H.M.S. Cæsar (1896)

H.M.S. Cæsar (1896)
Pendant Number:	D.27 (1914) P.02 (Sep 1915) P.10 (1918)
Builder:	Portsmouth Royal Dockyard
Ordered:	1893
Laid down:	25 Mar, 1895
Launched:	2 Sep, 1896
Completed:	Jan, 1898
Commissioned:	13 Jan, 1898
Sold:	8 Nov, 1921
Fate:	Scrapped in Germany

H.M.S. Cæsar was a Majestic class battleship of the Royal Navy, launched in 1896 and sold for scrap in 1921. She was the third British warship named for the Roman soldier Julius Cæsar.

Service

On a rainy 2 September, 1896, Cæsar was floated out of No. 12 dock. Lady Salmon, the wife of the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon, christened her. She was commissioned at Portsmouth on 13 January, 1898, by Captain John P. Pipon, C.B., C.M.G., with a complement of 757 officers and men for service on the Mediterranean Station.

At the turn of 1911/1912, she suffered a pair of fires in one of her oil fuel compartments at Devonport. Both fires were quickly extinguished without undue harm, but the cause was not immediately apparent.

Herbert Chatterton paid her off on 25 March, 1912, and she was recommissioned at Devonport the very next day for service in the Third Fleet. That summer, she participated in the Annual Manoeuvres of 1912.

On 20 September 1912, she collided with S.S. City of Brussels. Captain Wemyss was blamed for having failed to be on the bridge at the time.

By the First World War, Cæsar was allegedly capable of only nine knots maximum speed.

Cæsar was reduced to a C. & M. Party at Devonport on 23 April, 1920.

Torpedoes

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 5 minutes, 45 seconds. The best time was achieved by Cressy at 50.75 seconds, though 2:30 was more typical.

Radio

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

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

• Captain John P. Pipon, 13 January, 1898 – 14 April, 1899  (asked to be allowed to resign, died following month)
• Captain Edward H. Gamble, 14 April, 1899 – 13 September, 1901
• Captain John Ferris, October, 1901 – 9 January, 1902
• Captain George A. Callaghan, 21 December, 1901 – 5 April, 1903
• Captain Henry B. Jackson, 6 March, 1903 – 6 October, 1903
• Captain Hugh Evan-Thomas, 2 February, 1904 – 6 March, 1905
• Captain Archibald P. Stoddart, 8 March, 1905 – 5 December, 1905  (and as Flag Captain)
• Captain Sydney R. Fremantle, 5 December, 1905 – 27 May, 1907  (and as Flag Captain)
• Captain Archibald P. Stoddart, 28 May, 1907 – 11 October, 1908
• Captain Robert H. Anstruther, 12 October, 1908 – 9 August, 1910
• Captain Price V. Lewes, 9 August, 1910 – 6 June, 1911
• Captain Robert E. R. Benson, 6 June, 1911 – 31 January, 1912
• Captain Herbert Chatterton, 1 February, 1912 – 25 March, 1912
• Commander Godfrey Tuke, 29 March, 1912 – 4 June, 1912
• Captain Edward W. E. Wemyss, 4 June, 1912 – 11 February, 1915
• Captain Edward G. Lowther-Crofton, 1 February, 1915 – 10 December, 1915
• Captain Cunningham R. de C. Foot, 10 December, 1915 – 15 January, 1918
• Captain Fawcet Wray, 15 January, 1918 – October, 1918
• Acting Commander Herbert N. Stewart, 20 October, 1918 – 11 December, 1918  (temporary)
• Captain Edward Roynon-Jones, 11 December, 1918  (and as Captain of Base, Constantinople from 20 December)
• Captain Herbert A. Buchanan-Wollaston, 25 October, 1919 – 23 April, 1920

See Also

• Transcribed Ship Logs at naval-history.net
• Wikipedia

Bibliography

• Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
• 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.