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HMS Mars of the Majestic Class
battleships. Mars served
with the Channel Fleet in the winter of 1906 and again in 1907. At the outbreak of
WW1 she served with the 4th Division of
the Home Fleet. Mars then served as a guardship in the Humber in August 1914.
With her turrets removed at Belfast she
became a transport ship and covered the evacuations of Anzac and Cape
Helles in January 1916. This evacuation was a major event with 83,048
troops, 186 guns and 1697 horse drawn vehicles with 4,695 horses and
mules. It was expected this evacuation would produce about 30,000
casualties, and Hospitals were prepared for this number at the end only
2 men were wounded in the evacuation. On her return HMS Mars became base
ship at Invergordon. HMS Mars was finally sold for breaking May 1921.
Armament: four 12 inch guns, twelve 6 inch guns, sixteen 12 pdr
guns, twelve 3 pdr guns, 2 maxims, two 2pdr boat guns and five torpedo
tubes. Displacement: 14,900 tons. Speed: 16.5
knots. Complement: 757. |
| HMS MARS |
30TH MARCH 1896 |
SOLD FOR B/U 9TH MAY 1921 |
HMS Mars, 1897
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The Barbette of HMS Mars. |
HMS Mars.
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HMS Mars.
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HMS Mars. circa. 1907
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HMS Mars, 1919.
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Original
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HMS Mars
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|
HMS Mars, 1897.
A
large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced
from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright
holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price
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Original
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HMS Mars.
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HMS Mars at the Fitting-out Wharf of Laird's at
Birkenhead.
The private firm of Messrs Laird Bros at Birkenhead
had the highest reputation for the vessels of war they produced. These
included, among others, the iron frigate Birkenhead, the world-famous
cruiser Alabama, the old battleships Agincourt and Vanguard, the historic
armour-clad turret ship Huascar and so on down to the first class
battleship Royal Oak, the Mars and the Glory. Hardly any other private
firm attained greater eminence and the distinguished services it rendered
to Naval architecture were recognised not only by the British Government
but by foreign governments. The Birkenhead works covered an area of 22
acres in 1897, and the special feature was their series of graving
docks for repair and construction of vessels of every size, equipped with
powerful steam cranes and ever other convenience, while alongside the
fitting-out wharf the largest battleship can lie- as many during
construction did- at all states of the tide. In addition there were
extensive modern engine shops and boiler works. Photo
for sale Magazine photo 8" x 3" Price £10 order code C65 |
HMS Mars.
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reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x
7" approx available. Order photograph here © Walker
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HMS Mars launched 30th March 1896. After 8 years service,
she was commissioned into the reserve at Portsmouth and reentered service
with the Channel Fleet in the winter of 1906 and again March - May 1907.
Between 1908-1912 HMS Mars had 2 refits, and was in the 4th Division of
the Home Fleet at the outbreak of world war one. During August 1914 she
was sent to the Humber as a guard ship. In February 1915, HMS Mars had her
12 inch turrets removed at Belfast (these turrets were installed in the
monitors Earl of Peterborough and Sir Thomas Pickton) after which HMS Mars
became a transport ship and covered the evacuations of Anzac and Cape
Helles in January 1916. On arrival back to Britain she became a depot ship
at Invergordon and finally sold for breaking May 1921. |
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The "Birds" of HMS Mars.
Photo taken after coaling, c.1911.
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|
The "Cabinet" of HMS Mars, 1898 |
The Officers of Mars, c.1898. |
Captain Henry J May and the officers of HMS Mars c.1900. |
Crew Member Bob Wail of HMS Powerful, and later HMS
Mars.
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| Gun Explosion on Board HMS
Mars |
The Fore Barbette
The accident occurred with the left or port gun.
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The Cordite Charges
The charge is made up in four parts, each weighing 41 lbs 13 oz,
making a total of 167.25 lbs for the full charge.
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| Information on the incident taken from the
Army & Navy Illustrated April 1902.
The Channel Squadron were carrying out the usual target practice,
each ship firing at a target towed past her by another ship. The Mars
had completed her practice, except for the guns in the fore turret. With
these guns several misfires had occurred, and the order was given to
change the main electric circuit for the spare or auxiliary one. What
followed afterwards is not quite clear, the version that follows is the
one generally accepted by the Naval establishment pending the result of
the enquiry. The charge of cordite in the gun was probably a
half-charge. The Mars gun is a 12in wire-wound breech-loading weapon,
and the projectile is rammed home by a hydraulic rammer. On the base of
the projectile is a soft metal ring, which cuts into the rifling of the
gun and makes the shell an airtight fit in the bore. The half-charge of
cordite is now inserted in a bag. This bag, since it only fills half the
chamber of the gun, should be entered carefully, so that it shall touch
the breech-block when the latter is closed, and be close up against the
ignition tube. This is possibly one mistake that was made - namely, that
the charge entered too far into the gun and may have been a foot or more
away from the breech-block and ignition tube. Now on the breech being
closed the charge is in a practically airtight chamber, sealed at one
end by the projectile and at the other by the breech-block. The order to
fire was now given, and the tube was exploded. The flash of it, however,
was only enough to cause the bag containing the cordite to smoulder
slightly, there not being sufficient oxygen in the chamber to give
this small flame a chance of spreading. A pause as directed by the drill
book, was now presumably waited, and then came the order to open the
breech. Directly the breech was unlocked and the outside air entered the
chamber, the smouldering flame revived and the charge exploded, with
terrible results for the occupants of the turret. Lieutenant Bourne and
Lieutenant Miller were the two officers killed, with another six men
killed in the incident. |
Funeral of the Eight Victims at Queenstown
The steam launch of the Mars towing the barge with the bodies on
board to the Naval pier.
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Last Honours to Dead Comrades
Bluejackets and marines presenting arms as the coffins pass on the
way to the biers.
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