Canopus Class Battleship (1897)

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Overview of 6 vessels
Citations for this data available on individual ship pages
Name Builder Laid Down Launched Completed Fate
Albion Thames Iron Works, Blackwall 3 Dec, 1896 21 Jun, 1898 25 Jun, 1901 Sold 11 Dec, 1919
Canopus Portsmouth Royal Dockyard 4 Jan, 1897 13 Oct, 1897 5 Dec, 1899 Sold 18 Feb, 1920
Glory Laird, Birkenhead 1 Dec, 1896 11 Mar, 1899 1 Nov, 1900 Sold 19 Dec, 1922
Goliath Chatham Royal Dockyard 4 Jan, 1897 23 Mar, 1898 27 Mar, 1900 Torpedoed 15 May, 1915
Ocean Devonport Royal Dockyard 15 Feb, 1897 5 Jul, 1898 20 Feb, 1900 Mined 18 Mar, 1915
Vengeance Vickers, Barrow 23 Aug, 1898 25 Jul, 1899 8 Apr, 1902 Sold 1 Dec, 1921

Searchlights

In 1907, these ships, along with battleships of the Majestic, London, and Duncan classes, along with armoured cruisers of the Powerful, Drake, Cressy, Monmouth and Devonshire classes were to land their searchlights from their tops and obtain two additional 24-inch models from their dockyards for placement on the shelter or boat deck. These were to be augmented by (or further upgraded to?) a pair of 36-in searchlights when they became available.[1]

Armament

During the war, along with those of other older ships, the eight 6-inch guns casemated on the first deck proved of little use in practical sea states. It was decided to remove the eight casemate guns, plate their ports over and move 4 of them to the upper deck. Four of the twelve 12-pdr guns were also surrendered due to this alteration.[2]

Main Battery

The 12-in guns were Mark VIII, though the turrets used differed by ship:[3]

Mounting Ships
B V Vengeance
B IV Albion, Glory
B III Canopus
B ??? Goliath, Ocean

Secondary Battery

Other Guns

Twelve 12-pdr guns, later reduced to eight when the 6-in casemate guns were relocated.

Torpedoes

Two submerged tubes forward, presumably firing directly abeam, and two aft, firing at 22.5 degrees abaft the beam.[4]

Fire Control

Though it may have little relevance given the age difference, the general system of wiring between the TSes in ships prior to Lord Nelson class is illustrated in Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914.[5]

Rangefinders

Evershed Bearing Indicators

It is unlikely that this equipment was ever provided.[Inference]

Directors

These ships never received directors for main or secondary batteries.[6]

Gunnery Control

The ship's guns were organized in 3 control groups:[7]

  1. Two 12-in turrets
  2. Starboard 6-in guns ('A' & 'X')
  3. Port 6-in guns ('B' & 'Y')

Local Control in Turrets

There was no provision in these ships for local turret control wherein the receivers in the turret could be driven by transmitters in the officer's position at the back of the turret.[8]

Transmitting Stations

These ships likely had fore and aft T.S.es.[9][Inference]

A C.O.S. allowed[Inference] control options of

  1. Fore
  2. After
  3. Separate

Each control group had transmitters with a pair of receivers, one wired directly to the transmitter as a tell-tale, and the other fed off the wires going to the distant guns (i.e., the aft guns for the fore TS and vice-versa) as a repeat. "These repeat receivers are necessary to keep the idle transmitters in step; when changing back from separate control they are required to enable both halves of the group to be set alike before being paralleled on to one transmitter."[10]

Dreyer Table

These ships never received Dreyer tables.[11]

Fire Control Instruments

By 1909, all were equipped with Siemens gongs and bells and Siemens Mark I Fire Control Instruments for range, orders and deflection, except Glory which had Mark II equipment.[12][13]

The Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909 lists the Mark I equipment for (Mark II in Glory) as:[14]

  • Range: 6 transmitters, 32 receivers
  • Orders: 8 transmitters, 18 receivers
  • Rate: 4 transmitters, 12 receivers
  • Deflection: 6 transmitters, 32 receivers

Additionally, the entire class had the following Siemens equipment:[15]

  • Group Switches: 3
  • Turret fire gongs: 8 (6 in Vengeance) with 2 keys
  • Fire Gongs: 12 with 4 keys
  • Captain's Cease Fire Bells: 18 with 1 key

These ships lacked Target Visible and Gun Ready signals.[16]

Torpedo Control

Radio

It appears likely that the entire class was completed with or soon received a Jackson or Marconi W/T kit soon after completion, based on a 1901 push to equip older battleships.[17][Inference]

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1907. p. 35. The location for each ship type was placement stipulated in C.N.2 11884/13066, 13.12.1906.
  2. ↑ The Technical History and Index, Vol. 4, Part 36. p. 9.
  3. ↑ The Sight Manual, 1916. p. 109.
  4. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1896. p. 40.
  5. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 50 & Plates 50 and 54(I).
  6. ↑ Director Firing Handbook, 1917, pp. 142-3.
  7. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 8.
  8. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 50.
  9. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 50 & Plates 50 and 54(I).
  10. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. pp. 50-1.
  11. ↑ Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. p. 3.
  12. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909. p. 56.
  13. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1906. p. 82.
  14. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909. p. 59.
  15. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909. p. 59.
  16. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 11.
  17. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1901. pp. 111-112.

Bibliography

  • Admiralty, Technical History Section (1920). The Technical History and Index: Alteration in Armaments of H.M. Ships during the War. Vol. 4, Part 34. C.B. 1515 (34) now O.U. 6171/20. At The National Archives, Kew, United Kingdom.
  • Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1914). Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. G. 01627/14. C.B. 1030. Copy 1235 at The National Archives. ADM 186/191.
  • Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1917). The Director Firing Handbook. O.U. 6125 (late C.B. 1259). Copy No. 322 at The National Archives. ADM 186/227.
  • Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1918). Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. C.B. 1456. Copy No. 10 at Admiralty Library, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
  • H.M.S. Vernon. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1902. Copy 268 at The National Archives. ADM 189/22.



Canopus Class Pre-dreadnought
  Albion Canopus Glory  
  Goliath Ocean Vengeance  
<– H.M.S. Renown Battleships (UK) Formidable Class –>
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