View source for HMS Agincourt (1913)

{{short description|Dreadnought battleship launched in 1913}}
{{Other ships|HMS Agincourt}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Agincourt 1915.jpg
|Ship caption=''Agincourt'' in 1915
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[Brazil]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Brazil|naval|variant=1889}}<!-- consensus is display the country's *ensign*, not *jack* in the infobox -->
|Ship name=''Rio de Janeiro''
|Ship namesake=[[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Armstrong Whitworth|Armstrong]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship original cost=$14,500,000 (estimated)<ref>"[https://books.google.com/books?id=pupGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA515 Brazil's 32,000-Ton Dreadnought]," ''Bulletin of the International Bureau of the American Republics'' 31, no. 1 (July 1910): 515.</ref>
|Ship yard number=792
|Ship laid down=14 September 1911
|Ship launched=22 January 1913
|Ship fate=Sold December 1913 to the [[Ottoman Empire]]
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
|Ship country=Ottoman Empire
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Ottoman Empire|naval-1845}}
|Ship name=''Sultan Osman-ı Evvel''
|Ship namesake=Sultan [[Osman I]]
|Ship acquired=December 1913
|Ship fate=Seized in August 1914 by the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=''Agincourt''
|Ship namesake=The [[Battle of Agincourt]] of 1415
|Ship original cost=£2,900,000 (estimated)<ref name=b45/>
|Ship completed=20 August 1914
|Ship acquired=3 August 1914
|Ship commissioned=7 August 1914
|Ship decommissioned=April 1921
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=
|Ship nickname=''Gin Palace''
|Ship fate=Sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]], 19 December 1922
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(in British service)
|Ship type=[[Dreadnought battleship]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|27850|LT|t|lk=on}} (load)
* {{convert|30860|LT|t}} ([[deep load]])
|Ship length={{convert|671|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship beam={{convert|89|ft|m|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship draught={{convert|29|ft|10|in|m|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship power=*22 × [[water-tube boiler]]s
* {{convert|34000|shp|kW|lk=on|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=4 × shafts; 4 × [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship speed={{convert|22|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|7000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn}}
|Ship complement=1268 (1917)
|Ship armament=*7 × twin [[EOC 12 inch/45 naval gun|{{convert|12|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} guns]]
* 20 × single [[BL 6 inch Mk XIII naval gun|{{convert|6|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} guns]]
* 10 × single {{convert|3|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns
* 3 × [[British 21 inch torpedo|21&nbsp;in (533&nbsp;mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armour=*[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|9|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{convert|1|-|2.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Barbette]]s: {{convert|2|-|9|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Gun turret|Turret]]: {{convert|8|-|12|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Conning tower]]: {{convert|12|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{convert|2.5|-|6|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Agincourt''''' was a [[dreadnought battleship]] built in the United Kingdom in the early 1910s. Originally part of Brazil's role in a [[South American dreadnought race|South American naval arms race]], she holds the distinction of mounting more heavy guns (fourteen) and more [[gun turret|turrets]] (seven) than any other dreadnought battleship, in keeping with the Brazilians' requirement for an especially impressive design.

Brazil ordered the ship in 1911 as ''Rio de Janeiro'' from the British company [[Armstrong Whitworth]]. However, the collapse of Brazil's [[rubber boom]] and a warming in relations with Argentina, the country's chief rival, led to the ship's sale while under construction to the [[Ottoman Empire]]. The Ottomans renamed her ''Sultan Osman I'', after the [[Osman I|empire's founder]], and the ship was nearly complete when the [[World War I|First World War]] broke out. The British government seized her for use by the [[Royal Navy]], together with [[HMS Erin|another Ottoman dreadnought]] being constructed in Britain. This act caused resentment in the Ottoman Empire, as the payments for both ships were complete, and contributed to the [[Ottoman entry into World War I|decision of the Ottoman government to join]] the [[Central Powers]].

Renamed ''Agincourt'' by the Royal Navy, she joined the [[Grand Fleet]] in the [[North Sea]]. During the war, the ship spent the bulk of her time on patrols and exercises, although she did participate in the [[Battle of Jutland]] in 1916. ''Agincourt'' was put into [[Reserve Fleet (United Kingdom)|reserve]] in 1919 and sold for [[scrap]] in 1922 to meet the terms of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]].

