Illustrious HMS (1896)

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john sefton
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Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

Illustrious HMS (1896)

Post by john sefton » Tue Sep 14, 2010 9:58 am

HMS Illustrious was laid down at Chatham Dockyard on 11 March 1895 and launched on 17 September 1896. She began trials in October 1897 and was completed in April 1898.
HMS Illustrious commissioned at Chatham for service in the Fleet Reserve on 15 April 1898. She went into full commission there on 10 May 1898 for service in the Mediterranean Fleet. While in the Mediterranean, she participated between September and December 1898 in operations at Crete during the Greco-Turkish uprising there, and in 1901 underwent a refit at Malta.
In July 1904, Illustrious transferred to the Channel Fleet. As a result of a reorganization on 1 January 1905, the Channel Fleet became the Atlantic Fleet, and she became an Atlantic Fleet unit.
Illustrious ended her Atlantic Fleet service in September 1905 and began a refit at Chatham. Emerging from the refit, she commissioned into the Reserve at Chatham on 14 March 1906, then went into full commission for service in the new Channel Fleet (formerly the Home Fleet) on 3 April 1906, serving as Flagship, Rear Admiral. She collided with schooner Christa in the English Channel in fog on 13 June 1906. She was relieved as flagship and ended her Channel Fleet service on 1 June 1908, paying off at Chatham.
Illustrious recommissioned at Chatham on 2 June 1908 for service with the Portsmouth Division of the new Home Fleet. On 22 March 1909 she collided with third-class cruiser HMS Amethyst in Portsmouth Harbor, but suffered no damage. She suffered another mishap on 21 August 1909 when she damaged her bottom by striking a reef in Babbacombe Bay. She underwent a refit in 1912, and later that year was transferred to the 3rd Fleet and participated in maneuvers as Flagship, Vice Admiral, 7th Battle Squadron.
In late July 1914, the Royal Navy began a precautionary mobilization, as war seemed imminent. The Majestic-class ships were by then the oldest and least effective battleships in service in the Royal Navy. At first, it was planned that Illustrious would pay off to provide crewmen for the new dreadnought battleship HMS Erin, but instead she was placed in full commission to serve as a guard ship for the Grand Fleet once World War I began in August 1914. She began guard ship duty at Loch Ewe on 23 August 1914, transferring to Loch Na-Keal on 17 October 1914, to the Tyne in November 1914, and to the Humber (where she was based at Grimsby) in December 1914. She remained on guard ship duty on the Humber until November 1915.
Illustrious paid off at Grimsby on 26 November 1915 to be converted to a disarmed harbor subsidiary service vessel; two of her 12-inch (305-mm) guns were re-used in the Tyne Turrets. Her conversion was completed in March 1916. She served at Grimsby in her new role until August 1916, when she transferred to Chatham to serve as an overflow ship.
Illustrious commissioned at Chatham on 20 November 1916 for use as a munitions storeship, and on 24 November 1916 she transferred to the Tyne to serve in this role. In November 1917, she transferred to Portsmouth to continue service as a munitions storeship there.
Illustrious paid off on 21 April 1919 and was placed on the sale list at Portsmouth on 24 March 1920. She was sold for scrapping on 18 June 1920, and was scrapped at Barrow.
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