British Battleships of World War One. R. A. Burt

      ‘Invincible’ (ex-Patrician) leaving Harland & Wolff’s yard, Belfast on 17 February 1915. In an endeavour to mislead the enemy as to strength and positions of the Grand Fleet, squadrons of merchantmen were disguised as capital ships. Apart from the cutaway hull, this conversion of Patrician was remarkably convincing.

      1910 April Took part in exercises with Home and Atlantic Fleets in Scottish waters.

      July Annual manoeuvres including a visit to Torbay with Home and Atlantic Fleets, and part of Mediterranean Fleet.

      1911 Jan Combined exercises off the NW coast of Spain with all three fleets.

      16 May Recommissioned for service in 1st CS. Visited Dublin with 1st and 2nd Divisions of Home Fleet.

      24 June Present at Coronation of King George V Review at Spithead.

      June–July Annual manoeuvres in the Channel and North Sea.

      1912 9 July Took part in Parliamentary Review at Spithead.

      July Annual manoeuvres and visited Torbay.

      Autumn Cruise to Norway and Denmark.

      1913 July Annual manoeuvres.

      Aug Transferred to Mediterranean Squadron on conclusion of manoeuvres. 2nd BCS formed (Mediterranean).

      Nov Combined exercises with part of Home Fleet.

      1914 March Paid off at Portsmouth for extensive refit and changes to her gun mountings involving removal of electrical gear and substitution of hydraulic equipment.

      6 Aug Completed refit and sailed for Queenstown on commerce protection duties.

      19 Aug Ordered from Queenstown to the Humber as flagship of newly formed 2nd BCS (with New Zealand).

      28 Aug Battle of Heligoland Bight. With New Zealand she was supporting the Harwich Light Forces when the battlecruisers were ordered in from the west to cover a withdrawal. At 11.30 they were unsuccessfully attacked by a U-boat which passed astern. At 12.10 the British destroyers and Fearless were sighted retiring westwards hotly engaged with enemy light cruisers. Invincible engaged the German cruiser Köln and eventually sunk her at 13.25. A general retirement to the west was ordered and action was closed.

      31 Aug New Zealand and Invincible ordered to the Forth.

      2 Sept At 22.30 general alarm caused by U21 penetrating the harbour defences. No action evident.

      10–11 Sept With the Grand Fleet in a sweep into Heligoland Bight, after which she was sent into Scapa to coal.

      Mid Sept Transferred to 1st BCS Grand Fleet and based at Rosyth.

      14–17 Sept With Inflexible and 3rd BS supporting cruiser sweeps in North Sea.

      End Sept With Inflexible patrolled North Sea and in particular the Faroe Islands. Rejoined 1st BCS at sea on 29 September.

      Start Oct Transferred to 2nd BCS Grand Fleet on its reorganization.

      3–10 Oct Patrolling off Shetland Islands during the crossing of the First Canadian Contingent.

      4 Nov Detached with Inflexible as a special squadron for operations against Count Von Spee. Invincible was to be flagship and they were both ordered to Devonport to prepare for this service. This move was made only six hours after receiving news of the Royal Navy’s disaster at the Coronel Islands on 1 November.

      5 Nov Hauled down flag of 2nd BCS at midday, being relieved by New Zealand. Left Cromarty at midnight and proceeded to Devonport via west coast of Ireland.

      8 Nov Reached Devonport and was found to require docking and repairs which could not be completed before 13 November. The Admiralty gave orders that the ships must sail by 11 November and workmen would have to remain aboard if necessary.

      11 Nov Work completed and both ships left for Falkland Islands at 16.45.

      18–19 Nov Coaled at St Vincent, Cape Verde Islands.

      26 Nov Reached Abrolhos Rocks base and joined the squadron already concentrated there under Admiral Stoddart.

      28 Nov In company with cruisers Cornwall, Kent, Carvarvon, Bristol and Glasgow, the two battlecruisers left Abrolhos Rocks for the Falklands.

      1 Dec Squadron diverted on receipt of distress call from merchantman which eventually proved groundless.

      7 Dec At 10.30 reached Port William in the Falkland Islands.

      8 Dec Battle of the Falkland Islands. At 04.00 Invincible commenced coaling. At 07.50 enemy ships were reported in sight by the signal station on the Islands. General chase ordered at 10.20.

       At 10.50 ordered to ease speed to 24 knots so as to reduce smoke. Speed reduced again at 11.10 to allow cruisers to catch up with battlecruisers. At 12.20 speed again increased and at 12.58 Invincible opened fire on the German cruiser Leipzig at a distance of 16,000 yards. At 13.20 enemy light cruisers broke away to SW, followed immediately by Kent, Cornwall and Glasgow. At 13.02 Invincible opened fire on German flagship Scharnhorst. At 13.25 Scharnhorst and Gneisenau opened fire on British battlecruisers. 13.45 Invincible struck by 8.2in shells whereupon she turned two points to starboard to increase the range. Scharnhorst’s fire broken off at 14.10 as range increased. At 14.48 Invincible reopened fire on Scharnhorst, altering fire to Gneisenau at 15.15 for approximately five minutes. At 16.10 Scharnhorst rolled over and sank seven minutes later. Gneisenau, her fore funnel shot away and her general condition bad, suddenly turned towards the British ships and stopped, with a heavy list to starboard, although not before she had hit Invincible once more. At 18.02 Gneisenau turned turtle and sank. Invincible picked up seven officers and 24 men. Throughout the action, Invincible had drawn most of the enemy’s fire and had received 22 hits, including two below the waterline, but sustained no casualties and no serious damage.

      8–10 Dec In company with Inflexible, searched for the escaped cruisers Nürnburg and Dresden in the Cape Horn area.

      11 Dec Returned to Port William.

      16 Dec Left Falkland Islands for home, returning independently.

      20 Dec Visited Montevideo.

      26–31 Dec Called at Pernambuco.

      1915 Jan Coaled at St Vincent. On arriving in Gibraltar Invincible hauled down flag of Admiral Sturdee and began a five-week refit, during which her fore funnel was lengthened, the last in the class to have this feature. In the latter part of Feb 1915, Invincible arrived at Scapa Flow and commenced gunnery trials and practice. Transferred to 3rd BCS as flagship.

      1916 Early March Based at Rosyth having joined 3rd BCS.

      April Under refit on River Tyne, having some of her 12in guns replaced.

      26 May Hoisted Flag of Rear-Admiral the Hon. Horace Hood, GB.

      May 3rd BCS, temporarily transferred to Scapa Flow for gunnery practice.

      30 May Left Scapa with Grand Fleet for a sweep into the Skaggerak. ‘Battle of Jutland’.

      31 May At 14.30 3rd BCS increased speed, screened by Chester, Canterbury, Shark, Acasta, Ophelia and Christopher all of which were scouting some 21 miles ahead of the main battlefleet. At 15.30 again increased speed to reinforce Sir David Beatty in Lion of 1st BCS. The weather had now become misty. At 17.40, having steered a slightly too easterly