==Background==
{{main|South American dreadnought race}}
{{see also|Minas Geraes-class battleship|l1=''Minas Geraes''-class battleship}}
[[File:HMS Agincourt Skizze.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Starboard elevation and plan view of ''Agincourt'']]
[[File:Sultan Osman I - Brassey's Naval Annual 1914 unnumbered, after p 64.jpg|thumb|left|Fantasy drawing of ''Sultan Osman I'' underway for the Ottoman Navy. The royal yacht [[:tr:MV Ertuğrul|''Ertuğrul'']] is at left, and the cruiser [[Ottoman cruiser Hamidiye|''Hamadieh'']] is in the background.]]
In the unstable period during and following the [[Decline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil#Fall|1889 coup in Brazil]], which deposed [[Politics of the Empire of Brazil|Emperor]] [[Dom (title)|Dom]] [[Pedro II of Brazil|Pedro&nbsp;II]], and the [[Revolta da Armada|1893–94 navy revolt]], the Brazilian Navy found itself unable to care for its own ships, let alone acquire new vessels.<ref>Grant, p. 148; Livermore, p. 32; Topliss, p. 240</ref> Meanwhile, Chile had agreed to a [[Cordillera of the Andes Boundary Case 1902|naval-limiting pact]] in 1902 with Brazil's principal rival, Argentina, as part of solving a larger boundary dispute, but they both retained the vessels built in the interim, many of which were significantly more modern and powerful than Brazil's ships.<ref>Scheina, pp. 45–52</ref>{{efn-ua|The only modern armoured ships in the Brazilian Navy were two small coast-defence ships launched in 1898.<ref name=gg3>Preston, p. 403</ref>}} The Brazilian Navy was left behind its Argentine and Chilean counterparts in quantity as well—by the turn of the 20th century, Chile's total naval tonnage was {{convert|36896|LT|t}}, Argentina's {{convert|34425|LT|t}}, and Brazil's {{convert|27661|LT|t}}—even though Brazil had nearly three times the population of Argentina and almost five times that of Chile.<ref name=Livermore32>Livermore, p. 32</ref><ref>Preston, p. 403; Livermore, p. 32</ref>

[[São Paulo (state)#Early 20th century|Rising international demand for coffee]] and [[rubber boom|rubber]] in the early 20th century brought Brazil an influx of revenue.<ref name="gg3" /> Simultaneously, the [[José Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco|Baron of Rio Branco]] spearheaded a drive by prominent Brazilians to force the leading world nations to recognize Brazil as an international power.<ref name=Scheina80>Scheina, p. 80</ref> The [[National Congress of Brazil]] inaugurated a large naval acquisition program in late 1904. They ordered three small battleships in 1906, but the launch of {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|2}} caused the Brazilian Navy to reconsider their purchase. In March 1907, they signed a contract for three {{sclass|Minas Geraes|battleship|1}}s. Two ships would be constructed immediately by the British companies [[Armstrong Whitworth]] and [[Vickers]], with the third to follow.<ref>Scheina, p. 80; Preston, p. 403; Topliss, p. 240</ref>

Alarmed at the Brazilian move, Argentina and Chile quickly nullified their 1902 pact and sought dreadnoughts of their own.<ref name=Livermore32/> Argentina's orders, after a [[Rivadavia-class battleship#Bidding|drawn-out bidding process]], went to an American company, [[Fore River Shipyard|Fore River Shipbuilding Company]], while Chile's orders, delayed by the [[1906 Valparaíso earthquake]], went to Armstrong.<ref>Hough, p. 22; Livermore, pp. 39–41</ref> Since Brazil's relations with Argentina were warming and the country's economic boom was losing steam, the government negotiated with Armstrong to remove the third dreadnought from the contract, but without success. They borrowed the necessary money, and Armstrong laid down ''Rio de Janeiro''{{'}}s [[keel]] in March 1910.<ref>Topliss, pp. 247–249</ref>

The Brazilian Navy had divided into two distinct factions, based on the size of the main battery. The outgoing naval minister favoured an increase over the 12-inch guns mounted on board the ''Minas Geraes'' class, while his incoming counterpart, Admiral [[Marques Leão]], favoured keeping the smaller but faster-firing gun. While the exact influences upon the Brazilian government are unclear, Leão was advocating strongly for his position in meetings with President [[Hermes da Fonseca]]. Other events probably influenced them as well, such as the November 1910 [[Revolt of the Lash]], payments on loans taken out for the dreadnoughts, and a worsening economy that had led to high [[government debt]] compounded by [[Government budget deficit|budget deficits]].<ref>Scheina, pp. 81–82; Topliss, p. 269; Martin, p. 37</ref>{{efn-ua|Brazil's external and internal debt would reach $500 and $335&nbsp;million (respectively) by 1913, partly through rising deficits, which were $22&nbsp;million in 1908 and $47&nbsp;million by 1912.<ref name="Martin">Martin, p. 37</ref>}} By May 1911, Fonseca had made up his mind:

