View source for H.M.S. Swiftsure (1903)

<div name=fredbot:career>{{ShipCareer|fullname=H.M.S. ''Swiftsure'' (1903)|fate2=Scrapped
|comm=Jun, 1904{{Conways1860|p. 39}}
|fatedate=18 Jun, 1920{{DittColl|p. 31}}
|order=Purchased 3 Dec, 1903{{DittColl|p. 31}}
|name=Swiftsure
|launch=12 Jan, 1903{{DittColl|p. 31}}
|builder=[[Armstrong, Whitworth & Company]]{{DittColl|p. 31}}
|laid=26 Feb, 1902{{Conways1860|p. 39}}
|fate=Sold
|pend=P.05 (Jan 1918){{DittColl|p. 31}}
|fg=white|bg=crimson}}</div name=fredbot:career>
'''H.M.S. ''Swiftsure''''' was originally built for Chile as ''Constitucion''; she was purchased along with sister {{UK-Triumph}} on 3 December, 1903.{{DittColl|p. 31}}  As a consequence, she did not resemble contemporary British ships.

==Service==
''Swiftsure'' was recommissioned at Portsmouth on 26 March, 1913 to become flagship of the East Indies station.{{NLApr14|p. 379}}

At 3am on the night of 28 January 1915, while in the Suez Canal supporting ground forces, ''Swiftsure'' switched on her searchlights to engage enemies attacking a friendly outpost.  She opened fire with 7.5-in lyddite shells at 7.05am, ceasing fire at 7.40 when the enemy retreated.<ref>[http://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-01-HMS_Swiftsure.htm Transcribed ships log].</ref>

On 10 August, 1915, a gun aboard ''Swiftsure'' accidentally fired and caused casualties on a transport.  A Court of Enquiry found that gunnery {{LCommRN}} [[Cuthbert Winthrop Swithinbank]] had permitted the gun to remain loaded after the gun crew had fallen out.  He received an expression of the Vice-Admiral's dissatisfaction with his neglect of duty.<ref>Swithinbank Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/50/49.|}} f. ?.</ref>

''Swiftsure'' served in the East Indies until 1915 and then moved to the Mediterranean.<ref>Dittmar; Colledge.  ''British Warships: 1914-1919''.  p. 31.</ref>  She paid off on 26 April, 1917.{{NLNov17|p. 398''c''}}

==Alterations==
In mid-1913 it was approved that these ships receive a [[Mark III Dumaresq]], Pattern 760.  Having been supplied with the Mark III variant, each was to surrender a Mark I instrument.{{AWO1913|283 of 6 June, 1913}}

In 1918, ''Swiftsure'' was converted to a [[Blockship|blockship]] at [[Chatham Royal Dockyard]], but was never used as such.{{DittColl|p. 31}}

==Captains==
Dates of appointment are provided when known.
<div name=fredbot:officeCapt otitle="Captain of H.M.S. ''Swiftsure''">
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Ernest James Fleet|nick=Ernest J. Fleet|appt=21 June, 1904{{NLOct04|p. 381}}|end=22 September, 1905|precBy=New Command}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Arthur Archibald Campbell Galloway|nick=Arthur A. C. Galloway|appt=22 September, 1905<ref>Galloway Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 139/276.</ref>|end=1 July, 1906<ref>Galloway Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 139/276.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Christopher George Francis Maurice Cradock|nick=Christopher G. F. M. Cradock|appt=17 July, 1906<ref>Cradock Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.|D7579040}}  f. 89.</ref>|end=6 August, 1908<ref>Cradock Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.|D7579040}}  f. 89.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Cecil Fiennes Thursby|nick=Cecil F. Thursby|appt=5 August, 1908{{NLOct08|p. 380}}<ref>Thursby Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}} f. 658.</ref>|end=14 February, 1910<ref>Thursby Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}} f. 658.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Cyril Everard Tower|nick=Cyril E. Tower|appt=8 February, 1910<ref>Tower Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}}  f. 32.</ref>{{NLApr11|p. 380}}|ass=14 February, 1910<ref>Inferred from discharge of predecessor.  Thursby Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}} f. 658.</ref>|end=19 January, 1912}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Robert Stewart Phipps Hornby|nick=Robert S. P. Hornby|appt=19 January, 1912<ref>Hornby Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}}  f. 338.</ref>|end=14 May, 1912<ref>Hornby Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}}  f. 338.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Guy Reginald Archer Gaunt|nick=Guy R. A. Gaunt|appt=2 July, 1912<ref>Gaunt Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/49.}}  f. 161.</ref>|end=August, 1912|note=for [[Annual Manoeuvres of 1912]]}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CommRN}}|name=Geoffrey Hopwood|nick=Geoffrey Hopwood|appt=27 August, 1912{{NavAppts|29 Aug. 1912, p. 2}}|end=14 February, 1913|note=temporary}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CommRN}}|name=Arthur Brandreth Scott Dutton|nick=Arthur B. S. Dutton|appt=1 March, 1913<ref>Dutton Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/44.|D7603013}} f. 258.</ref>|end=17 March, 1913<ref>Dutton Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/44.|D7603013}} f. 258.</ref>|note=temporary}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CommRN}}|name=Lionel George Preston|nick=Lionel G. Preston|appt=19 March, 1913<ref>Preston Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/44/79.|D7576588}}  f. 79.</ref>|end=April, 1913<ref>Preston Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/44/79.|D7576588}}  f. 79.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Herbert John Temple Marshall|nick=Herbert J. T. Marshall|appt=25 March, 1913<ref>Marshall Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/110.|D7602454}} f. 117.</ref>|end=c. 24 April, 1913<ref>Marshall Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/110.|D7602454}} f. 117.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Raymond Andrew Nugent|nick=Raymond A. Nugent|appt=25 April, 1913{{NLApr14|p. 379}}|end=14 April, 1914{{NLApr14|p. 379}}{{NLApr15|p. 398''m''}}}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Cecil Maxwell-Lefroy|nick=Cecil Maxwell-Lefroy|appt=14 April, 1914{{NLApr15|p. 398''m''}}|end=11 August, 1915}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Henry FitzRoy George Talbot|nick=Henry F. G. Talbot|appt=10 August, 1915<ref>Talbot Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/421.|D7576566}} f. 421.</ref>{{NLDec16|p. 398''m''}}|end=26 April, 1917<ref>Talbot Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43/421.|D7576566}} f. 421.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Commander R.N.R.|name=Francis Joseph Stenson|nick=Francis J. Stenson|appt=9 November, 1917{{NLFeb19|p. 912''a''}}|end=|note=and for command of {{UK-Hibernia}}}}
</div name=fredbot:officeCapt>

==See Also==
{{refbegin}}
* [http://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-01-HMS_Swiftsure.htm Transcribed Ship Logs at naval-history.net]
{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Swiftsure_(1903)}}
{{refend}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{DittColl}}
*{{Conways1860}}
*{{DreyerH}}
*{{FCHMShips}}
{{refend}}

{{Footer Triumph Class Battleship (1903)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swiftsure}}

{{CatShipPreDreadnought|UK}}