HMSAlbemarle(1901)

	HMSAlbemarle
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMSAlbemarle
Namesake	George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle.
Builder	Chatham Dockyard
Laid down	1 January 1900
Launched	5 March 1901
Completed	November 1903
Commissioned	12 November 1903
Decommissioned	April 1919
Fate	Broken up,1920
General characteristics
Class and type	Duncan-classpre-dreadnoughtbattleship
Displacement	Normal:13,270 to 13,745long tons(13,483 to 13,966t); Full load:14,900 to 15,200 long tons (15,100 to 15,400 t);
Length	432 ft (132 m) (loa)
Beam	75 ft 6 in (23.01 m)
Draught	25 ft 9 in (7.85 m)
Installed power	18,000ihp(13,000 kW); 24 ×Bellevillewater-tube boilers;
Propulsion	2 ×triple-expansion steam engines; 2 ×screw propellers;
Speed	19knots(35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range	6,070nmi(11,240 km; 6,990 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	720
Armament	4 ×12-inch (305 mm) 40-caliber Mk IX guns; 12 ×6-inch (152 mm) 45-calibre guns; 10 ×12-pounder guns; 6 ×3-pounder guns; 4 ×18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes(submerged);
Armour	Belt:7 in (178 mm); Bulkheads:11–7 in (279–178 mm); Decks:2–1 in (51–25 mm); Turrets:10–8 in (254–203 mm); Barbettes:11–4 in (279–102 mm); Casemates:6 in (152 mm); Conning tower:12 in (305 mm);

HMSAlbemarlewas apre-dreadnought Duncan-class battleshipof theRoyal Navy,named afterGeorge Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle.Built to counter a group of fast Russian battleships,Albemarleand hersister shipswere capable of steaming at 19knots(35 km/h; 22 mph), making them the fastest battleships in the world. TheDuncan-class battleships were armed with a main battery of four12-inch (305 mm) gunsand they were broadly similar to theLondon-class battleships,though of a slightly reduceddisplacementand thinner armour layout. As such, they reflected a development of the lighter second-class ships of theCanopus-class battleship.Albemarlewas built between herkeel layingin January 1900 and her completion in November 1903.

Albemarlehad a fairly uneventful career. She spent her first years in service with theMediterranean Fleetfrom 1903 to 1905, when she was transferred to theChannel Fleet.In 1907, she was reassigned to theAtlantic Fleet;in early 1910 she transferred to theHome Fleet,first as part of the4th Battle Squadronand later the6th Battle Squadron.She served with theGrand Fleeton theNorthern Patrolduring the early stages of theFirst World War.She was later dispatched toMurmanskin Russia for guard and icebreaking duties for most of 1916. On her return to England, she underwent a refit and was in reserve for the remainder of the war.Decommissionedin April 1919, she wasscrappedin 1920.

Design

Right elevation and deck plan as depicted inBrassey's Naval Annual 1915

The six ships of theDuncanclasswere ordered in response to the RussianPeresvet-class battleshipsthat had beenlaunchedin 1898. The Russian ships were fast second-class battleships, soWilliam Henry White,the BritishDirector of Naval Construction,designed theDuncanclass to match the purported top speed of the Russian vessels. To achieve the higher speed while keeping displacement from growing, White was forced to reduce the ships' armour protection significantly, effectively making the ships enlarged and improved versions of theCanopus-class battleshipsof 1896, rather than derivatives of the more powerfulMajestic,Formidable,andLondonseries of first-class battleships. TheDuncans proved to be disappointments in service, owing to their reduced defensive characteristics, though they were still markedly superior to thePeresvets they had been built to counter.^[1]

Albemarlewas 432 feet (132 m)long overall,with abeamof 75 ft 6 in (23.01 m) and adraftof 25 ft 9 in (7.85 m). TheDuncan-class battleshipsdisplaced13,270 to 13,745long tons(13,483 to 13,966t)normallyand up to 14,900 to 15,200 long tons (15,100 to 15,400 t)fully loaded.Her crew numbered 720 officers andratings.TheDuncan-class ships were powered by a pair of 4-cylindertriple-expansion enginesthat drove twoscrews,with steam provided by 24Belleville boilers.The boilers were trunked into twofunnelslocatedamidships.TheDuncan-class ships had a top speed of 19knots(35 km/h; 22 mph) from 18,000indicated horsepower(13,000 kW).^[2]This madeAlbemarleand her sisters the fastest battleships in the world for several years. At a cruising speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), the ship could steam for 6,070nautical miles(11,240 km; 6,990 mi).^[3]