<blockquote>When I assumed office, I found that my predecessor had signed a contract for the building of the battleship ''Rio de Janeiro'', a vessel of 32,000&nbsp;tons, with an armament of 14 in. guns. Considerations of every kind pointed to the inconvenience of acquiring such a vessel and to the revision of the contract in the sense of reducing the tonnage. This was done, and we shall possess a powerful unit which will not be built on exaggerated lines such as have not as yet stood the time of experience.<ref>Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca, 3 May 1911, in Scheina, p. 354</ref></blockquote>

A contract to build the ship that would become ''Agincourt'' was signed on 3 June 1911, and its keel was laid on 14 September 1911. The design called for fourteen 12-inch guns, an extreme number that historian David Topliss attributed to political necessity: the ship had to appear more powerful to the Brazilian populace than her predecessors (with twelve 12-inch guns) but, without increasing the gun size, the only option left was increasing the total number of guns.<ref>Topliss, p. 280</ref>

==Design and description==
===General characteristics===
''Agincourt'' had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|671|ft|6|in|m|1}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|89|ft|m|}}, and a [[draft (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|29|ft|10|in|m|1}} at [[deep load]]. She displaced {{convert|27850|LT|t|0}} at load and {{convert|30860|LT|t|0}} at deep load. The ship had a [[metacentric height]] of {{convert|4.9|ft|1}} at deep load.<ref name=b4>Burt, p. 244</ref> She had a large turning circle, but manoeuvred well despite her great length. She was considered to be a good gun platform.<ref name=p4>Parkes, p. 604</ref>

When she came to serve in the Royal Navy, ''Agincourt'' was considered a particularly comfortable ship and very well-appointed internally. A knowledge of [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] was necessary to work many of the fittings—including those in the [[head (watercraft)|heads]]—as the original instruction plates had not all been replaced when she was taken over by the British.<ref name=p4/> In 1917, her crew numbered 1,268 officers and men.<ref name=b45/>

===Propulsion===
''Agincourt'' had four [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] direct-drive [[steam turbine]]s, each of which drove one propeller shaft. The high-pressure ahead and astern turbines drove the wing shafts while the low-pressure ahead and astern turbines drove the inner shafts. The three-bladed propellers were {{convert|9|ft|6|in|m|1}} in diameter. The turbines were designed to produce a total of {{convert|34000|shp|lk=in}}, but achieved more than {{convert|40000|shp|abbr=on}} during her [[sea trial]]s, slightly exceeding her designed speed of {{convert|22|knots}}.<ref>Burt, pp. 245, 250</ref>

The steam plant consisted of twenty-two [[Babcock & Wilcox]] [[water-tube boiler]]s with an operating pressure of {{convert|235|psi|kPa kg/cm2|0|abbr=on|lk=on}}. ''Agincourt'' normally carried {{convert|1500|LT|t}} of coal, but could carry a maximum of {{convert|3200|LT|t}}, as well as {{convert|620|LT|t}} of [[fuel oil]] to be sprayed on the coal to increase its burn rate. At full capacity, she could steam for {{convert|7000|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|10|kn}}. Electrical power was provided by four steam-driven reciprocating [[electrical generator]]s.<ref name=b45>Burt, p. 245</ref>

===Armament===
[[File:Sultan Osman I fitting out.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|''Sultan Osman-ı Evvel'', soon to become ''Agincourt'', in the [[fitting-out]] stage of her construction]]
''Agincourt'' mounted fourteen [[EOC 12 inch/45 naval gun|BL 12-inch Mk XIII]] 45-[[caliber (artillery)|calibre]] guns in seven twin hydraulically powered turrets,<ref>Preston, p. 37</ref> unofficially named after the days of the week, starting from Sunday, forward to aft.<ref>Hough, p. 150</ref> This was the largest number of turrets and heavy guns ever mounted on a dreadnought battleship.<ref>Gibbons, p. 201</ref> The guns could be depressed to −3° and elevated to 13.5°. They fired {{convert|850|lb|kg|adj=on|0}} projectiles at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|2725|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}; at 13.5°, this provided a maximum range of just over {{convert|20000|yd|m}} with [[Armor-piercing shot and shell|armour-piercing (AP)]] shells. During the war the turrets were modified to increase their maximum elevation to 16°, but this only extended the range to {{convert|20435|yd|m}}. The rate of fire of these guns was 1.5 rounds per minute.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_12-45_mk13.htm|title=British 12"/45 (30.5 cm) Mark XIII|publisher=navweaps.com |date=20 February 2009 |access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref> When a full [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]] was fired, "the resulting sheet of flame was big enough to create the impression that a battle cruiser had blown up; it was awe inspiring."<ref>Parkes, p. 603</ref> No damage was done to the ship when firing full broadsides, despite the common idea that doing so would break the ship in half, but much of the ship's [[tableware]] and glassware did shatter when ''Agincourt'' fired her first broadside.<ref>Hough, p. 160</ref>

