History

History:

HMS Majestic was an armored battleship of the Majestic class, built at the Portsmouth Dockyard by the Naval Construction & Armaments Co. of Barrow. It served its first mission as the flagship of the Channel Fleet, protecting the southern shores of England. In 1912, its wireless and weapon systems were modernized.

During the planning of the operation against the Dardanelles, Churchill argued that the ship was outdated. Nevertheless, believing that they would pass through the Dardanelles with ease and capture İstanbul without difficulty, the Allies included Majestic in the naval fleet and dispatched her to the Dardanelles on 1 February 1915. Majestic arrived at the strait on 25 February 1915. Her first mission, scheduled for the following day on 26 February 1915, was to destroy the Dardanos and Baykuş batteries and attempt to clear the minefields. She participated in the attacks carried out on 1 and 4 March 1915 to force the strait and later took part in the major naval operation of 18 March 1915 as part of the second British naval division.

During the Gallipoli Naval Campaign, HMS Majestic was assigned to support other warships. However, after British and French forces realized that the campaign could not be won at sea, they initiated land operations. Following the landings that began on 25 April 1915, HMS Majestic continued her duties off the coast of Çanakkale to demonstrate that the navy had not abandoned the troops on shore and to provide moral support. On 26 May 1915, she was serving as the flagship of the fleet anchored off Çanakkale, flying the flag of Rear Admiral Nicol.

On the morning of 27 May 1915, at approximately 06:30, HMS Majestic was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-21. Although the ship’s commander, Thomas Lavrie Shelford, had anchored as close to shore as possible and surrounded the vessel with torpedo nets to avoid sharing the fate of HMS Triumph, which had been sunk by U-21 two days earlier, the ship ultimately could not escape becoming a target. U-21, recognized as the first submarine in naval history to sink an enemy warship with a torpedo, achieved significant success during its short deployment in Çanakkale by sinking two battleships.

HMS Majestic now lies at a depth of between 18 and 23 meters. Although the ship has lost its guns, it has largely retained its overall form.

“On 27 May 1915, the battleship Majestic was torpedoed and sank off Hellas Burnu. A naval officer stated that Majestic lay at a depth of six fathoms, like a capsized whale, with her hull uppermost. According to him, the German submarine skillfully aimed its torpedo at Majestic as she lay among fully loaded merchant and transport vessels.” -Ian Hamilton

What You Will See During the Dive:

Numerous unexploded artillery shells of varying sizes on the wreck’s surface

Cable-like propellant charges with underwater combustion properties

Forward and aft gun turrets

The tower that broke off at the moment of sinking

The twin funnels, a characteristic feature of Majestic-class ships and the reason she was targeted by U-21

Marine flora and fauna in and around the wreck

Diving Equipment Information

The equipment used for diving includes standard scuba gear. A 3–5 mm wetsuit is suitable between April and October, while a 7 mm neoprene wetsuit, a semi-dry suit, or a dry suit is worn between November and March.

Footage from the Shipwreck

Diving Points

3D Photogrammetry

▶ View 3D Model