Was there a troop ship Canopus that woudl have moved

[steve fuller]

Hi Pals

Am testing a family memory here ...

I am aware of the class Canopus that seems to come up in mentions of the Gallipoli campaign and that there was a battleship called the Canope I believe, but has anyone come across a hospital ship or similar type of vessel that carried casualties. The man in question was returned home from France twice and Salonika once (December 1915), so I assume it was along one of those routes, with Gallipoli being the fave I guess?

Any help gratefully accepted from the Naval Pals!

Cheers

[Michael Lowrey]

Steve,

Not looking good. I can't find a reference to any matching ship. The closest is the liner Canopic, which seems to have been used for New York - Naples - Genoa - Boston - New York service during the war and NOT taken in naval service.

Best wishes,

Michael

[DrB]

There was a battleship, HMS Canopus, at Gallipoli.

I suppose it could have been utilized for a small amount of wounded if required.

DrB

[steve fuller]

Hmmmn, cheers Michael & DrB. Maybe that explains why a Google revealed nthing then ...

[carninyj]

These's a photo of HMS Canopus here.

http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/falkland.html

Regards

Carninyj

[Jarvis]

Canopus Class. Distinguishable from earlier British battleships by the two centre-line funnels instead of the side by side arrangement of previous ships., this being the result of the using water tube boilers. The class were not given the usual copper sheathing to the hull in order to save weight and provide a shallower draught as it was felt that the good docking facilities in Hong Kong would ensure that fouling (marine growth on the hull) would not be a major problem.

HMS Canopus

Built Portsmouth Dockyard, laid down January 1897, completed December 1899, cost £921,316.

HMS Albion

Built Thames Iron Works, laid down December 1896, completed June 1901, cost £913,545.

HMS Glory

Built Lair, Birkenhead, laid down December 1896, completed October 1900, cost £895,814.

HMS Goliath

Built Chatham Dockyard, laid down January 1897, completed March 1900, cost £920,806.

HMS Ocean

Built Devonport Dockyard, laid down December 1897, completed February 1900, cost £938,578.

HMS Vengeance

Built Vickers, Barrow, laid down August 1898, completed April 1902, cost £891,417.

Size:

Length 400 feet waterline 421 feet 6 inches overall, beam 74 feet 6 inches, draught 26 feet 2 inches, displacement 13,141 load 14,322 tons full load.

Propulsion:

2 shaft Vertical Triple Expansion, 13,500 ihp, 18kts

Trials:

Canopus 13,763 ihp = 18.5 knots

Albion 13,885 ihp = 17.8 knots

Vengeance 13,853 ihp = 18.5 knots

Goliath 13,980 ihp = 18.68 knots

Glory 13,696 ihp = 19.29 knots

Ocean 14,332 ihp = 19.18 knots

Armour:

6in belt, 12in barbettes, 8in gun houses, 2-1in decks

Armament:

4 x 12in 35 cal BL (2 x 2), 12 x 6in QF (12 x 1), 10 x 12pounder QF (10 x 1), 6 x 3pounder (6 x 1), 4 x 18in TT

Comments:

Designed as smaller, cheaper and faster equivalents of the Majestic class primarily for service in the Far East. They were the first British battleships to be fitted with Krupps type armour which allowed a reduction in thickness of armour. Water tube boilers were introduced in this class which was one of the reasons enabling the increase in speed. Crew 682.

World War 1 Service:

Canopus

8th Battle Squadron Channel Fleet.

August 1914 sent to support cruiser operations in Canary Islands area.

September 1914 sent to South America Station as guard ship.

Took part in hunt for Admiral Graf Spee.

8 December 1914 fired opening shots of the Battle of the Falkland Islands.

February 1915 transferred to the Dardanelles.

2 March 1915 took part on forts.

4 March 1915 supported landings.

8 March 1915 supported minesweeping operations.

10-12 March 1915 took part in attack on the narrows.

18 March 1918 escorted the damaged HMS Inflexible to Malta.

25 April 1915 covered diversionary attack on Bulair.

23 May 1915 towed HMS Albion after that ship ran aground.

May-June 1915 under refit at Malta.

After the end of the Dardanelles campaign served in Eastern Mediterranean until April 1916.

28 April 1916 paid off at Portsmouth to release crew for newer ships.

1920 sold for scrap.

See this link also : (or try going on to Google Images and type in HMS Canopus, loads of info out there)

http://www.diggerhistory2.info/graveyards/...%3D10%26hl%3Den

Jarvis

[Jarvis]

I suppose that the ship could have taken casulties back to Malta in both of the instances below from my previous posting. I have read that casulties were sent to Malta in more than one book.

18 March 1918 escorted the damaged HMS Inflexible to Malta.

May-June 1915 under refit at Malta.

Still not 100% certain though, its only a possibility.

[steve fuller]

Thanks very much one and all, Ill pass the info back and let decisions be made as they see fit I think!

Cheers all

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Steve

Details of HMS CANOPUS here:

http://www.answers.com/topic/hms-canopus-1898

Dave

[horatio2]

CANOPUS sailed from Mudros for UK on 29 March 1916, taking with her a large number of RNVR ratings from the RND battalions who had volunteered for sea service. It is possible she also took some wounded men but she was not really equipped or manned to handle large numbers of seriously sick/wounded men.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

December 1915 was also when the evacuation from Gallipoli was taking place. Battleships were used extensively for the transport of troops in this campaign.

[steve fuller]

Thanks everyone