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Saturday 15 October 2016

British battleships Victorious and Magnificent ordered to cruise in the Strait of Gibraltar according to the Dutch newspaper Soerabaijasch handelsblad dated 7 November 1904

Majestic-class

An item reported that the British battleships Victorious (1) and Magnificent (2) were ordered (3) to cruise in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Notes
1. Laid down at the Chatham Dockyard, England on 28 May 1894, launched by the later queen Mary on 19 October 1895, completed in November 1896, commissioned on 26 November 1896, refitted at Chatham, England between 8 August 1903-February 1904, guard ship in 1914, laid up with main armament removed until September 1915, converted into a repair ship by Palmers, Jarrow between September 1915-February 1916, commissioned on 22 February 1916, stationed at Scapa Flow, renamed Indus II and transferred to Devonport, England in March 1920, refit there to be used with the Indus Establishment cancelled, a conversion into a harbour depot ship was stopped in April 1922, sold to be broken up on 19 December 1922, sale cancelled on 1 March 1923, resold on 9 April 1923 and broken up at Dover, England. Of the Majestic-class consisting of the Majestic, Caesar, Hannibal, Illustrious, Jupiter, Magnificent, Mars, Prince George and Victorious, preceded by the HMS Renown and succeeded by the Canopus-class.
2. Laid down at the Chatham Dockyard on 18 December 1893, launched on 19 December 1894, completed in December 1895, commissioned on12 December 1895, turret drill ship and stokers’ training ship at Devonport, England since 27 September 1910, tender to the turret drill ship Vivid in February 1911, seagoing gunnery training ship since 14 May 1912, guard ship in 1914 until 16 February 1915, except for part of her secondary armament disarmed at Belfast, Ireland between February-April 1915, laid up Loch Goil until 9 September 1915, used as troop ship in the Dardanelles, paid off at Devonport on 3 March 1916, overflow ship there until August 1917, refitted at Harland&Wolff, Belfast in a ammunition ship between August 1917-October 1918, for disposal on 4 February 1920, still used as ammunition store ship at Rosyth, Scotland until April 1921, sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921 which was done at Inverkeithing in 1922. Of the Majestic-class consisting of the Majestic, Caesar, Hannibal, Illustrious, Jupiter, Magnificent, Mars, Prince George and Victorious, preceded by the HMS Renown and succeeded by the Canopus-class.
3. The Russo-Japanese war between 8 February 1904-5 September 1905. The Russian Baltic fleet underway towards to the Far East destroyed some British fishery vessels believing it were Japanese torpedo boats. England was furious and threatened to pursuit the Russian fleet to the Far East.