HMS Ajax (1912) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

King George V class battleship (1911)

The King George V class battleships were a series of four Royal Navy super-dreadnought battleships built just prior to and serving in the First World War.The King George V class immediately followed the Orion class upon which they were based....

battleship (one of four ships of the class), built at Scotts' shipyard at Greenock on the River Clyde

River Clyde

The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....

. She was completed in 1913 and saw action at the Battle of Jutland

Battle of Jutland

The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...

in 1916 and in the Mediterranean and Black Seas in 1919, before being decommissioned in 1924.

The armed merchant cruiser HMS Princess

HMS Princess (1905)

HMS Princess was launched in 1905 as Kronprincess Cecilie. She was detained 1 November 1914 and seized. She was renamed Princess in 1915 and converted to an Armed Merchant Cruiser on 9 January 1916. In this configuration, she was used as a dummy for the battleship HMS Ajax. All dummies were...

served as a dummy for Ajax beginning in 1916.

Design and description

HMS Ajax was the last of the four ships of the s to be laid down. The class had been intended to be a repeat of the preceding Orion class

Orion class battleship

The Orion class battleships were four super-dreadnoughts — the first ships of that type — of the Royal Navy. The lead ship, , was launched in 1910. They were the first Royal Navy dreadnoughts to have all their main guns in the centreline, although the U.S. South Carolina class had this advanced...

, but experience with this class enabled improvements to be incorporated into Ajax, and her sister , at an early stage of construction. The most significant of these, and that which added most to her fighting efficiency, was the positioning of the foremast forward of the fore-funnel rather than behind it. It had been found that in ships in which the foremast and the fighting top were aft of the funnel, which arrangement existed in herself and in the Colossus class

Colossus class battleship (1910)

The Colossus class of two battleships - Colossus and Hercules of the British Royal Navy were among the first battleships following the original of 1906. Originally intended to be part of the Neptune class, the two ships had thicker armour and other differences from , and so Neptune is...

, funnel smoke could render the fighting top essentially uninhabitable. This ship, together with HMS Audacious, was also designed, unlike her earlier sisters and to be equipped with director firing

Fire-control system

A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...

which necessitated the provision of a stronger foremast than had been initially envisaged. The internal armour protection was also improved as against the earlier class, the anti-torpedo armament was improved (q.v.) and the speed increased by about one knot.

Building Data

Ordered under the 1910 construction programme Ajax was built by Scotts' Shipbuilding and Engineering limited at their Greenock yard on the River Clyde, she was laid down on the 27th. February 1911 and launched on the 21st. March 1912. She commissioned in to the 2nd. Battle Squadron of the Home Fleet on the 31st October 1913.

Armament

The main armament consisted of ten 13.5 inch (343mm)) 45 calibre Mark V guns, disposed in five twin turrets all on the centre-line of the ship. The turrets were identified with letters, as was the general naval custom. "A" turret was situated on the forecastle; "B" was immediately aft, one deck higher and in theory superfiring over "A". "Q" turret was placed amidships, at maindeck level, between the after funnel and the aft superstructure. "X" was placed on the quarterdeck immediately aft of the after superstructure, at the same level as "A" turret; "Y" was immediately aft of "X" and at maindeck level, allowing superfiring of "X" over "Y". In practice, because of the practice of positioning of sighting hoods on the turret crowns, firing of the superfiring guns directly over the lower turrets was found to seriously adversely affect the crew of the lower turret.

The maximum elevation of the guns was 20 degrees, which was an increase over previous dreadnought classes. The arcs of fire of "A", "B", "X" and "Y" were all stated as 300 degrees, although it was recognised that firing too close to the superstructure would cause significant damage to it. "Q" turret was also stated to have an arc of fire of 300 degrees, on the basis that at full elevation its shells would pass over the after superstructure. At anything less than full elevation the arc of fire was about 115 degrees on either beam; again, with the risk of causing blast damage if firing too near either the fore or after superstructure.

The guns fired a shell weighing 1,400 pounds, and the maximum rate of fire was two rounds per gun per minute, although to allow for the spotting of the fall of shot one round per minute was more usual.

Secondary Armament

Was sixteen 4-inch (102mm) Mark VII breech-loading guns, arranged in single mounts. In response to the perception that a threat from torpedo-boats was most likely to originate forward of the beam, twelve of these guns could bear forwards and four aft. On completion the forward guns were disposed on three levels; on either side one below the conning tower

Conning tower

A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....

at the level of "Y" turret, three in the superstructure at forecastle deck level, and two in the forecastle hull level with "B" barbette. The after guns were disposed above each other immediately forward of "X" turret. All of these guns had three inch armour protection. The guns in the forecastle were found to be unserviceable in any sort of sea, and were removed, and the casemate

Casemate

A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...

s plated over, during the First World War.

At the time of the design of these ships the dreadnoughts of other major navies were being equipped with secondary armament of calibre of 5 inches (U.S.A.), 5.5 inches (France) and 6 inches (Germany, Japan, Austria). Ajax and her sisters received the smaller calibre for two reasons; the Government, who held to a policy of reduction of expenditure on armaments, were not prepared to allow the extra expenditure of an estimated £170,000 which would have been entailed; and Admiral Fisher, the First Sea Lord

First Sea Lord

The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...

, who had been largely responsible for the basic conceptual design of the armament of British dreadnoughts was firmly opposed to a heavier secondary armament.

In 1915 two 4-inch anti-aircraft guns were installed on the quarterdeck.

