Majestic was laid down at the
Portsmouth Dockyard in February 1894. She was launched from No. 13 Dock on 31 January 1895, by
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll. After
fitting-out work she commenced her builders trials in September 1895 in the waters south of the Isle of Wright. These were disrupted when on 9 September while passing through
Spithead she ran aground on a sandbank and on a rising tide was refloated two hours later with no damage. She competed her trials on 18 September. She was commissioned into the
Royal Navy at 9 am on 12 December 1895, with most of her crew having been sourced from
HMS Royal Sovereign which at the time was in dry dock having with bilge keels fitted. She put to sea on 17 January 1896 to undertake further trials in the Channel on the way to
Portland Harbour. She was assigned to the
Channel Squadron's
Portsmouth division. She then travelled north to the Clyde before spending the summer at
Berehaven on the south coast of Ireland. She was present at the
Fleet Review at
Spithead for the
Diamond Jubilee of
Queen Victoria on 26 June 1897, and was later
flagship to Vice-Admiral
Sir Harry Rawson, Commander-in-Chief of the
Channel Fleet. Captain
George Egerton was appointed in command on 28 June 1899, and paid off in April 1901, when Captain
Edward Eden Bradford was appointed in command as she became the
flagship of Rear-Admiral
Arthur Wilson, who had been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the
Channel Squadron. She took part in the
Coronation Review held at
Spithead for King
Edward VII on 16 August 1902, and in September that year was head of a squadron visiting
Nauplia and
Souda Bay at
Crete in the
Mediterranean Sea. She underwent a refit at
Portsmouth from February to July 1904, and then became a unit of the
Atlantic Fleet when a reorganisation resulted in the Channel Fleet becoming the Atlantic Fleet in January 1905. On 1 October 1906, she paid off into reserve at Portsmouth.
Majestic recommissioned at Portsmouth on 26 February 1907 to become
flagship of the
Nore Division in the new
Home Fleet, stationed at the
Nore. She began a refit later that year in which she received radio and new fire control systems. When the flag was transferred to another ship in January 1908, she became a
private ship in the
Nore Division. In June 1908,
Majestic transferred to the
Devonport Division of the Home Fleet, stationed at
Devonport. Her refit was completed in 1909, and in March 1909 she transferred to the 3rd Division at Devonport, then in August 1910 to the 4th Division at Devonport, where she underwent another refit in 1911. In May 1912,
Majestic became part of the 7th Battle Squadron in the 3rd Fleet at Devonport. On 14 July 1912 she collided with her sister ship during manoeuvres, suffering no serious damage.
First World War Upon the outbreak of the
First World War in August 1914,
Majestic and the rest of the 7th Battle Squadron were assigned to the
Channel Fleet.
Majestic underwent a refit in August and September 1914, then covered the passage of the
British Expeditionary Force to France in September 1914. She was detached from the 7th Battle Squadron from 3 October 1914 to 14 October 1914 to escort the first Canadian troop convoy. At the end of October 1914,
Majestic was transferred to the
Nore to serve as guard ship there. On 3 November 1914, she transferred to the
Humber to serve as guard ship there. In December 1914 she became a unit of the
Dover Patrol, and combined with battleship to bombard German coastal artillery from off of
Nieuwpoort, Belgium, on 15 December 1914. In January 1915, she was based at
Portland.
Dardanelles campaign harbour with several destroyers In February 1915,
Majestic was assigned to participate in the upcoming
Dardanelles Campaign to open the
Turkish Straits, and she departed early that month under the command of Captain H. F. G. Talbot to join the
Mediterranean Fleet. Upon arriving at
Malta, she was fitted with what was termed "mine-catching" gear so that she could serve as a "mine-bumper". She joined the Dardanelles force on 24 February 1915, and on 26 February 1915 departed
Tenedos to bombard the
Ottoman Turkish inner forts at the
Dardanelles that morning. On 26 February 1915,
Majestic and battleships and became the first
Allied heavy ships to enter the Turkish Straits during the campaign, firing on the inner forts from 0914 until 1740 hours.
Majestic took a hit below the
waterline, but was able to continue operations and patrolled the area again on 27 February 1915. She supported the early landings, shelling the forts from 1125 until 1645 hours on 1 March 1915 and again while patrolling on 3 March 1915. She arrived at
Mudros on 8 March 1915. On 9 March 1915,
Majestic circumnavigated the entrance to the Dardanelles and bombarded Ottoman Turkish positions from 1007 until 1215 hours. She returned to Tenedos on 10 March 1915, patrolled off the Dardanelles again on 15 March 1915, and again returned to Tenedos on 16 March 1915.
Majestic participated in the final attempt to force the straits by naval power alone on 18 March 1915. She opened fire on Fort 9 at 1420 hours and also engaged Turkish field guns hidden in woods. She shelled Fort 9 until she ceased fire at 18:35; the fort meanwhile fired on the mortally damaged battleship .
Majestic was hit four times, twice in her lower tops and twice on her forecastle, and returned to Tenedos at 2200 hours with one dead and some wounded crew members.
Majestic returned to patrol duties on 22 March 1915. She shelled Turkish positions on 28 March 1915 from 0950 to 1015 and from 1250 to 1340 hours and again opened fire on 14 April at 1458 hours. On 18 April, she fired on the abandoned British submarine aground near
Fort Dardanos and in danger of being captured; two picket boats, one from
Majestic and one from
Triumph, destroyed
E15 with torpedoes, although the boat from
Majestic was itself sunk by Turkish shore batteries while retiring.
Majestic returned to Tenedos on 21 April 1915. On 25 April 1915,
Majestic was back in action, signalling London that Allied landings had begun at
Gallipoli and supporting them with coastal bombardments until 1915 hours. She brought 99 wounded troops aboard at 2110 hours and recovered all her boats before anchoring off Gallipoli for the night. On 26 April 1915, she was back in action early, opening fire at 0617 hours. On 27 April 1915 she exchanged fire with Turkish guns, with several Turkish shells achieving very near misses before both sides ceased firing at 1130 hours. On 29 April 1915 she again was anchored off Gallipoli.
Majestic relieved
Triumph as flagship of Admiral Nicholson, commanding the squadrons supporting the troops ashore off
Cape Helles, on 25 May 1915.
Loss On 27 May 1915, while stationed off W Beach at Cape Helles,
Majestic became the third battleship to be torpedoed off the Gallipoli peninsula in two weeks. Around 0645 hours, Commander
Otto Hersing of the German
submarine fired a single
torpedo through the defensive screen of
destroyers and anti-torpedo nets, striking
Majestic and causing a huge explosion. The ship began to list to port and in nine minutes had capsized in 54 feet (16 m) of water, killing 49 men. Her masts hit the mud of the sea bottom, and her upturned hull remained visible for many months until it was finally submerged when her foremast collapsed during a storm. == Dive site ==