ottoman ironclad ottoman turkish happiness central battery ironclad largest ships type built built britain sister ship purchased royal_navy commissioned primary armament consisted inch guns central armored battery poorly maintained career including year long period russo turkish war result poor condition late 1890s prompted major reconstruction pre dreadnought design type vessel genoa ship armament overhauled gun turrets mounted guns received weapons new propulsion system installed significantly improved performance ship saw extensive action balkan war including battles december january respectively engagement badly damaged greek shell forced withdraw following outbreak world war moored protect minefields blocked entrance dardanelles morning december british submarine passed minefields torpedoed quickly sank crew survived guns salvaged strengthen defenses dardanelles battery guns named honor ship helped sink french battleship march design aftermath war entire ottoman squadron destroyed russian fleet ottoman_empire began naval construction program limited primarily weak ottoman economy ironclad warships ordered 1860s 1870s primarily british french shipyards despite shortage funds late 1870s ottomans acquired fleet thirteen large ironclads smaller armored warships designed based design recently build british ironclad general characteristics machinery meters long beam draft displaced metric tons long tons short tons originally built hull constructed iron fitted ram bow crew officers enlisted men ship powered single horizontal cylinder compound engine steam provided coal fired box boilers boilers pair funnels located amidships engines rated indicated horsepower produced speed knots mph decades poor maintenance reduced speed knots mph carried long tons short tons coal intended operate primarily steam engine fitted masts barque rig armament armor armed main battery inch ton guns mounted central battery broadside angled forward angled equipped inch guns upper deck forward aft quick firing guns guns installed armor protection consisted iron plate armored belt maximum thickness central portion ship protected machinery ammunition magazines reduced end belt extended waterline line composed middle upper reduced slightly lower tapered gun battery protected armor lower thick upper reduced service history ordered laid shipyard london following year launched october commissioned december sea trials sister ship renamed construction purchased royal_navy completion commissioned superb largest ironclads built september flagship action russo turkish war broke april ottoman defeat fleet laid golden horn left largely following years period inactivity received minor modernization shipyard start turkish war february found unfit combat major warships fleet warships attempted hold training exercise highlighted poor state training ships crews reconstruction following end war government decided begin naval reconstruction program stage rebuild older armored warships including requests proposals sent foreign shipyards october shipyard genoa requested permission survey ship ironclad vessels accordingly sent genoa january arriving 28th received contract rebuilt pre dreadnought type vessel modernization involved radical reconstruction hull bow stern cut room pair gun turrets mounting single caliber gun manufactured vickers turrets thick armored faces received guns wooden dummy guns installed place battery caliber guns installed place old rifled muzzle sixteen guns added upper battery received guns pair guns large superstructure built amidships new conning tower given armor plating displacement rose long tons short tons normally long tons short tons load ship propulsion system completely replaced triple expansion engines installed sixteen coal fired boilers screw propellers overlapped port screw placed slightly ahead starboard performance improved ihp mph crew increased result modifications march completed sea trials returned constantinople italo turkish balkan wars participated fleet maneuver conducted years reform program initiated british naval mission ottoman_empire starting july joined pre dreadnoughts destroyers torpedo boat series exercises culminated routine summer cruise fleet returning constantinople italy declared war starting september rest fleet moored october returned constantinople following day assigned included rebuilt ironclad torpedo cruiser action conflict ottoman fleet spent war port rising tensions balkans balkan wars ottomans kept fleet port prepared inevitable conflict october declared war ottomans month italo turkish war ended time moored neighborhood constantinople torpedo boats stationed guard ship december ottoman fleet reorganized joining newly formed command division included ship moved november joined rest fleet days later conducted shore support ottoman troops holding cause particularly significant material damage attacking boost ottoman morale battle ships took ottoman surface action involving major warships russo turkish war december ottoman fleet sortied dardanelles smaller craft remained mouth straits battleships sailed north coast greek flotilla included armored cruiser class ironclads sailing island altered course northeast block advance ottoman battleships ottoman ships opened fire greeks range minutes later crossed ottoman fleet placing ottomans unfavorable position fire sides heavy pressure greek fleet ottoman ships completed point turn reversed course headed safety straits turn poorly conducted ships fell formation blocking fields fire took hits battle significantly damaged sides ceased firing ottoman fleet withdrew dardanelles approached straits took positions cover withdrawal damaged pre dreadnoughts ships reached port transferred casualties hospital ship battle late december ottomans began campaign raids patrols islands recently conquered greeks began planning landing late december captured greece earlier war rest sortied dardanelles morning january operation called greek fleet appeared january fleet embarked offensive operation time raid island brief inconclusive clash greek destroyers fleet withdrew safety dardanelles days later fleet operation began produced battle second major naval engagement war ottoman plan lure faster away dardanelles protected cruiser evaded greek blockade broke attempt draw greek cruiser pursuit despite threat posed cruiser greek commander refused ottoman fleet departed dardanelles morning january sailed island speed knots mph led line battleships flotilla torpedo boats formation long range artillery duel lasted hours began ottoman fleet opened fire range concentrated fire returned fire greeks attempted cross ottoman fleet turned north block greek maneuver time took hit disabled guns damage coupled boiler trouble led ottoman commander ship send port february supported operations bombarding bulgarian troops occupied town wartime operation conducted ship participate amphibious assault days later ottoman fleet spent remaining months war port armistice ended conflict april world war late july world war broke europe ottomans initially remained neutral september sent protect minefields guarding entrance dardanelles supported tensions ottomans british fleet patrolling entrance dardanelles increased november britain france declared war ottoman_empire morning december british submarine commanded lieutenant entered dardanelles spotted anchor fired single torpedo distance torpedo hit ship stern caused damage guns briefly fired ship capsized sank shallow water casualties light officers enlisted men killed attack salvage effort removed guns strengthen defenses dardanelles meantime successfully passed dardanelles returned port awarded victoria_cross sinking salvaged guns installed battery dardanelles guns played role sinking french battleship march having hit ship times disabled forward turret struck sank heavy loss life
Ottoman ironclad Mesudiye