As built, ''Agincourt'' mounted eighteen [[BL 6 inch Mk XIII naval gun|BL 6-inch Mk XIII]] 50-calibre guns. Fourteen were placed in armoured [[casemate]]s on the upper deck and two each in the fore and aft superstructures, protected by [[gun shield]]s. After the ship was seized by the British, two more were added abreast [[bridge (nautical)|the bridge]] in pivot mounts, protected by gun shields.<ref name=b50>Burt, p. 250</ref> The guns could be depressed to −7° and elevated to 13°, later increased to 15°. They had a range of {{convert|13475|yd}} at 15° when firing a {{convert|100|lb|kg|adj=on|0}} shell with a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2770|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}. Their rate of fire was about five to seven rounds per minute, but this dropped to about three rounds per minute after the ready ammunition was used up because the ammunition hoists were too slow or few to keep the guns fully supplied. About 150&nbsp;rounds were carried per gun.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_6-50_mk13.htm|title=British 6"/50 (15.2 cm) BL Mark XIII|date=22 January 2009 |publisher=navweaps.com|access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref>

Close-range defence against [[torpedo boat]]s was provided by ten {{convert|3|in|adj=on}} 45-calibre [[List of British ordnance terms#QF|quick-firing]] guns. These were mounted in the superstructure in pivot mounts and protected by gun shields. ''Agincourt'' also carried three [[British 21 inch torpedo|{{convert|21|in|mm|adj=on|0}}]] submerged [[torpedo tube]]s; one was on each beam and the last was in the stern. The water that entered the torpedo tubes when they were fired was discharged into the torpedo flat to facilitate reloading the tube and then pumped overboard. This meant that the torpedo crewmen would be operating in {{convert|3|ft|1}} of water if rapid fire was required. Ten torpedoes were carried for them.<ref>Parkes, pp. 600, 603</ref>

===Fire control===
Each turret was fitted with an armoured [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]] in the turret roof. In addition, another one was mounted on top of the foretop. By the time of the [[Battle of Jutland]] in 1916, ''Agincourt'' was possibly the only dreadnought of the [[Grand Fleet]] not fitted with a [[Frederic Dreyer#Dreyer Fire Control Table|Dreyer fire-control table]].<ref>Friedman, p. 46</ref> A [[Fire-control system#Naval fire control|fire-control director]] was later fitted below the foretop and one turret was modified to control the entire main armament later in the war.<ref name=b45/> A director for the {{convert|6|in|mm|adj=on|0}} guns was added on each side in 1916–17. A high-angle rangefinder was added in 1918 to the spotting top.<ref name=b50/>

===Armour===
So much weight had been devoted to ''Agincourt''{{'}}s armament that little remained for her armour. Her waterline [[Belt armor|belt]] was just {{convert|9|in|0}} thick, compared with twelve inches or more found in other British dreadnoughts. It ran some {{convert|365|ft|1}}, from the forward edge of "Monday" [[barbette]] to the middle of "Friday" barbette. Forward of this the belt thinned to six inches for about {{convert|50|ft|1}} before further reducing to {{convert|4|in|0}} all the way to the bow. Aft of the midships section the belt reduced to six inches for about {{convert|30|ft|1}} and then thinned to four inches (102&nbsp;mm); it did not reach the stern, but terminated at the rear [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkhead]]. The upper belt extended from the main to the upper deck and was six inches thick. It ran from "Monday" barbette to "Thursday" barbette. The armour bulkheads at each end of the ship angled inwards from the ends of the midships armoured belts to the end barbettes and were three inches thick. Four of ''Agincourt''{{'}}s decks were armoured with thicknesses varying from {{convert|1|to|2.5|in|mm}}.<ref>Burt, pp. 244–245</ref>

The armour of the barbettes constituted a major weakness in ''Agincourt''{{'}}s protection. They were 9 inches thick above the upper deck level, but decreased to 3 inches between the upper and main decks and had no armour at all below the main deck except for "Sunday" barbette (which had 3 inches), and "Thursday" and "Saturday" barbettes (which had 2 inches). The turret armour was 12 inches thick on the face, {{convert|8|in|0}} on the side and {{convert|10|in|0}} in the rear. The turret roofs were 3 inches thick at the front and 2 inches at the rear. The casemates for the secondary armament were protected by 6 inches of armour and were defended from [[raking fire]] by 6-inch-thick bulkheads.<ref name=b45/>