Albemarlehad amain batteryof four12-inch (305 mm)40-calibreguns mounted in twin-gun turretsfore and aft. The ships also mounted asecondary batteryof twelve6-inch (152 mm) 45-calibre gunsmounted incasemates,in addition to ten12-pounder 3 in (76 mm) gunsand six3-pounder 47 mm (1.9 in) gunsfor defence againsttorpedo boats.As was customary for battleships of the period, she was also equipped with four18-inch (457 mm) torpedotubes submerged in thehull.^[2]

Albemarlehad anarmoured beltthat was 7 in (178 mm) thick; the transversebulkheadon the aft end of the belt was 7 to 11 in (178 to 279 mm) thick. Her main battery turrets' sides were 8 to 10 in (203 to 254 mm) thick, atop 11 in (279 mm)barbettes,and the casemate battery was protected with 6 in ofKrupp steel.Herconning towerhad 12-inch-thick sides. She was fitted with two armoured decks, 1 and 2 in (25 and 51 mm) thick, respectively.^[2]

Operational history

Pre-First World War

HMSAlbemarle,named forGeorge Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle,^[4]waslaid downon 1 January 1900 atChatham Dockyard,^[5]and launched on 5 March 1901, when Lady Kennedy, wife ofAdmiral Sir William Kennedy,Commander-in-Chief of the Nore,performed the christening.^[6]She was completed in November 1903.^[2]Albemarlewascommissionedat Chatham Dockyard on 12 November 1903 for service as Flag extra,Rear Admiral,for the second division of theMediterranean Fleet.In February 1905 she was transferred to theChannel Fleetto serve as 2ndFlagshipfor the fleet's deputy commander. She was transferred to theAtlantic Fleeton 31 January 1907, serving as 2nd Flagship there as well. UnderCaptain Robert Falcon Scott's command, she collided with the battleshipHMSCommonwealthon 11 February 1907, suffering minorbowdamage.^[7]

In July 1908,Albemarlevisited Canada during the Quebec Tercentenary, in company with hersister ships Exmouth,Duncan,andRussell.^[8]She became Flagship, Rear Admiral, atGibraltarin January 1909^[9]and went toMaltafor a refit from May through August 1909. Her Atlantic Fleet service ended in February 1910. On 25 February 1910,Albemarlewas recommissioned for service in the 3rd Division,Home Fleet,atPortsmouth.She was paid off atPortsmouth Dockyardfor a refit on 30 October 1911; the refit lasted from January to December 1912. Her refit complete,Albemarlewas recommissioned at Portsmouth to serve in the4th Battle Squadronin the First Fleet there. On 15 May 1913, she was reduced to a nucleus crew and assigned to the6th Battle Squadron,Second Fleet, to serve as a gunnerytraining ship.^[7]

First World War

Albemarlein Canada in 1908

When the First World War began in August 1914, plans originally called forAlbemarleand battleshipsAgamemnon,Cornwallis,Duncan,Exmouth,Russell,andVengeanceto form the 6th Battle Squadron and serve in the Channel Fleet, where it was to patrol theEnglish Channeland cover the movement of theBritish Expeditionary ForcetoFrance.However, plans also existed for the 6th Battle Squadron to be assigned to theGrand Fleet,and, when the war began, the Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet,AdmiralSirJohn Jellicoe,requested thatAlbemarleand her four surviving sister ships of theDuncanclass (Cornwallis,Duncan,Exmouth,andRussell) be assigned to the3rd Battle Squadronin the Grand Fleet for patrol duties to make up for the Grand Fleet's shortage ofcruisers.Accordingly, the 6th Battle Squadron was abolished temporarily, andAlbemarlejoined the 3rd Battle Squadron atScapa Flowon 8 August 1914, and worked with Grand Fleet cruisers on theNorthern Patrol.^[7]^[10]

Albemarleand her fourDuncan-class sisters, as well as the battleships of theKing Edward VIIclass,temporarily were transferred to the Channel Fleet on 2 November 1914 to reinforce that fleet in the face ofImperial German Navyactivity in the Channel Fleet's area. The following day, the German fleetraided Yarmouth;at the time,Albemarleand the rest of the 3rd Squadron were dispersed on the Northern Patrol, and were thus unavailable during the German attack.^[11]On 13 November 1914, theKing Edward VII-class ships returned to the Grand Fleet, butAlbemarleand the otherDuncans stayed in the Channel Fleet, where they reconstituted the 6th Battle Squadron on 14 November 1914. This squadron was given a mission of bombarding Germansubmarinebases on the coast ofBelgium,and was based atPortland,although it transferred toDoverimmediately on 14 November 1914. However, due to a lack ofanti-submarinedefenses at Dover, particularly after the harbour'santi-submarine boomwas swept away in agale,the squadron returned to Portland on 19 November 1914. The squadron was intended to guard against an attempt by the German fleet to land an invasion force in Britain.^[7]^[12]

