HMS Ocean (1898)

40°0′59.54″N 26°17′59.24″E / 40.0165389°N 26.2997889°E / 40.0165389; 26.2997889

HMS Ocean
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Ocean
Ordered	1896/97 Estimates
Builder	Devonport Dockyard
Laid down	15 February 1897
Launched	5 July 1898
Christened	Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne
Commissioned	20 February 1900
Fate	Sunk by mine, 18 March 1915
General characteristics
Class and type	Canopus-class pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement	Full load: 14,300 long tons (14,500 t)
Length	421 ft 6 in (128.5 m) (loa)
Beam	74 ft (22.6 m)
Draught	26 ft (7.9 m)
Installed power	20 × water-tube boilers 13,500 ihp (10,100 kW)
Propulsion	2 × screw propellers 2 × triple-expansion steam engines
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement	750
Armament	4 × BL 12 in (305 mm) 35-caliber Mk VIII guns 12 × QF 6 in (152 mm) 40-caliber guns 10 × 12-pounder 76 mm (3 in) quick-firing guns 6 × 3-pounder guns 4 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour	Belt 6 in (152 mm) Bulkheads 10–6 in (254–152 mm) Barbettes 12 in Gun houses 8 in (203 mm) Casemates 6 in Conning tower 12 in Decks 2–1 in (51–25 mm)

HMS Ocean was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the British Royal Navy and a member of the Canopus class. Intended for service in Asia, Ocean and her sister ships were smaller and faster than the preceding Majestic-class battleships, but retained the same battery of four 12-inch (305 mm) guns. She also carried thinner armour, but incorporated new Krupp steel, which was more effective than the Harvey armour used in the Majestics. Ocean was laid down in December 1897, launched in July 1898, and commissioned into the fleet in February 1900.

She entered service with the Mediterranean Fleet until January 1901, when she was transferred to the China Station. Ocean was recalled from China in 1905 for service with the Channel Fleet after a period spent in reserve. From 1908 to early 1910, she was again assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet. She was assigned to the Home Fleet in 1910 and saw little activity until the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914. At the start of the conflict, she was assigned to the 8th Battle Squadron and was stationed in Ireland to support a cruiser squadron, but in October she was transferred to the East Indies Station to protect troopship convoys from India.

In late 1914, Ocean participated in an attack on Basra before being transferred to Egypt to defend the Suez Canal. In February 1915, she was reassigned to the Dardanelles Campaign, and she took part in several attacks on the Ottoman fortifications defending the Dardanelles. On 18 March, she attempted to retrieve the battleship Irresistible after the latter had been badly damaged by a mine in Erenköy Bay, but had to abandon her salvage efforts due to heavy Ottoman gunfire. She instead evacuated the surviving crew of Irresistible but struck a mine while making for the open sea. Badly damaged, her crew and the survivors of Irresistible were taken off by destroyers and both battleships sank in Morto Bay.