HMS Campania (1914)
Campania after her second refit | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
| Name | Campania |
| Builder | Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering, Govan, Glasgow |
| Laid down | 1892 |
| Launched | 8 September 1892 |
| Acquired | 27 November 1914 |
| Commissioned | 17 April 1915 |
| Fate | Sank in the Firth of Forth, 5 November 1918 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Aircraft/Seaplane carrier |
| Displacement | 20,570 long tons (20,900 t) |
| Length | 622 ft (189.6 m) |
| Beam | 65 ft (19.8 m) |
| Draught | 28 ft 5 in (8.7 m) |
| Installed power | 28,000 ihp (21,000 kW) |
| Propulsion | 2 × shafts, 2 × VTE steam engines |
| Speed | 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph) |
| Complement | 600 |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 10–12 |
| Aviation facilities | 1 × Flying-off deck forward |
HMS Campania was a seaplane tender and aircraft carrier, converted from an elderly ocean liner by the Royal Navy early in the First World War. After her conversion was completed in mid-1915 the ship spent her time conducting trials and exercises with the Grand Fleet. These revealed the need for a longer flight deck to allow larger aircraft to take off, and she was modified accordingly. Campania missed the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, but made a number of patrols with elements of the Grand Fleet. She never saw combat and was soon relegated to a training role because of her elderly machinery. In November 1918 Campania was anchored with the capital ships of the Grand Fleet when a sudden storm caused her anchor to drag. With no second anchor being laid, she hit several of the ships and the collisions punctured her hull; she slowly sank, with no loss of life.