H.M.S. Britannia (1904)

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H.M.S. Britannia (1904)
Pendant Number: 27 (1914)
21 (Jan 1918)
N.40 (Apr 1918)[1]
Builder: Portsmouth Royal Dockyard[2]
Ordered: 1903-04 Programme[3]
Laid down: 4 Feb, 1904[4]
Launched: 10 Dec, 1904[5]
Completed: 8 Sept, 1906[6]
Commissioned: 2 Oct, 1906[7]
Torpedoed: 9 Nov, 1918[8]
Fate: by UB.50

H.M.S. Britannia was one of eight King Edward VII class battleships. She entered service in 1906 and spent most of her service in the Great War with a shifting roster of her sisters in the Third Battle Squadron.

Construction

The keel of the Britannia was laid down without ceremony on 4 February, 1904, on the same day that her sister ship New Zealand vacated the slipway.[9] She was launched on 10 December by Lady Londonderry in front of a large crowd.[10] On 2 October, 1906, Britannia was completed to full complement under Captain Robert N. Ommanney for service in the Atlantic Fleet.[11]

Service

As part of the Channel Fleet, Britannia started a refit in Portsmouth in August 1908, after Battle Practice.[12]

Britannia was assigned to the Third Battle Squadron upon its creation in May, 1912 and remained with the Squadron until being detached along with Africa — a ship that would become her traveling buddy — in September, 1916.[13]

In October, 1916, she and Africa were assigned to the British Adriatic Squadron.[14] In March, 1917, the pair were sent to join the Ninth Cruiser Squadron.[15] The two battleships operated in the North Atlantic with Ninth Cruiser Squadron with a dwindling number of cruisers throughout the war. By November, 1918, they were gone.[16][17][18]

Some time between September and November, 1918, Britannia was moved to "Miscellaneous Service", though she remained in commission.[19] She was torpedoed and sunk on 9 November off Cape Trafalgar, becoming the last Royal Navy ship lost in the war.[20]

Radio

By the end of 1913, she and the rest of the Third Battle Squadron were all equipped with Battleship Auxiliary W/T sets.[21]

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 31.
  2. ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 31.
  3. ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 38.
  4. ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 38.
  5. ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 31.
  6. ↑ Navy (Dockyard Expense Accounts), 1907–1908. p. 36.
  7. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1908). p. 287.
  8. ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 31.
  9. ↑ "The Duke of Connaught at Portsmouth" (News). The Times. Friday, 5 February, 1905. Issue 37309, col D, p. 6.
  10. ↑ "Launch of the Britannia" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 12 December, 1904. Issue 37575, col D, p. 6.
  11. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 3 October, 1906. Issue 38141, col B, p. 4.
  12. ↑ Report from Lord Charles Beresford dated 10 April, 1908, in Naval Policy - Strategy - Tactics: Miscellaneous papers from Private Office received by record office at The National Archives. ADM 116/942, unnumbered folio halfway within series.
  13. ↑ See Third Battle Squadron (Royal Navy) for details on her service in 3BS.
  14. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1916). p. 20.
  15. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1917). p. 14.
  16. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1918). p. 21.
  17. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (August, 1918). p. 21.
  18. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 21.
  19. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 19.
  20. ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 31.
  21. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1913. W/T Appendix, p. 13.
  22. ↑ Ommanney Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 993.
  23. ↑ Ommanney Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 153.
  24. ↑ Morgan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 37.
  25. ↑ Morgan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 37.
  26. ↑ Browning Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 124.
  27. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 287.
  28. ↑ Ballard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 65.
  29. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 287.
  30. ↑ Ballard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 65.
  31. ↑ Thorp Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 20.
  32. ↑ The Navy List. (August, 1912). p. 288.
  33. ↑ Thorp Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 20.
  34. ↑ Sandeman Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 4.
  35. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 392n.
  36. ↑ Sandeman Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 4.
  37. ↑ Campbell Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 465.
  38. ↑ Campbell Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/521. f. 465.
  39. ↑ Farquhar Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 341.
  40. ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 392p.
  41. ↑ Farquhar Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 341.
  42. ↑ The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 391x.
  43. ↑ Caulfeild Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 255.
  44. ↑ Caulfeild Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 255.

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.


King Edward VII Class Pre-dreadnought
  Africa Britannia Commonwealth Dominion  
  Hibernia Hindustan King Edward VII Zealandia  
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