 HMS Jupiter | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Namesake | Jupiter, Roman king of the gods |
| Builder | J & G Thomson,Clydebank |
| Laid down | 26 April 1894 |
| Launched | 18 November 1895 |
| Completed | May 1897 |
| Commissioned | 8 June 1897 |
| Decommissioned | February 1918 |
| Fate | Sold for scrapping 15 January 1920 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Majestic-classpre-dreadnoughtbattleship |
| Displacement | 16,060long tons (16,320 t) |
| Length | 421 ft (128 m) |
| Beam | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Draught | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
| Complement | 672 |
| Armament | |
| Armour |
|
HMSJupiter was aMajestic-classpre-dreadnoughtbattleship of theRoyal Navy. Commissioned in 1897, she was assigned to theChannel Fleet until 1905. After a refit, she was temporarily put in reserve before returning to service with the Channel Fleet in September 1905. In 1908 and rendered obsolete by the emergence of thedreadnought type of battleships, she once again returned to the reserve, this time with theHome Fleet. After another refit, she had a spell as a gunnery training ship in 1912.
Following the outbreak of theFirst World War,Jupiter served with the Channel Fleet and then as a guard ship on theRiver Tyne. She was dispatched toRussia in February 1915 to serve as an icebreaker, clearing a route toArkhangelsk while the regular icebreaker was undergoing a refit. She underwent her own refit later in 1915 and once completed, was transferred to theSuez Canal Patrol. She returned to England late 1916, and spent the remainder of the war based atDevonport. She was scrapped in 1920.
HMSJupiter was 421 feet (128 m)long overall and had abeam of 75 ft (23 m) and adraft of 27 ft (8.2 m). Shedisplaced up to 16,060long tons (16,320 t) atfull load. Her propulsion system consisted of two 3-cylindertriple-expansion steam engines powered by eight coal-fired, cylindricalfire-tubeScotch marine boilers. By 1907–1908, she was re-boilered with oil-fired models.[1] Her engines provided a top speed of 16knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) at 10,000indicated horsepower (7,500 kW). TheMajestics were considered good seaboats with an easy roll and good steamers, although they suffered from high fuel consumption. She had a crew of 672 officers andratings.[2]
The ship was armed with amain battery of fourBL 12-inch (305 mm) Mk VIII guns in twin-gun turrets, one forward and one aft. The turrets were placed on pear-shapedbarbettes; six of her sisters had the same arrangement, but her sistersCaesar andIllustrious and all future British battleship classes had circular barbettes.[1][2]Jupiter also carried asecondary battery of twelveQF 6-inch (152 mm) /40 guns. They were mounted incasemates in two gun decksamidships. She also carried sixteenQF 12-pounder guns and twelve QF 2-pounder guns for defence againsttorpedo boats. She was also equipped with five 18 in (457 mm)torpedo tubes, four of which were submerged in the ship'shull, with the last in a deck-mounted launcher.[2]
Jupiter and the other ships of her class had 9 inches (229 mm) ofHarvey steel in theirbelt armour, which allowed equal protection with less cost in weight compared to previous types of armour. This allowedJupiter and her sisters to have a deeper and lighter belt than previous battleships without any loss in protection.[1] The barbettes for the main battery were protected with 14 in (356 mm) of armor, and theconning tower had the same thickness of steel on the sides. The ship's armored deck was 2.5 to 4.5 in (64 to 114 mm) thick.[2]
HMSJupiter was laid down byJ & G Thomson, Clydebank atClydebank on 26 April 1894 and launched on 18 November 1895.[3] In February 1897 she was transferred toChatham Dockyard,[4] where she was completed in May 1897.[3] She was commissioned on 8 June 1897 at Chatham Dockyard for service in theChannel Fleet. She was present at both theFleet Review atSpithead for theDiamond Jubilee ofQueen Victoria on 26 June 1897 and theCoronation Fleet Review forKing Edward VII on 16 August 1902.[5][4] CaptainJohn Durnford was appointed in command in October 1899, followed by CaptainSir Archibald Berkeley Milne from December 1900. In March 1901 she visitedCork.[6] The following year she was part of a squadron visitingNauplia andSouda Bay atCrete for combined manoeuvres between the Channel and Mediterranean fleets in September and October.[7] CaptainSir Richard Poore was appointed in command in December 1902.[8] On 1 January 1905, the Channel Fleet became the newAtlantic Fleet, making her an Atlantic Fleet unit. She waspaid off at Chatham on 27 February 1905 to undergo a refit there, and her Atlantic Fleet service ended when she emerged from refit and was commissioned at Chatham into the Portsmouth Reserve on 15 August 1905.Jupiter was commissioned for service in the new Channel Fleet on 20 September 1905. This service ended on 3 February 1908 when she was paid off.[4] By this time,Jupiter had been surpassed in the role of front-line battleship by the new "all-big-gun"dreadnought battleships inaugurated byHMS Dreadnought in 1906.[9]
On 4 February 1908,Jupiter was recommissioned for reserve service in the Portsmouth Division of the newHome Fleet with a nucleus crew. She wasflagship of the division from February to June 1909 and later second flagship of the 3rd Division, Home Fleet. During this service, she underwent refits at Portsmouth in 1909–1910, during which she received fire control equipment for her main battery, and 1911–1912.[10] From June 1912 to January 1913 she served as a seagoing gunnery training ship at theNore.[10][4] In January 1913 she was transferred to the 3rd Fleet, and was based atPembroke Dock andDevonport.[10]
When theFirst World War broke out in August 1914,Jupiter was transferred to the 7th Battle Squadron of the Channel Fleet. During this service, she covered the passage of theBritish Expeditionary Force fromEngland toFrance in September 1914. In late October 1914,Jupiter was reassigned to serve alongside her sister shipMajestic as a guard ship at the Nore. On 3 November 1914,Jupiter andMajestic left the Nore and relieved their sister shipsHannibal andMagnificent of guard ship duty on theHumber. In December 1914,Jupiter moved on to guard ship duty on theTyne. On 5 February 1915,Jupiter was detached from her guard ship duty to serve temporarily as anicebreaker atArkhangelsk,Russia, while the regular icebreaker there was under refit. In this duty,Jupiter made history by becoming the first ship ever to get through the ice into Arkhangelsk during the winter;[4] her February arrival was the earliest in history there,[10] although her bow was severely damaged by the voyage.[11]
Jupiter left Arkhangelsk in May 1915 to return to the Channel Fleet, and was paid off atBirkenhead on 19 May 1915. She then began a refit byCammell Laird there that lasted until August 1915. Her refit completed,Jupiter was commissioned at Birkenhead on 12 August 1915 for service in the Mediterranean Sea on theSuez Canal Patrol. On 21 October 1915, she was transferred to theRed Sea to become guard ship atAden and flagship of the Senior Naval Officer,Red Sea Patrol. She was relieved of flagship duty by thetroopshipRIM Northbrook of theRoyal Indian Marine on 9 December 1915 and returned to the Suez Canal Patrol for Mediterranean service. This lasted from April to November 1916, with a home port inPort Said,Egypt.[4]
Jupiter left Egypt on 22 November 1916 and returned to theUnited Kingdom, where she was paid off at Devonport to provide crews forantisubmarine vessels. She remained at Devonport until April 1919, in commission as a special service vessel and auxiliary patrol ship until February 1918, when she was again paid off. After that she became anaccommodation ship.[12][10] In April 1919,Jupiter became the firstMajestic-class ship to be placed on the disposal list. She was sold for scrapping on 15 January 1920, and on 11 March 1920 was towed from Chatham toBlyth to be scrapped.[12]