The main [[conning tower]] was protected by 12 inches of armour on its sides and it had a 4-inch roof. The aft conning tower (sometimes called the torpedo control tower) had 9-inch sides and a 3-inch roof. The communications tube down from each position was 6 inches thick above the upper deck and 2 inches thick below it. Each magazine was protected by two armour plates on each side as [[torpedo bulkhead]]s, the first one an inch thick and the second one and a half inches thick.<ref name=b50/>

''Agincourt'' had another weakness in that she was not subdivided to Royal Navy standards as the Brazilians preferred to eliminate all possible watertight bulkheads that might limit the size of the compartments and interfere with the crew's comfort. One example was the officer's [[wardroom]], which was {{convert|85|by|60|ft|1}} in size, much larger than anything else in the Grand Fleet.<ref>Hough, pp. 89–90</ref>

===Wartime modifications===
Approximately {{convert|70|LT|t}} of high-tensile steel was added to the main deck after the Battle of Jutland to protect the [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]]s. Two {{convert|3|in|mm|adj=on}} [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] guns were added to the quarterdeck in 1917–18. A {{convert|9|ft|m|1|adj=on}} rangefinder was added to the former [[searchlight]] platform on the [[foremast]] at the same time. A high-angle rangefinder was added to the [[Top (sailing ship)|spotting top]] in 1918.<ref name=b50/>

==Construction and seizure==
[[File:Agincourt postcard.jpg|thumb|right|''Agincourt'' depicted on a postcard, prior to the British modifications]]
''Rio de Janeiro'', as ''Agincourt'' was named by her first owners, was [[laid down]] on 14 September 1911 by Armstrongs in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 22 January 1913.<ref name=b45/> After the keel-laying, the Brazilian government found itself in an unenviable position: a European depression after the end of the [[Second Balkan War]] in August 1913 reduced Brazil's ability to obtain foreign loans, while at the same time Brazil's coffee and rubber exports collapsed, the latter due to the loss of the [[Rubber boom#The end of the Amazon's rubber monopoly|Brazilian rubber monopoly]] to British plantations in the Far East.<ref>Martin, pp. 36–37</ref>{{efn-ua|The price of coffee declined by 20% and Brazilian exports of it dropped 12.5%{{undue precision}} between 1912 and 1913; rubber saw a similar decline of 25 and 36.6%,{{undue precision}} respectively.<ref name="Martin" />}} In addition, reports on new dreadnought construction coming in from overseas indicated that the vessel would be outclassed upon completion.<ref>Vanterpool, p. 140</ref> These factors caused Brazil to put the ship up for sale in October 1913, and she was sold to the [[Ottoman Navy]] for £2,750,000 on 28 December 1913.<ref>Hough, pp. 72, 75</ref> Renamed ''Sultân Osmân-ı Evvel'', she underwent trials during the [[July Crisis]] the following year and was completed in August, just as the First World War was beginning.<ref>Hough, pp. 109–122</ref>

The war broke out during her sea trials before delivery. Even though the Ottoman crew had arrived to collect her, the British Government took over the vessel for incorporation into the Royal Navy. The Turkish captain, waiting with five hundred Turkish sailors aboard a transport in the [[River Tyne]], threatened to board his ship and hoist the Turkish flag; [[First Lord of the Admiralty]] [[Winston Churchill#First Lord of the Admiralty|Winston Churchill]] gave orders to resist such an attempt "by armed force if necessary."<ref>{{cite book |first=Barbara Wertheim  |last=Tuchman|author-link=Barbara W. Tuchman|title=The Guns of August  | chapter = Chapter Ten: Goeben&nbsp;... An Enemy Then Flying|publisher=Ballantine Books (Random House) |location=New York |year=1962| isbn=978-0-307-56762-8}}</ref> At the same time, the British also took over a second Ottoman battleship, a {{sclass|King George V|battleship (1911)|4}}-derived vessel being built by Vickers—''Reşadiye''—which was renamed {{HMS|Erin}}. Such an action was allowed in the contract only if Britain was at war at the time, but since Britain was not yet at war, these actions were illegal; the British government nevertheless determined to present the Ottomans with a ''[[fait accompli]]''. On 3 August, a day before Germany [[German invasion of Belgium (1914)|invaded]] Belgium, causing British political elites to reach a consensus on [[British entry into World War I|entering the war]], the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire informed the government that Britain had seized the ships.<ref>Fromkin, pp. 57&ndash;58</ref> Churchill did not want to risk the ships being used against the British, but it had consequences.<ref>Hough, p. 121</ref>

