 HMSMagnificent | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSMagnificent |
| Builder | Chatham Dockyard |
| Laid down | 18 December 1893 |
| Launched | 19 December 1894 |
| Commissioned | 12 December 1895 |
| Decommissioned | April 1921 |
| Fate | Sold for scrapping 9 May 1921 |
| 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 |
|
HMSMagnificent was one of the nineMajestic-classpre-dreadnoughtbattleships of theRoyal Navy. She entered service in late 1895 with theChannel Fleet, remaining with the fleet through its subsequent reorganisation into theAtlantic Fleet. In 1905, an explosion caused the deaths of 18 men but she remained in service until 1906, after which she underwent a refit. She served with theHome Fleet for most of her pre-war service.
Among the oldest of Britain's battleships at the time,Magnificent was a guard ship on the Humber when theFirst World War broke out. She was then, together with hersister shipHannibal, assigned toScapa Flow as a guard ship. In 1915, she was stripped of her main armament, and later in that year was converted to a troopship for use in theDardanelles Campaign. Returning toEngland in 1916, she was inactive until late 1917, at which time she was converted to anammunition ship. She continued to serve in this role until 1921, at which time she was decommissioned before being scrapped the following year.
Magnificent 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]Magnificent 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]
Magnificent and the otherMajestic-class ships had 9 inches (229 mm) ofHarvey steel in theirbelt armour, which allowed equal protection with less weight compared to previous types of armour. This allowedMagnificent and her sisters to have a deeper and lighter belt than previous battleships without any loss of 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]
Magnificent was laid down at theChatham Dockyard on 18 December 1893. She was launched a year and a day later, on 19 December 1894, after whichfitting-out work commenced. She was commissioned into theRoyal Navy another year later, in December 1895, to relieve the battleshipEmpress of India as secondflagship of theChannel Fleet. On 26 June 1897, she was present at theFleet Review atSpithead for theDiamond Jubilee ofQueen Victoria.[3] Captain John Ferris was appointed in command in January 1899, and from February the following year she joined the Eastern division of the Channel Fleet,[4] flying the flag of Rear-AdmiralArthur Dalrymple Fanshawe. On receiving word of the death of Queen Victoria on 21 January 1901 while stationed inPortsmouth,Magnificent flew theRoyal Standard at half mast.[5] CaptainArthur John Horsley was appointed in command in October 1900, and in June the following year she became flagship of Rear-AdmiralSir William Acland, second in command of theChannel Squadron.[6] He relinquished the position one year later, and at sunset on 5 June 1902 struck his flag on board theMagnificent.[7] Rear-AdmiralAssheton Curzon-Howe, who had succeeded Acland, transferred to the vessel later the same month.[8] She took part in thefleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for thecoronation of KingEdward VII,[9] and visited theAegean Sea for combined manoeuvres with the Mediterranean Fleet the following month.[10] CaptainSackville Carden was appointed in command on 16 October 1902,[11] and took her to visitGibraltar andTetuan the following week.[12]
By January 1904, the ship had become the flagship of the Channel Fleet. As a result of a reorganization in January 1905, the Channel Fleet became theAtlantic Fleet, andMagnificent accordingly became a part of the Atlantic Fleet. A gun explosion aboardMagnificent on 14 June 1905 resulted in 18 casualties.[3] The explosion was caused by a faulty shell in one of the 6-inch guns; it failed to fire, and when the loader opened the breech, contact with the fresh air detonated the shell.[13] On 15 November 1906, she ended her Atlantic Fleet service and was paid off atDevonport.Magnificent was commissioned into reserve on 16 November 1906, based at Chatham. During her reserve service, she was attached to the Gunnery School atSheerness as a gunnery training ship in December 1906.[3]
Magnificent left Chatham in March 1907 and was assigned to theNore Division of theHome Fleet at theNore. During this service, she was temporarily the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief in November 1907 and underwent a refit at Chatham in 1908 during which she had new fire control systems installed and was converted to burn fuel oil. She served as the second flagship of the Home Fleet from August 1908 to January 1909.Magnificent was reduced to a nucleus crew in February 1909 as part of the commissioned reserve. On 24 March 1909, she became the flagship of the Vice Admiral, 3rd and 4th Divisions, Home Fleet, at the Nore. She was relieved as flagship on 1 March 1910 by the battleshipBulwark. On 27 September 1910,Magnificent was recommissioned into the Home Fleet to serve as a turret drill ship and stokers' training ship at Devonport. Her sternwalk was damaged in a collision in December 1910. She became tender to the turret drill shipVivid in February 1911 and a seagoing gunnery training ship at Devonport on 14 May 1912. She was slightly damaged on 16 June 1913 when she ran aground in fog nearCawsand Bay. She recommissioned for 3rd Fleet service on 1 July 1913.[14][15]
During a precautionary mobilisation of the fleet immediately prior to the outbreak ofFirst World War,Magnificent and her sister shipsHannibal,Mars, andVictorious on 27 July 1914 formed the 9th Battle Squadron, subordinate to theAdmiral of Patrols and stationed at theHumber.Magnificent served as guard ship at the Humber. The war began while she was stationed there.[16] On 7 August 1914, the 9th Battle Squadron was dissolved, andMagnificent andHannibal transferred toScapa Flow to reinforce the defences of the anchorage of theGrand Fleet there, becoming a guard ship at Scapa Flow. TheMajestic-class ships were by then the oldest and least effective battleships in service in the Royal Navy. The first-classprotected cruiserCrescent relievedMagnificent of guard ship duty on 16 February 1915, at which pointMagnificent was paid off.[16]
Later in February 1915,Magnificent arrived atBelfast to be disarmed.[14] In March and April 1915, all of her 12-inch guns and all except for four of her 6-inch guns were removed. Her 12-inch guns were taken to arm the newLord Clive-classmonitorsGeneral Craufurd andPrince Eugene. After she was disarmed,Magnificent was laid up atLoch Goil in April 1915.[16] On 9 September 1915,Magnificent was recommissioned to serve along with her similarly disarmed sister shipsHannibal andMars as a troopship for theDardanelles campaign. The three former battleships departed theUnited Kingdom on this duty on 22 September 1915, arriving atMudros on 7 October 1915. On 18 December 1915 and 19 December 1915,Magnificent took part in the evacuation of Allied troops fromSuvla Bay. She departed the Dardanelles in February 1916 after the conclusion of the campaign and returned to England, where she was paid off at Devonport on 3 March 1916.[16]
Magnificent remained at Devonport until August 1917, serving as an overflow ship. In August 1917, she began a refit atHarland & Wolff in Belfast for conversion to anammunition ship. When her refit was completed in October 1918, she was transferred toRosyth for service as an ammunition store ship.Magnificent was placed on the disposal list on 4 February 1920, but continued to serve as an ammunition store ship at Rosyth until April 1921. She was sold for scrapping on 9 May 1921. Scrapping began atThos. W. WardInverkeithing the following year.[16]
