majestic class battleship majestic class pre dreadnought battleships built royal_navy named lord admiralty units commissioned largest class battleships history terms number member ships ships magnificent mars victorious built programme strengthen royal_navy versus traditional rivals france russia continued naval armament initiatives begun introduced number significant improvements british battleship design including armoured gun shields barbette mounted main battery guns ships armed main battery inch mark viii guns large calibre weapon royal_navy use superior respects earlier larger guns british ships incorporate harvey armour allowed carry comprehensive level protection ships proved successful designs day widely copied foreign navies including japanese class battleship modified versions majestic design ships served variety roles careers primarily served channel_fleet took mediterranean fleet victorious served longer ships outbreak world war july vessels protect crossing points british coast ships disarmed guns going equip lord class monitors disarmed battleships troop ships bombard enemy positions majestic torpedoed german boat surviving ships employed secondary roles onwards war sold scrapping avoided breakers yards design rear admiral controller royal_navy issued request new battleship design based royal sovereign class incorporated recently designed gun harvey armour significantly stronger compound armour director naval construction prepared preliminary design long ton ship armed guns protected armour belt inches thick white submitted design january board greater harvey armour provided level protection allowing significant weight reduction result protection scheme stronger comprehensive increased displacement included fitting fully enclosed armoured gun shields main battery guns board approved design intended lay ships programme work gun taking longer predicted construction delayed programme time ship majestic class redesigned second class battleship renown leaving ships laid estimates august public perceived strength royal_navy fallen relative traditional rivals french russian navies lord admiralty proposed large naval expansion plan referred included seven majestic class battleships public opinion successor pre dreadnoughts preceding class battleships british battleship design introducing high battleship main battery guns twin barbettes fore aft settled main battery began practice mounting armoured barbettes different old style heavy circular gun turrets preceded known turrets standard warships worldwide majestic class largest class battleships built successful battleships time widely copied japanese class battleship based directly general characteristics machinery feet long perpendiculars feet long overall beam draught displaced long tons short tons combat load ships forward amidships aft hulls divided numerous watertight compartments compartments inside armoured citadel outside double extended length hull fitted pole masts fighting tops new design bridge mounted base foremast conning tower prevent battle damaged bridge collapsing tower considered good large high easy roll good suffered high fuel consumption transverse metacentric height load ships crew officers enlisted men number varied ships course careers ship carried variety smaller boats usually including steam foot steam launch ships equipped inch bridge mast ships received type wireless sea trials preceding battleship ship engineers learned engines fail high levels forced draught result designed reach maximum speed powerful engine allowed engineers wider margin safety maximum speed propulsion system consisted cylinder triple expansion engines driving single bladed screw steam provided coal fired single ended marine boilers pair funnels placed engines rated indicated horsepower normal draught provided speed knots mph forced draught reach ihp knots mph ships mixed oil fired models ships carried tonnes long tons short tons coal normally additional spaces allowed tonnes long tons short tons stored installation new boilers oil storage amounting tonnes long tons short tons added speed knots mph ships steam nautical miles knots mph cruising radius fell nmi armament majestic sisters armed inch viii calibre guns twin turrets forward aft calibre standard future british battleship classes new british battleships mount inch main battery 1880s new gun significant improvement inch gun fitted admiral classes preceded terms strength gun significantly lighter gun muzzle velocity feet second significant increase gun owing use fire pound shell range yards turrets placed pear shaped barbettes ships arrangement circular barbettes ships allowed loading supply ready ammunition kept turret guns return centerline bring ammunition magazines ammunition rotate turret circular barbettes rotating allowed loading magazines mounts range elevation degrees degrees loading angle maximum elevation world war disarmed guns arm lord class monitors turrets later coastal guns saving weight main battery allowed majestic class carry secondary battery quick firing inch calibre guns larger secondary armament previous classes mounted casemates gun decks amidships fired pound shell muzzle velocity elevated degrees hit targets yards ships carried sixteen pounder guns pounder guns placed variety mounts including casemates main battery turret roofs fighting tops ships equipped torpedo tubes submerged ship hull deck mounted stern manufactured torpedoes mark model carried pound range yards speed knots mph armour armoured belt majestic class consisted inches harvey steel allowed equal protection cost weight compared previous types armour allowed ships deeper lighter belt previous battleships loss protection belt armour extended feet hull covered waterline belt connected barbettes thick transverse bulkhead forward thick bulkhead aft ship armoured deck thick central portion thick sloped sides connected edge belt armour arrangement required shell penetrated belt pass deck reach ship deck reduced bow stern barbettes main battery protected armour exposed sides armoured deck portion masked deck reduced main battery thick faces thick sides thick roofs secondary guns casemates thick thick sides protect gun crews splinters thick covered stern torpedo tube forward conning tower steel sides rear facing reduced aft conning tower thinner armour protection sides construction service history majestic magnificent mars served channel_fleet commissioning magnificent flagship present diamond jubilee queen victoria june took august instead went mediterranean_fleet remaining respectively returned britain join sisters channel_fleet victorious served briefly mediterranean fleet transferred remaining ship returned stint mediterranean fleet joined sisters channel_fleet majestic paid following year magnificent recommissioned time victorious mars went went march reduced reserve 4th squadron home_fleet later year majestic assigned 7th battle squadron following britain entry world war august assigned 7th turn assigned channel_fleet tasked protecting crossed france time mars magnificent victorious assigned 9th battle squadron stationed protect british coast instead guard ship grand_fleet initially based early majestic prince george took ottoman_empire bombarded ottoman positions dardanelles majestic torpedoed sunk german boat time prince george hit shell ottoman coastal battery requiring repairs malta magnificent victorious mars laid early guns removed arm lord class monitors similarly disarmed guns going turrets magnificent mars troop ships operations dardanelles late conclusion stationed egypt depot ship magnificent mars returned britain ammunition ship depot ship respectively victorious converted repair ship based scapa_flow main base grand_fleet transferred canal patrol returning devonport late paid converted based chatham joined prince george converted barracks ship december september employed guard ship gibraltar north_america west indies station served september october war supported allied intervention russian civil war black_sea depot ship british pre dreadnought serve overseas capacity sold january broken italy britain respectively followed sisters breakers june scrapped paid april eventually sold scrapping germany july magnificent mars sold scrap broken respectively prince george sold scrapping germany september route ran aground victorious renamed eventually sold scrap december
Majestic-class battleship