The takeover caused considerable ill will in the [[Ottoman Empire]], where public subscriptions had partially funded the ships. When the Ottoman government had been in a financial deadlock over the budget of the battleships, donations for the Ottoman Navy had come in from taverns, cafés, schools and markets, and large donations were rewarded with a "Navy Donation Medal". The seizure, and the gifts of the German [[battlecruiser]] {{SMS|Goeben||2}} and the [[cruiser]] {{SMS|Breslau||2}} to the Ottomans, influenced public opinion in the Empire to turn away from Britain, and they entered the war on the side of Germany and the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] against the [[Triple Entente]] of Britain, France, and Russia on 29 October, after ''Goeben'' had [[Black Sea Raid|attacked Russian facilities]] in the [[Black Sea]].<ref>Hough, pp. 143–144</ref>

The Royal Navy made modifications to ''Agincourt'' before commissioning her: in particular, it removed the flying bridge over the two centre turrets. The ship was also initially fitted with [[squat toilet|Turkish-style lavatories]] that had to be replaced.<ref>Hough, pp. 152–153</ref> Her name, "Agincourt", was a favourite of Churchill's, and had initially been allocated to a sixth vessel of the {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|4}} ordered under the 1914–15 Naval Estimates, but not yet begun at the war's outbreak.<ref>Parkes, p. 600</ref> Her nickname, ''The Gin Palace'', came from her luxurious fittings and a corruption of her name ("''A Gin Court''"), [[pink gin]] being a popular drink among Royal Navy officers at the time.<ref>Hough, p. 147</ref>

The Admiralty was unprepared to man a ship of ''Agincourt''{{'}}s size on such short notice and her crew was drawn "from the highest and lowest echelons of the service: the Royal yachts, and the detention barracks." ''Agincourt''{{'}}s captain and executive officer came from {{ship|HMY|Victoria and Albert|1899|6}}, most of whose crew was also transferred to ''Agincourt'' on 3 August 1914. Most of the naval reservists had already been called up by this time and sent to other ships, so a number of minor criminals who had had their sentences remitted were received from various naval prisons and detention camps.<ref>Hough, pp. 148–152</ref>

==Service==
''Agincourt'' was [[shakedown cruise|working up]] until 7 September 1914, when she joined the [[4th Battle Squadron#First World War|4th Battle Squadron]] (BS) of the Grand Fleet.<ref name=p5>Parkes, p. 605</ref> The fleet anchorage at [[Scapa Flow]] was not yet secure against submarine attack and much of the fleet was kept at sea, where ''Agincourt'' spent forty of her first eighty days with the Grand Fleet. This was the beginning of "a year and a half of inaction, only broken by occasional North Sea 'sweeps' intended to draw the enemy from his bases."<ref>Hough, p. 161</ref>
[[File:HMS Agincourt in the North Sea 1915.jpg|thumb|left|4th Battle Squadron in the North Sea in 1915. ''Agincourt'' is the second ship from the front.]]

On 1 January 1915, ''Agincourt'' was still assigned to the 4th BS, but had been assigned to the [[1st Battle Squadron#First World War|1st Battle Squadron]] before the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. She was the last ship of the Sixth Division of the 1st BS, along with {{HMS|Hercules|1910|2}}, {{HMS|Revenge|06|2}} and the flagship, {{HMS|Marlborough|1912|2}}, the most heterogeneous group possible as each ship was from a different class. The Sixth Division was the starboardmost column of the Grand Fleet as it headed south to rendezvous with the ships of [[David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty|Admiral Beatty]]'s [[Battle Cruiser Fleet]], then engaged with their opposite numbers from the German [[High Seas Fleet]] in the [[North Sea]].<ref>Hough, p. 174</ref> Admiral [[John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|Jellicoe]], commander of the Grand Fleet, kept it in cruising formation until 18:15,{{efn-ua|The times used in this article are in [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]], one hour behind [[Central European Time|CET]], which is often used in German works.}} when he ordered it to deploy from column into a single line based on the port division, each ship turning 90° in succession. This turn made the Sixth Division the closest ships in the Grand Fleet to the battleships of the High Seas Fleet, and they fired on each ship as they made their turn to port. This concentration of fire later became known as "Windy Corner" to the British, as the ships were drenched by German shell splashes although none were hit.<ref>Hough, p. 179</ref>