The 6th Battle Squadron returned to Dover in December 1914, then transferred toSheernesson 30 December 1914 to relieve the5th Battle Squadronthere in guarding against a German invasion of theUnited Kingdom.^[13]Between January and May 1915, the 6th Battle Squadron was dispersed.Albemarleleft the squadron in April 1915 and rejoined the 3rd Battle Squadron in the Grand Fleet. She underwent a refit at Chatham Dockyard in October 1915.^[14]In November 1915,Albemarlewas ordered to move to theMediterraneanwith a division of the 3rd Battle Squadron that also included the battleshipsHibernia(the flagship),Zealandia,andRussell.The ships left Scapa Flow on 6 November 1915, but encountered extremely heavy weather that night in thePentland Firth.^[14]Albemarle,heavily loaded with spare ammunition,^[9]suffered severe damage early on 7 November in the rough seas, having her forward bridge washed away, killing all of her bridge personnel. Her forwardsuperstructurewas also badly damaged in the incident.^[14]

When her repairs were complete in December 1915,Albemarlewas ordered to rejoin the Grand Fleet. She thus became the onlyDuncan-class ship (other thanMontagu,which had been wrecked before the war) with no wartime Mediterranean service. In January 1916,Albemarlewas detached from the Grand Fleet to serve in NorthRussiaatMurmanskas aguard shipand as anicebreakerin the approaches toArkhangelsk.At Murmansk, she also served as flagship of Senior Naval Officer, Murmansk.Albemarlereturned to the United Kingdom in September 1916, paying off at Portsmouth to provide crews foranti-submarinevessels. She began a refit atLiverpoolin October 1916, and upon its completion in March 1917 she went into reserve atDevonport Dockyard;^[14]her main-deck casemate 6-inch guns were removed and replaced with four 6-inch guns on her battery deck between September 1916 and May 1917.Albemarlewas in reserve until April 1919, used as an overflowaccommodation shipfor the naval barracks at Devonport, and was attached to the Gunnery School in 1919. The ship was placed on the disposal list in April 1919 and on the sale list in August 1919. She was sold for scrapping toCohen Shipbeaking Companyon 19 November 1919 and arrived atSwanseafor scrapping in April 1920.^[14]^[9]

Notes

^Burt,pp. 227–229.
^^a ^b ^c ^dLyon & Roberts,p. 37.
^Burt,pp. 229, 232.
^Manning & Walker,p. 75.
^"Naval & Military intelligence".The Times.No. 36029. London. 3 January 1900. p. 4.
^"Naval & Military intelligence".The Times.No. 36395. London. 6 March 1901. p. 10.
^^a ^b ^c ^dBurt,p. 246.
^"The Tercentenary Celebrations",p. 445.
^^a ^b ^cPreston,p. 8.
^Corbett 1920,pp. 39–40, 75, 214, 254.
^Corbett 1920,p. 259.
^Corbett 1921,pp. 9–10, 19.
^Burt,pp. 170, 246.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^eBurt,p. 247.

References

Burt, R. A. (2013) [1988].British Battleships 1889–1904.Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing.ISBN 978-1-84832-173-1.
Corbett, Julian Stafford(1920).Naval Operations: To The Battle of the Falklands, December 1914.Vol. I. London: Longmans, Green & Co.OCLC 174823980.
Corbett, Julian Stafford (1921).Naval Operations: From The Battle of the Falklands to the Entry of Italy Into the War in May 1915.Vol. II. London: Longmans, Green & Co.OCLC 924170059.v
Lyon, David & Roberts, John (1979). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M. (eds.).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905.Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 1–113.ISBN 978-0-85177-133-5.
Manning, Thomas Davys & Walker, Charles Frederick (1959).British Warship Names.London: Putnam.OCLC 561921929.
Preston, Antony (1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (eds.).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921.Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. pp. 1–104.ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8.
"The Tercentenary Celebrations".The Canada Gazette.London: Charles Hunt: 445. 1908.OCLC 47522100.