HMS Magnificent (1894)
 |
|
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
|
|
| Name: | HMS Magnificent |
| Builder: | Chatham Dockyard |
| Laid down: | 18 December 1893 |
| Launched: | 19 December 1894 |
| Commissioned: | 12 December 1895 |
| Decommissioned: | April 1921 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrapping 9 May 1921 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Majestic-class pre-dreadnought battleship |
| Displacement: | 16,060 t (15,810 long tons; 17,700 short tons) |
| Length: | 421 ft (128 m) |
| Beam: | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Draught: | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engines, twin screws |
| Speed: | 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
| Complement: | 672 |
| Armament: |
|
| Armour: |
|
HMS Magnificent was one of the nine Majestic-class pre-dreadnought battleships of the Royal Navy. She entered service in late 1895 with the Channel Fleet, remaining with the fleet through its subsequent reorganisation into the Atlantic Fleet. In 1905, an explosion caused the deaths of 18 men but she remained in service until 1906, after which she underwent a refit. She served with the Home Fleet for most of her pre-war service.
Among the oldest of Britain's battleships at the time, Magnificent was a guard ship on the Humber when World War I broke out. She was then, together with her sister ship Hannibal, assigned to Scapa Flow as a guard ship. In 1915, she was stripped of her main armament, and later in that year was converted to a troopship for use in the Dardanelles Campaign. Returning to England in 1916, she was inactive until late 1917, at which time she was converted to an ammunition ship. She continued to serve in this role until 1921, at which time she was decommissioned before being scrapped the following year.
Magnificent was laid down at the Chatham Dockyard on 18 December 1893. She was launched a year and a day later, on 19 December 1894, after which fitting-out work commenced. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy another year later, in December 1895. The ship was 421 feet (128 m) long overall and had a beam of 75 ft (23 m) and a draft of 27 ft (8.2 m). She displaced up to 16,060 t (15,810 long tons; 17,700 short tons) at full combat load. Her propulsion system consisted of two 3-cylinder triple expansion engines powered by eight coal-fired cylindrical boilers. By 1907–1908, she was re-boilered with oil-fired models. Her engines provided a top speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) at 10,000 indicated horsepower (7,500 kW). The Majestics were considered good seaboats with an easy roll and good steamers, although they suffered from high fuel consumption. She had a crew of 672 officers and enlisted men.
...
Wikipedia