[[File:HMS Agincourt (1914).JPG|thumb|left|''Agincourt'' in 1918]]
At 18:24, ''Agincourt'' opened fire on a German battlecruiser with her main guns. Shortly afterwards her six-inch guns followed suit as German destroyers made torpedo attacks on the British battleships to cover the turn to the south of the High Seas Fleet.<ref>Tarrant, pp. 131, 133</ref> ''Agincourt'' successfully evaded two torpedoes, although another struck ''Marlborough''.<ref>Massie, p. 630</ref> Visibility cleared around 19:15, and she engaged a {{sclass|Kaiser|battleship}} without result before it was lost in the smoke and haze.<ref>Hough, p. 183</ref> Around 20:00, ''Marlborough'' was forced to reduce speed because of the strain on her bulkheads from her torpedo damage and her division mates conformed to her speed.<ref>Burt, p. 206</ref> In the reduced visibility the division lost sight of the Grand Fleet during the night, passing the badly damaged battlecruiser {{SMS|Seydlitz}} without opening fire.<ref>Massie, p. 651</ref> Dawn found them with only the detritus from the previous day's battle in sight and the division arrived back at Scapa Flow on 2&nbsp;June.<ref>Hough, pp. 184–185</ref> ''Agincourt'' fired 144 twelve-inch shells and 111 six-inch shells during the battle, although she is not known to have hit anything.<ref name=p5/>

[[File:HMS Agincourt und Erin.jpg|right|thumb|Both of the seized Ottoman ships in 1918: ''Agincourt'' (foreground) with ''Erin'']]
Although the Grand Fleet made several sorties over the next few years it is not known if ''Agincourt'' participated in them. On 23 April 1918, ''Agincourt'' and ''Hercules'' were stationed at Scapa Flow to provide cover for the Scandinavian convoys between Norway and Britain when the High Seas Fleet sortied in an attempt to destroy the convoy. The reports from German Intelligence were slightly off schedule, as both the inbound and outbound convoys were in port when the Germans reached their normal route, so Admiral [[Reinhard Scheer|Scheer]] ordered the fleet to return to Germany without spotting any British ships.<ref>Newbolt, pp. 236–237</ref>

''Agincourt'' was later transferred to the [[2nd Battle Squadron#First World War|2nd Battle Squadron]]<ref name=p5/> and was present at the surrender of the High Seas Fleet on 21 November 1918.<ref>Hough, p. 186</ref> She was placed in reserve at [[Rosyth]] in March 1919. After unsuccessful attempts to sell her to the Brazilian Government, she was listed for disposal in April 1921, but was used for experimental purposes later that year.<ref name=b50/> The Royal Navy then planned to convert her into a mobile naval base and she was recommissioned on 21 November<ref name=d6>Dodson 2021, p. 196</ref> in preparation for the conversion, which would have included the removal of five of her seven turrets with their barbettes converted into storage and workshops; Nos. 2 and 5 turrets would have been retained.<ref>Harner, p. 152</ref> The conversion was cancelled on 23 February 1922 after the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] was signed that limited the battleship tonnage allowed to the RN and she was [[paid off]] on 7 April and listed again for disposal.<ref name=d6/>

