HMS Goliath ( 1898 ) HMS " Goliath " was one of the six " Canopus " - class pre - dreadnought battleship s built by the Royal Navy in the late 19th century . Commissioned in 1900 , she served in the Far East on the China Station until 1905 , at which time she joined the Mediterranean Fleet . In 1906 , she was attached to the Channel Fleet . Having been mothballed prior to the outbreak of the First World War , she was returned to full commission . " Goliath " took part in operations against German East Africa , participating in the blockade of the German light cruiser in the Rufiji River . From March 1915 , she was part of the Dardanelles Campaign , and remained in support of the landings at Gallipoli in April . On 13 May 1915 " Goliath " was sunk in Morto Bay off Cape Helles by two torpedo es from the Turkish torpedo boat destroyer " Muâvenet - i Millîye " , which was manned by a combined German and Turkish crew , taking 570 of the 700 - strong crew to the bottom including her commanding officer , Captain Thomas Lawrie Shelford . Technical Characteristics . HMS " Goliath " was laid down at Chatham Dockyard on 4 January 1897 and was launched on 23 March 1898 . She was commissioned in March 1900 . " Goliath " and her five sister ships were designed for service in the Far East , where the new rising power Japan was beginning to build a powerful and dangerous navy , and to able to transit the Suez Canal . They were designed to be smaller ( by about ) , lighter , and faster than their predecessors , the " Majestic " - class battleships , although they were slightly longer at . In order to save weight , " Goliath " carried less armour than the " Majestic " s , although the change from Harvey armour in the " Majestic " s to Krupp armour in " Goliath " meant that the loss in protection was not as great as it might have been , Krupp armour having greater protective value at a given weight than its Harvey equivalent . Still , " Goliath " s armour was light enough to make her almost a second - class battleship . Part of her armour scheme included the use of a special armoured deck over the belt to defend against plunging fire by howitzers that France reportedly planned to install on its ships , although this report proved to be false . " Goliath " had four / 35 cal guns mounted in twin turret s fore and aft ; these guns were mounted in circular barbette s that allowed all - around loading , although at a fixed elevation . She also mounted twelve / 40 cal guns ( sponson mounting allowing some of them to fire fore and aft ) in addition to smaller guns , and four submerged torpedo tube s . " Goliath " and her sister ships were the first British battleships with water - tube boilers , which generated more power at less expense in weight compared with the cylindrical boilers used in previous ships . The new boilers led to the adoption of fore - and - aft funnels , rather than the side - by - side funnel arrangement used in many previous British battleships . The " Canopus " - class ships proved to be good steamers , consuming of coal per hour at full speed , with a high speed for battleships of their time , a full faster than the " Majestic " s . Operational history . Pre - World War I . " Goliath " commissioned on 27 March 1900 to serve on the China Station , where she underwent a refit at Hong Kong from September 1901 – April 1902 . She left the China Station in July 1903 and returned home , where she paid off into the commissioned Reserve at Chatham Dockyard on 9 October 1903 . While in reserve , " Goliath " underwent a refit at Palmers on the Tyne from January – June 1904 , then participated in maneuvers later in the year . On 9 May 1905 , " Goliath " returned to full commission at Chatham to relieve her sister ship on the China Station . However , Great Britain and Japan ratified a treaty of alliance while she was on her outbound voyage , allowing the Royal Navy to reduce its presence on the China Station and recall all battleships from those waters ; when " Goliath " reached Colombo , Ceylon in June 1905 , she was recalled , and was instead attached to the Mediterranean Fleet . In January 1906 , she was transferred to the Channel Fleet . After being fitted with fire control , " Goliath " transferred to the Portsmouth Division of the new Home Fleet on 15 March 1907 . She was based at Portsmouth , and underwent a machinery overhaul there from August 1907 – February 1908 . Upon completion of her refit , " Goliath " commissioned on 4 February 1908 for Mediterranean Fleet service . During her voyage to Malta , one of her propeller shafts fractured , and she required four - month repair period before she could begin her service . On 20 April 1909 , she paid off at Portsmouth . On 22 April , " Goliath " recommissioned to serve in the 4th Division , Home Fleet , at the Nore . During this service , she was refitted at Chatham in 1910 – 1911 and was sent to Sheerness . In 1913 , she was mothballed and joined the 3rd Fleet , also known as the Pembroke Reserve , at Pembroke Dock in Wales . World War I . When the First World War broke out in August 1914 , " Goliath " returned to full commission and was assigned to the 8th Battle Squadron , Channel Fleet , operating out of Devonport . She was sent to Loch Ewe as guard ship to defend the Grand Fleet anchorage , and then covered the landing of the Plymouth Marine Battalion at Ostend , Belgium on 25 August 1914 . " Goliath " transferred to the East Indies Station on 20 September to support cruiser s on convoy duty in the Middle East , escorting an Indian convoy to the Persian Gulf and German East Africa until October . She then took part in the blockade of the German light cruiser in the Rufiji River until November , during which crew member Commander Henry Peel Ritchie won the Victoria Cross . She bombarded Dar es Salaam on 28 November and 30 November . " Goliath " underwent a refit at Simonstown , South Africa , from December 1914 – February 1915 . When it was completed , she went back into service as flagship for Vice Admiral King Hall and resumed operations against " Königsberg " at the Rufiji River until March 1915 . Dardanelles campaign . On 25 March 1915 , " Goliath " was ordered to the Dardanelles to participate in the campaign there . She transferred her flag to second - class cruiser and departed for the Dardanelles on 1 April . Commanded by Captain Thomas Lawrie Shelford , " Goliath " was part of the Allied fleet supporting the landing at X and Y Beaches during the landing at Cape Helles on 25 April , sustaining some damage from the gunfire of Ottoman Turkish forts and shore batteries , and supported Allied troops ashore during the First Battle of Krithia that day . She covered the evacuation on 26 April . She was damaged by Turkish guns again on 2 May . Loss . On the night of 12 – 13 May , " Goliath " was anchored in Morto Bay off Cape Helles , along with and a screen of five destroyer s , in foggy conditions . Around 01 : 00 on 13 May , the Turkish torpedo boat destroyer " Muâvenet - i Millîye " , which was manned by a combined German and Turkish crew , eluded the destroyers and and closed on the battleships . " Muâvenet - i Millîye " fired two torpedo es which struck " Goliath " almost simultaneously abreast her fore turret and abeam the fore funnel , causing a massive explosion . " Goliath " began to capsize almost immediately , and was lying on her beam ends when a third torpedo struck near her after turret . She then rolled over completely and began to sink by the bows , taking 570 of the 700 - strong crew to the bottom , including her commanding officer , Captain Thomas Lawrie Shelford . Although sighted and fired on after the first torpedo hit , " Muâvenet - i Millîye " escaped unscathed . For sinking " Goliath " , Turkish Captain Ahmet Saffet Bey was promoted to rank of Major and the German captain of " Muâvenet - i Millîye " , " Kapitänleutnant " Rudolph Firle , was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class as well as Austro - Hungarian and Turkish decorations .