HMS Spartiate (1898)

HMS Spartiate was a Majestic-class pre-dreadnought battleship of the British Royal Navy. Laid down in 1895 by Pembroke Dockyard and launched in 1898, she was commissioned in 1899.

As a Majestic-class battleship, Spartiate was armed with four 12-inch (305 mm) guns in two twin turrets, twelve 6-inch (152 mm) guns in casemates, sixteen 12-pounder (76 mm) guns, and three 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes. She displaced approximately 14,900 tons and had a top speed of around 16 knots.

Throughout her career, Spartiate served primarily in the Channel Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet. She participated in fleet exercises and routine patrols. In 1907, she was transferred to the Home Fleet.

With the arrival of the more modern dreadnought battleships, Spartiate and her sister ships became increasingly obsolete. In 1911, she was placed in reserve.

During World War I, Spartiate was briefly recommissioned for coastal defence duties. She served as a guard ship at various ports. However, she saw no active combat.

Decommissioned again after a short period, Spartiate was eventually sold for scrap in 1914. She was broken up later that year, ending her service to the Royal Navy. While she did not participate in any major battles, HMS Spartiate represents a key vessel type of the pre-dreadnought era, a period of intense naval arms race among the major European powers.