The ship was sold on 22 January 1923 to [[John Archibald Purves|J&W Purves]] for £25,000 with the proviso that she had to be demolished 18 months after the treaty had been ratified. Her contract was immediately transferred to the [[Metal Industries, Limited|Rosyth Shipbreaking Co.]] which had leased facilities at [[Rosyth Dockyard]] for that purpose. As the deadline of 17 January 1925 approached, the ship did not yet meet the treaty standards for scrapping. The Admiralty agreed that cutting the [[hull (ship)|hull]] in half would be acceptable and the company attempted to move the ship through the dockyard [[Lock (water navigation)|locks]] on the highest [[Tide|Spring Tide]] to its [[Beaching (nautical)|beaching ground]] to complete the demolition. Bad weather thwarted that effort and the Admiralty agreed to allow the use of one of Rosyth's [[dry dock]]s to meet the deadline. Two days later the hull had been severed and both halves had been floated out so they could be beached.<ref>Dodson 2022, pp. 219–224</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist-ua}}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|last=Burt|first=R. A.|title=British Battleships of World War One|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1986|isbn=0-87021-863-8}}
*{{cite book |last1=Dodson |first1=Aidan |editor1-last=Jordan |editor1-first=John |title=Warship 2021 |date=2021 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-1-4728-4779-9 |chapter=Warship Notes: The Mobile Naval Base|page=196}}
*{{cite book |last1=Dodson |first1=Aidan |editor1-last=Jordan |editor1-first=John |title=Warship 2022 |date=2022 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford|pages=219–224 |isbn=978-1-4728-4781-2 |chapter=Warship Gallery: The Scrapping of HMS ''Agincourt'', ''New Zealand'', and ''Princess Royal'' at Rosyth, 1923–1925}}
* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=Naval Firepower: Battleship Guns and Gunnery in the Dreadnought Era|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2008|author-link=Norman Friedman |isbn=978-1-59114-555-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Fromkin|first=David|author-link=David Fromkin|title=A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East|location=New York|publisher=H. Holt|year=1989|isbn=978-0-8050-0857-9|title-link=A Peace to End All Peace}}
* {{cite book|last=Gibbons|first=Tony|title=The Complete Encyclopedia of Battleships: A Technical Directory of Capital Ships from 1860 to the Present Day|publisher=Crescent Books|location=New York|year=1983|isbn=0-517-37810-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Grant|first=Jonathan|title=Rulers, Guns, and Money: The Global Arms Trade in the Age of Imperialism |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=2007 |isbn=978-0-674-02442-7 |oclc=166262725}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Harner|first1=Robert|year=2006|title=Question 18/02: British Naval Base at Addu Atoll|journal=Warship International|volume=XLIII|issue=2|page=152 |issn=0043-0374}}
* {{cite book|last=Hough|first=Richard|title=The Great Dreadnought: The Strange Story of H.M.S. Agincourt: The Mightiest Battleship of World War I|publisher=Harper & Row|location=New York|year=1967 |oclc=914101|author-link=Richard Hough |url-access= registration |url=https://archive.org/details/greatdreadnought0000houg}}
* {{cite journal|last=Livermore|first=Seward|title=Battleship Diplomacy in South America: 1905–1925 |journal=Journal of Modern History|volume=16|year=1944 |pages=31–48|jstor=1870986 |issn=0022-2801 |oclc=62219150|issue=1 |doi=10.1086/236787 |s2cid=145007468}}
* {{cite book|last=Martin|first=Percy Allen|title=Latin America and the War|location=Gloucester, Massachusetts |publisher=Peter Smith|year=1967|orig-year=1925|oclc=468553769}}
* {{cite book|title=[[Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War]]|location=New York|last=Massie |first=Robert |author-link=Robert K. Massie|publisher=Random House |isbn=0-224-04092-8|year=2004}}
* {{cite book|editor1-last=Jordan|editor1-first=John|publisher=Osprey|location=Oxford, UK|year=2020 |title=Warship 2020|isbn=978-1-4728-4071-4|last1=Murfin|first1=David |chapter=Warship Notes: The Mobile Naval Base|pages=188–192}}
* {{cite book|last=Newbolt|first=Henry|title=Naval Operations|publisher=Imperial War Museum and Battery Press|location=London|edition=reprint of the 1931|series=History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents|year=1997|volume=V|isbn=1-870423-72-0|author-link=Henry Newbolt}}
*{{cite book |last1=Parkes |first1=Oscar |title=British Battleships, ''Warrior'' 1860 to ''Vanguard'' 1950: A History of Design, Construction, and Armament |date=1990 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-55750-075-4 |edition=New & rev.|orig-year=1966|author-link=Oscar Parkes}}
*{{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Gray|editor2-first=Randal|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=0-85177-245-5 |name-list-style=amp|chapter=Great Britain and Empire Forces|first1=Antony|last1=Preston|author-link=Antony Preston|pages=1–104}}
* {{cite book|last=Scheina|first=Robert|title=Latin America: A Naval History, 1810–1987 |location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1987|isbn=0-87021-295-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Tarrant|first=V. E.|title=Jutland: The German Perspective: A New View of the Great Battle, 31 May 1916|publisher=Brockhampton Press|location=London|year=1999|orig-year=1995 |isbn=1-86019-917-8}}
* {{cite journal|last=Topliss|first=David|year=1988|title=The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 1904–1914 |journal=Warship International|volume=XXV|issue=3|pages=240–289|issn=0043-0374}}
* {{cite journal|last=Vanterpool|first=Alan|title=The ''Riachuelo''|journal=Warship International |volume=VI|year=1969 |pages=140–141|issn=0043-0374|issue=2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Agincourt (ship, 1913)}}
* [http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/H.M.S._Agincourt_(1913) Dreadnought Project]&nbsp;– Technical material on the weaponry and fire control for the ship
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/battleships/agincourt/hms_agincourt.htm Maritimequest HMS ''Agincourt'' Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/battleship/hms-agincourt.html ''Agincourt'' Class Battleship]&nbsp;– includes a diagram of her layout
* [https://www.jutlandcrewlists.org/agincourt Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project – HMS ''Agincourt'' Crew List]

{{South American dreadnoughts}}
{{WWI British ships}}
{{WWI Ottoman ships}}

{{featured article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agincourt (1913)}}
[[Category:1913 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built by Armstrong Whitworth]]
[[Category:Battleships of the Brazilian Navy]]
[[Category:Battleships of the Ottoman Navy]]
[[Category:Battleships of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Tyne]]
[[Category:World War I battleships of the United Kingdom]]