HMS Vengeance

The Ship


Scrapped 1923


HMS Vengeance, built by Vickers,launched 25/7/1889, was the last of the Canopus Class to be put into commission, was also, in some respects, the most powerful. Like her sister ships, she was of 12,950 tons displacement, and her principal armament consisted of four 12 in guns, mounted in two barbettes, which had all-round-loading positions. She also carried twelve 6 in quick firers, as well as smaller guns, and had a sea speed of 17 knots. She had a water-line belt which extended forward and aft from the more strongly protected portion in the centre, diminishing in thickness as it progressed. But the feature of the Vengeance was that her armour was of the Krupp type, and that, thickness for thickness, it possessed greater resisting powers than that of any of her sister ships. Captain L C Stuart, had his pennant on board the Vengeance in 1902 at which time her complement was 750 officers and men. Displacement: 12,950 tons. Length: 410 ft. Beam: 74 ft. Draught: 26.5 ft. Complement: 750. Armament: four 12 ins guns, twelve 6 ins guns, ten 3 ins guns, six 3 pounder guns and two maxims with four torpedo tubes.

HMS Vengeance,War Service,

7th Battle Squadron Channel Fleet

25 August 1914: took part in transport Plymouth Marine Battalion to Ostend.

November 1914:detached to Alexandria as guard ship and then to Cape Verde-Canary Islands.

22 January 1915: transferred to Dardanelles.

18 February 1915: bombardment of forts.

18 March 1915: attack on inner forts.

25 April 1915: supported landings.

19 May 1915: supported Anzac positions.

25 May 1915: unsuccessfully attacked by German submarine.

July-December 1915: refitted at Devonport.

1916-February 1917: East Africa.

February 1917-February 1918: in reserve.

February-April 1918: used for experiments with anti-flash equipment.

May 1918: onwards disarmed and used as store ship.

1921: arrived at Dover for breaking up,9/1/1923.

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