H.M.S. Agincourt (1913)

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H.M.S. Agincourt
Career Details
Pennant: 09 (April, 1918)[1]
Built By: Armstrong's, Elswick
Laid down: 14 September, 1911
Launched: 22 January, 1913
Commissioned: 7 August, 1914
Sold: 19 December, 1922
Fate: Scrapped

Officially job 690A.

Launch

Rio de Janeiro was launched on 22 January, 1913 by Mme. Huet de Bacellar, wife of Admiral Huet de Bacellar, the Chie of the Brazilian Naval Commission. The Brazilian Minister was represented by Senhor A. Guerre Duval.

Seizure

On 31 July, 1914, Churchill wrote to the King that:

I have taken the responsibility of forbidding the departure of the Turkish battleship Osman (late Rio) with the Prime Minister's approval. If war comes she will be called - and shd Your Majesty approve - the Agincourt & will convey Sir Henry Jackson to reinforce, & at the regular date assume command of, the Mediterranean.[2]

Alterations

Although in November, 1914 Agincourt was specified as a ship to receive a director and this task received special emphasis in mid 1915,[3] she fought at the Battle of Jutland without a director[4] and was not fitted until some time in June-July, 1916 while at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard.[Citation needed]

Agincourt received directors for her secondary battery in July, 1918.[5]

At some point, Agincourt was equipped with two Mark I Mechanical Aid-to-Spotters, one on each side of the foretop, keyed off the Evershed rack on the director. As the need for such gear was apparently first identified in early 1916, it seems likely that these installations were effected well after Jutland.[6]

See Also

Footnotes

  1. Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919
  2. Winston S. Churchill. Companion Volume II Part 3. p. 1992.
  3. The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, p. 10.
  4. The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, p. 11.
  5. The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, p. 16.
  6. The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, 1919, pp. 25-6.

Bibliography

Template:Agincourt Class (1913)