Battle cruiser histories. Royal naval battle cruiser HMS Queen Mary. Battleship website dedicated to the history of HMS Queen Mary from her launch to her loss during the Battle of Jutland also notice board for naval enthusiasts, historians and families of the crew members of HMS Queen Mary.

Built by Palmers, launched in 1912. HMS Queen Mary took part in Heligoland Bight, Battle of Dogger Bank and Battle of Jutland. During the battle of Jutland after receiving direct hits from the German ships Seydlitz and Derfflinger the Queen Mary blew up with the loss of 1,266 crew with only 9 survivors.

Displacement: Queen Mary 27,200   Speed:  27.5 knots   Compliment: 1,000 (Queen Mary 1916 1,275)

Armament: Eight 13.5-inch guns in pairs and sixteen 4 -inch guns.  1913 - one 47mm (mod), 1915/16 two 3 inch anti aircraft gun and from 1917 two 4 inch Anti Aircraft Guns.

HMS Queen Mary, 1913.

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HMS Queen Mary

HMS Queen Mary.

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The Officers of HMS Queen Mary After Coaling

HMS Queen Mary

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HMS Queen Mary.

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HMS Queen Mary.

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HMS Queen Mary

HMS Queen Mary

I am attaching a copy of a photo of the Permanent Chapel  (above) and an invite to an 'At Home' on board the ship (right). My Grandmother married a stoker from the ship, Albert Laws. They married and he had to return to his ship that night She never saw him again. The strange thing is that I have found another stoker Albert Laws, who was killed on the Hood. Both stokers with the same name serving on ships that met near identical fates.

Thanks to John Larry for this contribution.

George James Barnish

I enclose copies of photo's of my great-uncle George James Barnish,  Stoker 1st Class SS/111671 on H.M.S. Queen Mary who died 31st May 1916 at the Battle of Jutland.  Further information about the group photo would be most welcome.   Linda Westmaas-Merry. 

HMS Queen Mary.  Sent in by Linda Westmaas-Merry

HMS Queen Mary. 

William Walter Wibdy, 1916.

Served as a boy telegraphist on HMS Queen Mary and perished, aged 17, at the Battle of Jutland.

Contributed by his cousin, Dick Coleman.

Crew members of HMS Queen Mary.  Thanks to Robin East.

Some crew of HMS Queen Mary.  Sent in by Linda Westmaas-Merry

Naval Battle which took place on the west coast of Jutland, Both the Germans and the British claimed victory. The Germans because they sank more ships. The British because the German High seas fleet would never again venture from there ports for the rest of the war.  The German main fleet consisted of 16 Dreadnaught Battleships and 6 pre-dreadnaught battleships, 11 Light Cruisers and 72 destroyers. The British Fleet consisted of Admiral Jellicoe's fleet of 28 Dreadnaught battleships and 3 battle cruisers and Admiral Beatty's force of 6 battle cruisers and 4 fast battleships.

The Germans had planned to sail from the Baltic to the north sea with the plan to engage the British Battle Cruisers in Norwegian waters. But due to German radio messages being intercepted by the British the British Grand fleet were alerted.

British Battleships and Cruisers at The Battle of Jutland

• 1st Battle Squadron.  HMS Iron Duke (Flagship), HMS Agincourt, HMS Colossus, HMS Hercules, HMS Marlborough, HMS Neptune, HMS Revenge, HMS St. Vincent.
• 2nd Battle Squadron. HMS King George V, HMS Ajax, HMS Centurion, HMS Conqueror, HMS Erin, HMS Monarch, HMS Orion, HMS Thunderer.
• 4th Battle Squadron, HMS Royal Oak, HMS Bellerophon, HMS Benbow, HMS Canada, HMS Superb, HMS Temeraire, HMS Vanguard
• 5th battle Squadron,  HMS Valiant, HMS Barham, HMS Malaya, HMS Warspite
• 1st Battle-Cruiser Squadron,  HMS Lion (Flagship,  HMS Princess Royal, HMS Queen Mary (Sunk)   HMS Tiger
• 2nd battle-Cruiser Squadron.  HMS Indefatigable (Sunk)   HMS New Zealand, 
• 3rd battle-Cruiser Squadron,  HMS Indomitable,  HMS Inflexible,  HMS Invincible (Sunk)
• 1st Cruiser Squadron,  HMS Black Prince (Sunk),  HMS defence (Sunk)  HMS Duke of Edinburgh,  HMS Warrior (Sunk)
• 2nd Cruiser Squadron,  HMS Cochrane,  HMS Hampshire, HMS Minotaur,  HMS Shannon,
• Light Cruisers.  Active, Bellona, Birmingham, Birkenhead, Boadicea, Calliope,  Canturbury, Caroline, Castor, Champion, Chester, Comus, Constance, Cordelia, Dublin, Falmouth, Fearless, Galatea, Gloucester, Inconstant, Nottingham, Phaeton, Royalist, Southampton, Yarmouth

7 destroyers were lost from the Flotillas, of 1st, 4th, 9th, 10thj, 11th, 12th , and 13th Flotillas.

GERMAN FLEET

• 1st battle Squadron. Friedrich der Grosse (Flagship) Heligoland, Nassau, Oldenburg, Ostfriesland, Posen, Rheinland, Thuringen, Westfalen.
• 2nd Battle Squadron,  Deutschland, Hannover, Hessen Pommern (sunk), Schlesen, Schleswig-Holstein
• 3rd Battle Squadron, Konig, Grosser Kurfurst, Kaiser, Kaiserin, Kronprince William, Markgraf, Prinzregent Luitpold
• Battle-Cruiser Squadron.  Derflinger,  Lutzow (sunk) Moltke, Seydlitz, Von der Tan.
• Light Cruisers,  Elbing (Sunk)  Frankfurt, Frauenlob (sunk), Hamburg, Muenchen, Pillau, Regensburg, Rostock (sunk) Stettin, Stuttgart, Wiesbaden (Sunk)

2 Destroyers were lost from the 1st,2,d,3rd,5th,6th,7th and 9th Flotillas