Battleships-Cruisers .co .uk Home Page
Order Enquiries (UK) : 01436 820269

You currently have no items in your basket

Google

 

www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk

Naval History by Country :
ROYAL
NAVY
US
NAVY
GERMAN
NAVY
FRENCH
NAVY
MORE
PAGES
VIEW ALL OF OUR CURRENT ART SPECIAL OFFERS ON ONE PAGE HERE
NAVAL ART AVIATION ART MILITARY ART SPORT ART
Ship Search by Name :
Product Search         
ALWAYS GREAT OFFERS :
20% FURTHER PRICE REDUCTIONS ON HUNDREDS OF LIMITED EDITION ART PRINTS
BUY ONE GET ONE HALF PRICE ON THOUSANDS OF PAINTINGS AND PRINTS
FOR MORE OFFERS SIGN UP TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
HMS Mars - Battleships-Cruisers.co.uk

HMS Mars

Name : HMS Mars
Laid Down : 2nd June 1894
Launched : 30th March 1896
Completed : 8th June 1897
Type : Battleship
Class : Majestic
Builder : Laird
Country : UK
Pennants :
Fate : Sold for scrap 9th May 1921.

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.

Gun Explosion on HMS Mars, April 14th 1902.

The task of recording in these pages such a terrible catastrophe as that which occurred off Queenstown on April 14 is a very sad one. We feel sure that our readers will join us in an expression of deepest sympathy with the relations of those who lost their lives in the service of their country. Till the result of the official enquiry is known the cause can only be conjectured, but the circumstances as described by eye-witnesses in the daily papers may be placed on record here.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.

Army & Navy Illustrated, 1902.

HMS Mars Photos for Sale
Click on the images below to see purchasing options for these photos!
To view an enlarged image click the +Enlarge Image button (where available)



HMS Mars, Queenstown, 1902.


HMS Mars - Queenstown, 1902.


HMS Mars, 1897.


HMS Mars, 1919.


HMS Mars.


HMS Mars.


HMS Mars.


HMS Mars.


HMS Mars.


HMS Mars, 1897

Return to Ship Search Page



Everything we obtain for this site is shown on the site, we do not have any more photos, crew lists or further information on any of the ships.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE. ALL IMAGES DISPLAYED ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROTECTED BY  COPYRIGHT  LAW, AND ARE OWNED BY CRANSTON FINE ARTS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.  NO REPRODUCTION OR COPYING ALLOWED ON OTHER WEBSITES, BOOKS OR ARTICLES WITHOUT PRIOR AGREEMENT.

Contact Details
Shipping Info
Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy

Join us on Facebook!

Sign Up To Our Newsletter!

Stay up to date with all our latest offers, deals and events as well as new releases and exclusive subscriber content!

This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts.  Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE

Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269.  Email: