World War I HMS Canopus (1897)

1 world war i

1.1 south seas station
1.2 dardanelles campaign
1.3 fate

world war i

after world war broke out in august 1914, canopus commissioned on 7 august 1914, service in 8th battle squadron in channel fleet, under command of captain heathcoat grant. detached duty on 21 august 1914 operate cape verde-canary islands station support cruiser squadron there. in september, sister ship hms albion relieved , canopus transferred south america station become guard ship there , provide support cruiser squadron of rear admiral christopher cradock. while en route, canopus encountered german cruiser karlsruhe off brazil, german ship intercepted british radio signals before canopus locate her.

south seas station

sketch of canopus @ stanley

canopus departed abrolhos rocks on 8 october 1914 assist cradock s ships in searching german east asia squadron of vice admiral maximilian von spee, en route south atlantic far east. canopus arrived @ stanley in falkland islands on 18 october 1914, took guard ship , escort duties. cradock had intended take canopus squadron, consisted of armoured cruisers hope , monmouth, light cruiser glasgow , auxiliary cruiser otranto, late arrival, coupled fact required overhaul upon arriving in falklands, forced cradock proceed without her. in addition, canopus make no more 12 knots (22 km/h), have made difficult cradock force east asia squadron battle. cradock ordered canopus join him when possible, though intended use protect colliers. on 27 october, cradock detached light cruiser glasgow coronel gather intelligence, , next day ordered canopus bring colliers juan fernández islands, squadron replenish fuel. glasgow arrived in coronel on 31 october, departed on 1 november receive order first sea lord cradock should not risk engaging spee s squadron without canopus.

canopus still 300 nautical miles (560 km) south of cradock when encountered spee s squadron, , german ships faster british cruisers, preventing cradock rejoining canopus. in ensuing battle of coronel, east asia squadron sank both of cradock s armoured cruisers , damaged glasgow; time cradock defeated, canopus still 250 nautical miles (460 km) away. glasgow , otranto escaped south , rendezvoused canopus. spee broke off pursuit of fleeing british ships when became aware canopus in area, writing following day that, against ship, can hardly anything. if had kept forces should have come off second best. shortly after news of battle reached britain, royal navy ordered naval forces in region consolidate; included remnants of cradock s command, along armoured cruisers defence, carnarvon, , cornwall. in addition, pair of battlecruisers—invincible , inflexible—were detached grand fleet hunt down , destroy spee s squadron.

illustration of canopus firing on spee s squadron

canopus , glasgow returned stanley, arriving there on 8 november 1914; proceeded join british warships concentrating off river plate. canopus ordered return falklands , place herself in stanley guard port on 9 november. arrived 3 days later, , began make preparations defence of harbour. @ stanley, canopus s crew set defences against attack graf spee. canopus herself beached in mudflats in position allowed cover entrance harbour , have field of fire landward southeast; reduce visibility, topmasts struck , camouflaged. observation post established ashore on high ground , connected ship telephone, allowing canopus use indirect fire against approaching ships. of 12-pounder guns , detachment of seventy royal marines put ashore defend stanley , environs. on 25 november, canopus intercepted radio message indicated spee s squadron had rounded cape horn, though message erroneous; spee made passage on night of 1–2 december. 4 december, canopus s crew had completed preparations.

on 7 december, main british squadron, commanded vice admiral doveton sturdee, arrived in stanley , began coaling, intention of departing 2 days later search spee. instead, on morning of 8 december, german squadron arrived off stanley; @ 07:50, lookouts aboard canopus raised alarm. shortly after 09:00, time german cruisers—gneisenau , nürnberg—had approached within 11,000 yards (10,000 m) , canopus fired 2 salvos, both of fell short. observers stated fragments second salvo hit 1 of gneisenau s funnels,, though according modern historians, including robert gardiner , randal gray,, hew strachan, , paul halpern, canopus made no hits either salvo. under fire canopus , spotting tripod masts of sturdee s battlecruisers, spee called off force s planned attack on falklands. @ 09:31, canopus ceased firing, germans had begun withdraw. sturdee s battlecruisers, faster spee s ships, caught , destroyed east asia squadron, exception of light cruiser sms dresden, able outrun british pursuers. canopus, still moored in mud, remained behind @ stanley , missed rest of battle. canopus left falklands on 18 december 1914 return south american station duties @ abrolhos rocks.

