HMS Hannibal

1896 HANNIBAL. A member of the ten-strong Majestic class of battleships, the
largest class of the type ever constructed, built over a five year period in the mid-1890s.

THE MAJESTIC CLASS

Ordered as part of the Spencer Programme a race to keep the Royal Navy on a par with those of France and Russia combined the Majestics cost just under 1 million each, and placed a strain even on the British economy, then by far the most powerful in the world. The first ship laid down was the Magnificent, a week before Christmas 1893, and Hannibal, the third unit, constructed at Pembroke Dockyard, followed on 1 May 1894. She was launched on 28 April 1896, completed in April
1898 (having been seriously delayed by labour troubles) and commissioned on 10 May. HMS Hannibal was sold for scrap in 1920.

ARMOUR AND ARMAMENT

Hannibals armour plating accounted for almost a third of her standard displacement of almost 15,000 tons a belt nine inches (228mm) thick, 220Ft (67m) long and loft (4.9m) deep, terminating in l4in (355mm) bulkheads and topped by four inch (102mm) decks. The barbettes in which the guns were located were 14in (355mm) thick, too, as was the conning tower, while the gun houses themselves were built of 10in (255mm) plate. Her four main guns were of a new design, 12in (305mm) rather than the 13.5in (343mm) of the earlier Royal Sovereigns. They were lighter (but with superior performance), which allowed the secondary armament to be increased from ten to 12 6in (152mm) guns.

TECHNICAL DATA
Type: Battleship
Machinery: 2-shaft, 2 cylinder triple-expansion engines delivering 1 2,000ihp
Dimensions (overall): Length, 1 28.3m (421 It); beam, 22.9m (75ft)
Displacement: 1 4,700t standard; 1 6,000t deep load
Draught: 8.25m (27ft)
Complement: 672
Speed: 17 knots (31.5km/h)