HMS Earl of Peterborough

HMS "Earl of Peterborough" was a First World War Royal Navy "Lord Clive"-class monitor. "Earl of Peterborough" was the only Royal Navy ship ever named for Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough, a British general of the War of the Spanish Succession who fought in Spain. The ship's original 12" main battery was stripped from an obsolete "Majestic" class battleship.

The "Lord Clive" class monitors were originally built in 1915 to engage German shore artillery in occupied Belgium during the First World War. "Earl of Peterborough", however was differently employed, being dispatched to the Eastern Mediterranean upon completion for service with the fleet there. Early in 1916 she shelled Turkish positions in the Dardanelles and during the remainder of the war was active against Turkish units in Egypt, Palestine and Turkey itself.

Following the armistice in November 1918, "Earl of Peterborough" and her sisters were put into reserve pending scrapping, as the reason for there existence ended with the liberation of Central Power-led coastlines. In 1921 "Earl of Peterborough" was scrapped along with all her sisters.

References

* Dittmar, F. J. & Colledge, J. J., "British Warships 1914-1919", (Ian Allen, London, 1972), ISBN 0-7110-0380-7
* Gray, Randal (ed), "Conway's All The Worlds Fighting Ships, 1906-1921", (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1985), ISBN 0-85177-245-5