H.M.S. Illustrious (1896)

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H.M.S. Illustrious (1896)
Pendant Number: D.40 (1914)
P.40 (Sep 1915)
P.97 (1918)[1]
Builder: Chatham Royal Dockyard[2]
Ordered: 1893[3]
Laid down: 11 Mar, 1895[4]
Launched: 17 Sep, 1896[5]
Completed: Apr, 1898[6]
Commissioned: 10 May, 1898
Sold: 18 Jun, 1920[7]
Fate: Scrapped in 1922

H.M.S. Illustrious was a British battleship of the Majestic class, launched in 1894 and sold for scrap in 1920. She was the third warship of the Royal Navy to bear the name.

Service

The Illustrious was floated out of No. 6 Dock at Chatham on 17 September, 1896. She was named by Lady Bedford, wife of the Second Naval Lord, Rear-Admiral Sir Frederick G. D. Bedford. Rear-Admiral Bedford was greeted by a guard of honour of Royal Marines and sailors, and Lady Bedford was presented a bouquet of roses by Miss Winifred Andoe, daughter of the Admiral Superintendent of the dockyard, Rear-Admiral Hilary G. Andoe, who was in attendance. Also present were the Commander-in-Chief at the Nore, Henry F. Nicholson, Rear-Admiral Henry F. Stephenson, and others.[8]

Illustrious commissioned at Chatham on 10 May, 1898, Captain Sir Richard Poore, Bart. in command.[9]

On 26 June, 1911, while coaling at Spithead, a coal explosion took place which injured a Chief Stoker and two stokers, who were taken to Haslar Naval Hospital with burns.[10]

She recommissioned at Devonport on 15 June, 1912 for service with Third Fleet.[11]

Nominally part of the Seventh Battle Squadron, Illustrious was reduced to a care and maintenance party on 7 August, 1914,[12] to provide crew for the newly requisitioned battleship Erin.[13] She was sent to Loch Ewe on 30 August for service as a local defence ship.[14]

Radio

By the end of 1901, she was fitted or due to receive a "1 to 52" W/T set.[15]

Torpedoes

In June 1898, the Illustrious and Majestic became the second and third ships in the Royal Navy to receive torpedoes fitted for gyroscopes (but only two gyroscopes), drawn from the Portsmouth Depot:[16]

In 1904, in a competition to investigate how rapidly submerged tubes could be fired four times sequentially, starting with the tube loaded and the bar out, the ship's crew was able to do this in 7 minutes, 11 seconds. The best time was achieved by Cressy at 50.75 seconds, though 2:30 was more typical.[17]

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

See Also

Footnotes

  1. Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 29.
  2. Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 29.
  3. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 34.
  4. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 34.
  5. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 18 September, 1896. Issue 34999, col C, p. 10.
  6. Burt. British Battleships: 1889-1904. p. 147.
  7. Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 29.
  8. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 18 September, 1896. Issue 34999, col C, p. 10.
  9. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 11 May, 1898. Issue 35513, col E, p. 9.
  10. "Exchange of Flagships" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 27 June, 1911. Issue 39622, col G, p. 16.
  11. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 326.
  12. Monograph 6. p. 52.
  13. Monograph 6. p. 10.
  14. Monograph 6. p. 52.
  15. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1901. p. 111.
  16. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1898. p. 42.
  17. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1904. pp. 45-7.
  18. Poore Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1049.
  19. Poore Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 476.
  20. Field Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/38. f. 456.
  21. Field Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/38. f. 456.
  22. Foley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 247.
  23. Foley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 247.
  24. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 9 July, 1903. Issue 37128, col F, p. 5.
  25. Simons Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1189.
  26. Simons Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1189.
  27. Warden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39/604. f. 1377.
  28. Warden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39/604. f. 1377.
  29. Boothby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 180.
  30. Boothby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 180.
  31. Hickley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 108.
  32. Hickley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 108.
  33. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  34. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  35. The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 329.
  36. Tower Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 32.
  37. Tower Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 32.
  38. Nugent Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 469.
  39. The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 329.
  40. Nugent Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 469.
  41. Lowis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/93. f. 103.
  42. Lowis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/93. f. 103.
  43. Webb Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 124.
  44. Chambers Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 407.
  45. Chambers Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 407.
  46. The Navy List. (April, 1915). p. 394s.
  47. The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 394r.
  48. Hawke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 433.
  49. Hawke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 433.
  50. Hill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/291. f. 319.
  51. The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 395h.
  52. Hill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/291. f. 319.

Bibliography

  • Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
  • Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division (1921). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Fleet Issue. Volume III. Monograph 6.—Passage of the British Expeditionary Force, August, 1914. Monograph 7.—The Patrol Flotillas at the Commencement of the War. Monograph 11.—The Battle of Heligoland Bight, August 28th, 1914. Monograph 8.—Naval Operations Connected with the Raid on the North-East Coast, December 16th, 1914. Monograph 12:—The Action of Dogger Bank, January 24th, 1915. O.U. 6181 (late C.B. 1585.). Copy No. 127 at The National Archives. ADM 186/610.
  • Parkes, O.B.E., Ass.I.N.A., Dr. Oscar (1990). British Battleships 1860–1950. London: Pen & Sword Ltd. ISBN 0850526043. (on Bookfinder.com).
  • Preston, Antony (1972). Battleships of World War I. New York, NY: Galahad Books. ISBN 0883653001.


Majestic Class Pre-dreadnought
Cæsar Hannibal Illustrious Jupiter Magnificent
  Majestic Mars Prince George Victorious  
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