Majestic class battleship
| HMS Victorious | | Majestic-class | |
|---|
| General Characteristics |
|---|
| Displacement: | 14,560–14890 tons (15730t–16060 tons full load) |
| Length: | 413 ft (126 m) |
| Beam: | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Draught: | 27.5 ft (8.38 m) |
| Armament: | Four 12 inch (300 mm), twelve 6 inch (150 mm), sixteen 12-pounder, twelve 3-pounder, 2 light QF, 2 MG, five 18 inch (460 mm) torpedo tubes (1 aw, 4 uw) |
| Protection: | Harvey armour. 9 inch (200 mm) side belt, 3 inch (80 mm) deck, 10 inch (250 mm) barbettes, 5 inch (100 mm) secondary turrets |
| Propulsion: | water tube boilers, triple expansion steam engines, 2 screws = 17kts (trials 17.6 knots (32.6 km/h) – 18.7 knots (34.6 km/h)) |
| Range: | ? |
| Complement: | 670 |
The
Majestic class was a nine-ship
class of
pre-Dreadnought battleships, built under the Spencer Programme (named after the
First Sea Lord,
John Poyntz Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer). When
Majestic was launched in
1895, at 421 ft (128 m) long and with a full load displacement of 16,000 tons, she was the largest battleship ever built. They were be a benchmark for successor pre-
Dreadnoughts.
The
Majestic design was also adapted by the
Imperial Japanese Navy for their own pre-
Dreadnought class, the
Shikishima class, as well as
Mikasa, which was largely based on the
Shikishimas.
The
Majestics also boasted a new gun, the 12 inch (300 mm) Mk VIII, which was a significant improvement on the 13.5 inch (343 mm) gun, which had been fitted on the
"Admiral" and
Royal Sovereign classes. The class was also the last to have side by side funnels, with successor classes having funnels in a line. They were all effectively made obsolete by the introduction of
Dreadnought. All surviving ships were scrapped by
1923.
*
Caesar served in
World War I. She took part in operations after WWI against the
Bolsheviks, during the
Russian Civil War in the
Black Sea.
*
Hannibal served as a troopship during WWI, having her 12 inch (300 mm) guns removed for the
monitors Prince Eugene and
Sir John Moore.
*
Illustrious was initially used as a guard-ship during WWI. In
1916 she became an ammunition ship.
*
Jupiter was a guard-ship at the
Humber, on the outbreak of WWI. She was used as an ice-breaker at
Archangel.
*
Magnificent was used as a troopship and ammunition ship during WWI. Her main guns were removed for use in monitors.
*
Majestic collided with her sister-ship
Victorious in
1912. In WWI, she was initially used as an escort for Canadian troop convoys and was involved in the bombardment of
Zeebrugge in
1915. She was sunk on
27 May 1915 by
U-21 (which had sunk
Triumph two days before) while stationed off Cape Helles, Turkey, during the
Dardanelles Campaign, with the loss of forty of her crew.
*
Mars was used as a guard-ship at the Humber on the outbreak of WWI. Like some of her sister-ships,
Mars had her main armament removed for monitors of the
Lord Clive class, with
Mars subsequently becoming a troop transport. In this role,
Mars helped in the evacuation of troops from
Gallipoli. She was used as a depot ship for the rest of the war.
*
Prince George collided with the
armoured cruiser Shannon in 1909. During WWI, she took part in the Dardanelles Campaign.
*
Victorious saw no active service during WWI. She was used as a dockyard repair ship for the duration of the war.
