HMS Revenge (1892-1919)

[westkent78]

I'm looking for information on HMS Revenge's bombardment role in 1914 and its use for the remainder of the war.

I know that the Revenge was used in the early part of the war for bombardment of the French/Belgian coast (more details needed) and became the first battleship to be fitted with torpedo bulges, but what was she tasked with in the remainder of the war?

I think in 1915 she was renamed Redoubtable so as to free up the Revenge name for a new battleship.

I recently picked up a LSGC to a cooper who was onboard during the war years- interestingly his naval records lists the ship as Revenge (Old) - no mention of Redoubtable.

Thank you for any help forthcoming

Matthew

[Bob H]

Matthew

The followig is taken from BRITISH BATTLESHIPS 1889-1904 by R A Burt:

History: REVENGE

.......

Sept-Oct 1914 Brought back into service and specially fitted out at Portsmouth for bombardment duties off coast of Flanders.

31 Oct 1914 Ordered to stand by at Portsmouth to relieve Venerable as Flagship.

4 Nov 1914 Ready for service with five ‘Duncans’ and formed new 6th BS of Channel Fleet (Special Service Squadron for projected attack on U-boat bases).

14 Nov 1914 Attack on U-boat bases abandoned owing to bad weather; with Majestic left Dover for Dunkirk.

22 Nov 1914 With Bustard, six British and four French destroyers and a French torpedo-boat, bombarded German troops off Nieuport.

22 Nov Recalled to Dover.

15 Dec 1914 With Majestic tried to locate German heavy guns which were giving trouble to British forces. Hit twice by 8in shells during this operation; second hit below waterline causing serious leak.

16 Dec Bombarded Flanders Coast again.

April to May 1915 Refit at Chatham, bulges fitted.

2-10 Aug 1915 Renamed Redoubtable to give name to new Royal Sovereign class dreadnought.

7 Sept 1915 During afternoon employed with a squadron bombarding Ostend and barracks at Westende from a position in the West Deep Channel. She kept down German gunfire at Westende, in which she was assisted by the old gunboats Bustard and Excellent, all of which inflicted considerable damage to the enemy.

Oct to Dec 1915 Refit. Not recommissioned after refit; employed as accommodation ship at Portsmouth until Feb 1919.

Dec 1919 Placed on sales list; sold to T.W.Ward, Briton Ferry, for £42,750; later broken-up at Swansea.

Regards

Bob

[westkent78]

Bob,

Thank you very much for that. You've filled in much of the knowledge gap for me.

Do you have any ideas as to what happened to the bulk of the crew when she was turned into accommodation-presumably redistributed to other ships?

Matthew