Scotland. The squadron departed for gunnery practice off the northern coast of Ireland on the morning of 27 October and her sisterAudacious struck amine, laid a few days earlier by the German auxiliaryminelayerSS Berlin. Thinking that the ship had been torpedoed by a submarine, the other dreadnoughts were ordered away from the area, while smaller ships rendered assistance. On the evening of 22 November 1914, the Grand Fleet conducted a fruitless sweep in the southern half of theNorth Sea;Centurion stood with the main body in support ofVice-AdmiralDavid Beatty's1st Battlecruiser Squadron. The fleet was back in port in Scapa Flow by 27 November.[18]
The Royal Navy'sRoom 40 hadintercepted and decrypted German radio traffic containing plans for a German attack onScarborough,Hartlepool andWhitby in mid-December using the fourbattlecruisers ofKonteradmiral (Rear-Admiral)Franz von Hipper'sI Scouting Group. The radio messages did not mention that theHigh Seas Fleet with fourteen dreadnoughts and eightpre-dreadnoughts would reinforce Hipper. The ships of both sides departed their bases on 15 December, with the British intending to ambush the German ships on their return voyage. They mustered the six dreadnoughts of the 2nd BS, includingCenturion and her sistersAjax andKing George V, and stood with the main body in support of Beatty's four battlecruisers.[19]
The screening forces of each side blundered into each other during the early morning darkness of 16 December in heavy weather. The Germans got the better of the initial exchange of fire, severely damaging several British destroyers, but von Ingenohl, commander of the High Seas Fleet, ordered his ships to turn away, concerned about the possibility of a massed attack by British destroyers in the dawn's light. A series of miscommunications and mistakes by the British allowed Hipper's ships to avoid an engagement with Beatty's forces.[20]
Jellicoe's ships, includingCenturion, conducted gunnery drills on 10–13 January 1915 west ofOrkney and theShetland Islands. On the evening of 23 January, the bulk of the Grand Fleet sailed in support of Beatty's battlecruisers, butCenturion and the rest of the fleet did not participate in the ensuingBattle of Dogger Bank the following day. The ship was refitted atCromarty, Scotland, from 25 January to 22 February. On 7–10 March, the Grand Fleet conducted a sweep in the northern North Sea, during which it conducted training manoeuvres. Another such cruise took place on 16–19 March. On 11 April, the Grand Fleet conducted a patrol in the central North Sea and returned to port on 14 April; another patrol in the area took place on 17–19 April, followed by gunnery drills off Shetland on 20–21 April.[21]
The Grand Fleet conducted sweeps into the central North Sea on 17–19 May and 29–31 May without encountering any German vessels. During 11–14 June, the fleet conducted gunnery practice and battle exercises west of Shetland[22] and more training off Shetland beginning on 11 July. The 2nd BS conducted gunnery practice in theMoray Firth on 2 August and then returned to Scapa Flow. On 2–5 September, the fleet went on another cruise in the northern end of the North Sea and conducted gunnery drills. Throughout the rest of the month, the Grand Fleet conducted numerous training exercises. The ship, together with the majority of the Grand Fleet, conducted another sweep into the North Sea from 13 to 15 October. Almost three weeks later,Centurion participated in another fleet training operation west of Orkney during 2–5 November and repeated the exercise at the beginning of December.[23]
The Grand Fleet sortied in response to an attack by German ships on British light forces near Dogger Bank on 10 February 1916, but it was recalled two days later when it became clear that no German ships larger than a destroyer were involved. The fleet departed for a cruise in the North Sea on 26 February; Jellicoe had intended to use theHarwich Force to sweep theHeligoland Bight, but bad weather prevented operations in the southern North Sea. As a result, the operation was confined to the northern end of the sea. Another sweep began on 6 March, but had to be abandoned the following day as the weather grew too severe for the escorting destroyers. On the night of 25 March,Centurion and the rest of the fleet sailed from Scapa Flow to support Beatty's battlecruisers and other light forces raiding the GermanZeppelin base atTondern. By the time the Grand Fleet approached the area on 26 March, the British and German forces had already disengaged and a stronggale threatened the light craft, so the fleet was ordered to return to base. On 21 April, the Grand Fleet conducted a demonstration offHorns Reef to distract the Germans while theImperial Russian Navy relaid its defensiveminefields in theBaltic Sea.[24] The fleet returned to Scapa Flow on 24 April and refuelled before proceeding south in response to intelligence reports that the Germans were about to launch araid on Lowestoft, but only arrived in the area after the Germans had withdrawn. On 2–4 May, the fleet conducted another demonstration off Horns Reef to keep German attention focused on the North Sea.[25] It is uncertain ifCenturion participated in this as she received a brief refit atInvergordon, Scotland, during the month.[15]
