RN Battleships: Pre-Dreadnoughts

[Brian James]

Lead Ship, Pre-Dreadnought Battleship HMS Trafalgar pictured c 1892.

[Brian James]

RN Atlantic Fleet Pre-Dreadnoughts pictured at Foynes in the Shannon Estuary, County Limerick in 1908.

[Brian James]

Majestic Class Pre-Dreadnought Battleship HMS Magnificent pictured re-gunning her 12 inch main armament at HMNB Malta Dockyard Gun Wharf in 1905.

[Brian James]

Lead Ship, Pre-Dreadnought Battleship HMS Majestic pictured at Arsenal de Brest on July 10th 1905....Built at Portsmouth Dockyard and commissioned in 1895, she was the largest Pre-Dreadnought launched at the time. She served with the Channel Fleet until 1904, following which she was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet. In 1907, she was part of the Home Fleet, firstly assigned to the Nore Division and then with the Devonport Division. From 1912, she was part of the 7th Battle Squadron.
When World War I broke out Majestic, together with the rest of the squadron, was attached to the Channel Fleet during the early stages of the war before being detached for escort duties with Canadian troop convoys. She then had spells as a Guard Ship at the Nore and the Humber. In early 1915, she was dispatched to the Mediterranean for service in the Dardanelles Campaign. She participated in bombardments of Turkish forts and supported the Allied landings at Gallipoli. On May 27th 1915, she was torpedoed by a U-Boat SMU-21 at Cape Helles, sinking with the loss of 49 men.

[Brian James]

Lord Nelson Class Pre-Dreadnought Battleship HMS Agamemnon pictured c1912.

[Brian James]

Majestic Class Pre-Dreadnought Battleship HMS Illustrious pictured in 1905.

[Brian James]

Lord Nelson Class Pre-Dreadnought Battleship HMS Agamemnon pictured in dry dock at HMNB Portsmouth c1912.