Also carried was one 12-pounder gun, four 3-pounder saluting guns, and five Maxim

Maxim gun

The Maxim gun was the first self-powered machine gun, invented by the American-born British inventor Sir Hiram Maxim in 1884. It has been called "the weapon most associated with [British] imperial conquest".-Functionality:...

machine guns and ten Lewis

Lewis Gun

The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...

guns.

In common with other dreadnoughts of the period, Ajax carried three torpedo tubes. One bore astern and there was one on either beam all firing 21 inch (533mm) Whitehead torpedoes.

Armour

The main armour belt was of twelve inches (305 mm) thickness, and ran from abreast of "A" barbette to abreast of "Y" barbette. The upper belt ran the same length along the ship, and was nine inches (229 mm) amidships, tapering at either end to eight inches (203 mm) . At normal loading the belt extended 16 foot above the waterline and 3 foot below it

The citadel, the central vital part of the ship on which depend both buoyancy and fighting ability, was closed forward by a bulkhead

Bulkhead (partition)

A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a ship or within the fuselage of an airplane. Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and deckheads.-Etymology:...

ten inches (254 mm) thick, running from the ends of the belt and merging with the forward armour of the barbette. Similarly, a ten-inch (254 mm) bulkhead closed the citadel after end. Both bulkheads tapered in thickness below the armoured deck; the forward one to six inches (152 mm) , the after one to four inches (102 mm).

The turret faces were eleven inches (279 mm) thick; the sides, which were not expected to be turned to an opponent, were four inches (102 mm); the roofs were three inches (76 mm).

There were three armoured decks. The main deck was given 1.5 inches (38.1 mm) of armour; the middle deck 1 inches (25.4 mm); and the lower deck, which was designed as the main defence against plunging fire and lay immediately over the magazine

Magazine

Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...

s, shell rooms and machinery spaces, was from one to two inches thick forward and from three to four inches (102 mm) thick aft.

The barbettes were covered with armour from three to ten inches (254 mm) thick, the amount depending on the degree of protection expected to be afforded by adjacent structures.

The conning tower received eleven inches (279 mm) of armour, and the after director tower six inches (152 mm).

Machinery

Four Parsons

Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company

Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company was a British engineering company based in Wallsend, North England, on the River Tyne.-History:The company was founded by Charles Algernon Parsons in 1897 with £500,000 of capital, and specialised in building the steam turbine engines that he had invented for...

turbines drove four shafts. The drive was direct, with no reduction gearing. Steam was supplied by eighteen Babcock and Wilcox

Babcock and Wilcox

The Babcock & Wilcox Company is a U.S.-based company that provides design, engineering, manufacturing, construction and facilities management services to nuclear, renewable, fossil power, industrial and government customers worldwide. B&W's boilers supply more than 300,000 megawatts of installed...

boilers, disposed in three boiler rooms with six boilers in each. The designed shaft horsepower (SHP) was 27,000 and the design maximum speed was 21 knots (41.2 km/h). Maximum fuel load was 3,100 tons of coal and 840 tons of oil, giving a radius of action at 10 knots (19.6 km/h) of 6310 nautical miles (11,686.1 km).
Power could be increased to 31000 SHP for short periods; the maximum four-hour speed for Ajax was 21.7 knots (42.5 km/h). The radius of action at 18.15 knots (35.6 km/h) was found to be 4060 nautical miles (7,519.1 km).

Career

Ajax was laid down at Scotts

Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company

Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited, often referred to simply as Scotts, was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Greenock on the River Clyde.- History :...

yard on 27 February 1911. She was launched on 21 March 1912 and completed in March 1913. She underwent sea trials during April 1913, and was commissioned into the first division of the second battle squadron of the Grand Fleet at Devonport

HMNB Devonport

Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...

on 31 October 1913. Her only distinctive pre-war activity was her participation, with her sisters , and , at the Kiel canal

Kiel Canal

The Kiel Canal , known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula....

celebrations in June 1914. She transferred to Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow

right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...

with the rest of the Grand fleet on 29 July 1914, in response to the increasing political tension in Europe.

She remained with the Grand Fleet for the duration of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. She saw action only at the Battle of Jutland

Battle of Jutland

on 31 May 1916. In this action the first division of the second battle squadron, commanded by Vice-Admiral Sir Martyn Jerram

Martyn Jerram

Admiral Sir Martyn Jerram GCMG KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station.-Naval career:Jerram joined the Royal Navy in 1871....

, consisted of HMS King George V, HMS Ajax, HMS Centurion and . The fourth sister ship, HMS Audacious, had been sunk by a mine

Naval mine

A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...

on 27 October 1914. She sighted the leading ships of the battle line of the German High Seas Fleet

High Seas Fleet

The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...

and the German battle cruisers and fired on them. She herself received no hits; because of the number of ships involved it was not possible to establish if she made any hits on her targets.

She remained at Scapa Flow until June 1919, being transferred to the third battle squadron for the final four months of her time there. In June 1919 she was transferred to the fourth battle squadron, which formed part of the Mediterranean Fleet

Mediterranean Fleet

Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...

. She took part with her battle squadron in actions against the Bolshevik

Bolshevik

The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....

s and Turkish nationalists in 1919 in the Black Sea and in the Sea of Marmora. When the Sultan of Turkey was deposed in 1923 he was conveyed to Mecca

Mecca

Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...

in HMS Ajax.

In April 1924 she returned to Devonport, and was part of the Reserve Fleet

Reserve fleet

A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....

until October 1926, when she was paid off onto the disposal list. On 10 December 1926 she was sold to Alloa Shipbreaking Company, and broken up at Rosyth

Rosyth

Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....

from 14 December 1926.

External links

Maritimequest HMS Ajax Photo Gallery

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