In an attempt to lure out and destroy a portion of the Grand Fleet, the High Seas Fleet, composed of sixteen dreadnoughts, six pre-dreadnoughts and supporting ships, departed theJade Bight early on the morning of 31 May. The fleet sailed in concert with Hipper's five battlecruisers. Room 40 had intercepted and decrypted German radio traffic containing plans of the operation. In response the Admiralty ordered the Grand Fleet, totalling some 28 dreadnoughts and 9 battlecruisers, to sortie the night before to cut off and destroy the High Seas Fleet.[26]
On 31 May,Centurion, under the command ofCaptain SirMichael Culme-Seymour, was the third ship from the head of thebattle line after deployment.[27] The ship was only lightly engaged at Jutland, firing foursalvos (totalling 19armour-piercing shells) at the battlecruiserSMS Lützow at 19:16[Note 1] beforeOrion blockedCenturion's view, failing to hit her target.[28]
Centurion was being refitted when the Grand Fleet sortied on 18 August to ambush the High Seas Fleet while it advanced into the southern North Sea,[15][29] but a series of miscommunications and mistakes prevented Jellicoe from intercepting the German fleet before it returned to port. Two light cruisers were sunk by GermanU-boats during the operation, prompting Jellicoe to decide to not risk the major units of the fleet south of 55° 30' North due to the prevalence of German submarines and mines. TheAdmiralty concurred and stipulated that the Grand Fleet would not sortie unless the German fleet was attempting an invasion of Britain or there was a strong possibility it could be forced into an engagement under suitable conditions.[30]
In April 1918, the High Seas Fleet again sortied, to attack British convoys to Norway. They enforced strict wireless silence during the operation, which prevented Room 40 cryptanalysts from warning the new commander of the Grand Fleet, Admiral Beatty. The British only learned of the operation after an accident aboard the battlecruiserSMS Moltke forced her to break radio silence to inform the German commander of her condition. Beatty then ordered the Grand Fleet to sea to intercept the Germans, but he was not able to reach the High Seas Fleet before it turned back for Germany.[31] The ship was present atRosyth, Scotland, when the High Seas Fleet surrendered there on 21 November.[15]
By 18 December 1919,Centurion had been assigned to the4th Battle Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet.[32] In March 1920, the ship was temporarily placed in reserve, but was recommissioned on 8 August.[15][33][34] During theAllied intervention in the Russian Civil War,Centurion participated in an exchange ofprisoners of war with the victoriousBolsheviks inGeorgia in October–November. After the destroyerTobago struck a mine nearTrebizond on 12 November, she was towed fromConstantinople toMalta for permanent repairs byCenturion. In April 1921, the ship was again reduced to reserve, recommissioning on 1 August 1922 before theChanak Crisis of September. Upon her return home in April 1924, she became the flagship of the Reserve Fleet atPortsmouth and participated in afleet review inTorbay on 26 July.Centurion was transferred to Chatham Dockyard at the end of the year and remained there through 1925.[35]
In April 1926, the ship was chosen to replace the elderlysemi-dreadnoughtAgamemnon as the fleet's radio-controlled target ship. The conversion, costing approximately £358,088, began on 14 April at Chatham Dockyard and lasted until July 1927 when she began sea trials. She was laid up in 1931 to cut costs and wasdecommissioned at Portsmouth on 30 January 1932. The ship was recommissioned in 1933 and was used by theAtlantic Fleet on 1 June.[15] She was used in September for trials withdive bombers, which made 19 hits out of 48 bombs dropped; a much higher rate than level bombing from medium or high altitudes.[36]Centurion was refitted between November 1934 – January 1935 to repair the damage inflicted by the fleet.[15]
In 1939–1940, the ship continued in her prewar role, although she was briefly considered for rearming in May 1940 as an anti-aircraft cruiser in support of the Norway campaign.[37] She then served as a repair ship at Devonport before being converted into a blockship in April 1941.[10] On 14 April,Winston Churchill suggested that a heavy naval bombardment of the Libyan city ofTripoli should be made by the Mediterranean Fleet and followed up by blocking the port with a battleship and the Admiralty suggestedBarham and acruiser, but AdmiralAndrew Cunningham, commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, rejected the idea of using one of his active battleships and suggestedCenturion instead.[38] Upon further consideration, he assessed the chance of success as one in ten due to the difficulties of "wedging herself in exactly the right position within point blank range of the enemy guns with enemy dive bombers overhead."[39] The ship was then modified to resemble the battleshipAnson, then building at HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.[40]
In 1942,Centurion was transferred to theEastern Fleet and was detached to the Mediterranean Fleet in May–June to escort Convoy M.W. 11 fromAlexandria to Malta in June as part ofOperation Vigorous. She was assigned in the hopes of deceiving the Axis about the presence of an operational battleship; the Italians seem to have seen through the deception by the time the convoy sailed on 13 June, although the Germans were deceived.[41] Two days later, the ship was slightly damaged by near misses when attacked by nine dive bombers; her Oerlikon cannon shot one of them down.[42]Centurion wasscuttled as a breakwater during theInvasion of Normandy offOmaha Beach on 9 June 1944 to protect aMulberry harbour built to supply the forces ashore.[43]