dardanelles campaign

canopus 12-inch (305 mm) guns fire on turkish defences in dardanelles, march 1915. photo ernest brooks.

in february 1915, canopus transferred mediterranean take part in dardanelles campaign. on 2 march 1915, took part in second attack on ottoman turkish entrance forts @ dardanelles. during operation, led 4th sub-division, included pre-dreadnoughts cornwallis , swiftsure. canopus , swiftsure tasked suppressing guns in fortress @ dardanus while cornwallis engage minor batteries @ intepe , erenköy. canopus , swiftsure entered straits @ 13:20 , closed within 1,000 yards (910 m) of north shore, @ 14:20 opened fire @ fortress on other side of straits, 7,500 yards (6,900 m) away. ships fired 2 hours before ottomans inside dardanus returned fire @ 16:15, did quite accurately, straddling canopus , scoring hit on quarterdeck damaged wardroom. second shell knocked down topmast , third holed funnel after funnel, exploded, , rained fragments on 2 of boats.

the heavy ottoman fire forced canopus , swiftsure withdraw bombardment position, though placed them in range of guns @ erenköy well, while @ dardanus still engage them. cornwallis, having silenced guns @ intepe, started shelling erenköy, while canopus , swiftsure kept fire on dardanus. ottomans repeatedly straddled 3 battleships, being further out in strait, had more room manoeuvre , avoided direct hits. 16:40, guns @ dardanus fell silent, allowing 3 ships concentrate fire @ erenköy, batteries neutralised. 3 ships withdrew, seemingly having achieved objective, though night, when destroyers , minesweepers tried clear minefields blocking straits, met heavy fire , forced withdraw. during third landings on 4 march 1915, demonstrated off aegean coast keep ottoman ground forces tied down.

she covered bombardment of forts superdreadnought hms queen elizabeth on 8 march, , covered minesweepers attempting sweep in minefields off kephes on 10 march. during operation on 10th, she, protected cruiser amethyst, , several destroyers covered force of minesweepers. canopus attempted destroy searchlights ottoman coastal guns failed knock them out. result, when minesweepers tried clear mines, came under intense fire , had retreat, 1 of them striking mine in chaos. took part in major attack on narrows forts on 18 march 1915. during 18 march attack, fleet of british , french warships—including queen elizabeth , battlecruiser inflexible—would attempt suppress forts in daylight, allowing minesweepers clear fields unmolested ottoman fire. british ships succeeded in inflicting heavy damage on fortresses, battleship formidable , inflexible began taking serious damage coastal batteries. french battleships began take damage, , battleship bouvet struck mine , exploded.

the french ships began retreat, canopus , other british battleships continued bombardment. shortly thereafter, inflexible struck mine , badly damaged managed withdraw. battleships irresistible , ocean struck mines , both sank, forcing british break off attack. after attack, canopus , protected cruiser hms talbot escorted damaged inflexible mudros malta on 6 april. in heavy weather , inflexible foundering, canopus had take crippled battlecruiser under tow, stern first, during last 6 hours of voyage on 10 april. returning dardanelles, canopus took part in blockade of smyrna , covered diversionary attack on bulair during main landings on 25 april 1915. supported anzac forces ashore in may, including during strong ottoman counterattack on 19 may. when sister ship albion became stranded on sandbank off gaba tepe under heavy fire on 22–23 may 1915, canopus towed free. on 25 may, canopus withdrew mudros , while leaving dardanelles, encountered german u-boat u-21, went on sink battleship triumph later day. canopus underwent refit @ malta may june 1915.

fate

after dardanelles campaign ended evacuation of allied forces gallipoli in january 1916, canopus assigned british eastern mediterranean squadron, served until returned united kingdom in april 1916. canopus arrived @ plymouth on 22 april 1916, paid off @ chatham provide crews antisubmarine vessels. remained @ chatham until april 1916, undergoing refit there later in 1916, having 8 main-deck 6-inch (152 mm) guns replaced 4 on battery deck , 12-pounder , 3-pounder guns replaced light antiaircraft weapons in 1917, , becoming accommodation ship in february 1918. canopus placed on disposal list @ chatham in april 1919. sold scrapping on 18 february 1920 , arrived @ dover on 26 february 1920 scrapped.