19 Feb First bombardment of Dardanelles outer forts. The pre-dreadnoughts Albion, Cornwallis (flag) and Triumph, plus the cruiser Amethyst and the French battleships Bouvet, Suffren and Gaulois began their bombardment at 09.51. Inflexible bombarded Fort Sedd el Bahr and closed to short range at 15.00. At 17.50 she engaged Fort Orkanieh and assisted Vengeance. At 17.50 ceasefire was called.
20–24 Feb At Tenados during a gale.
25 Feb Second bombardment of outer forts. She was stationed about 11,000 yards NW of Cape Helles and spotting for Queen Elizabeth whose 15in guns did considerable damage to the forts. Agamemnon also in this action.
4 March Supported bombardment of Forts Dardance and Messaudieh and covered Marines landed to destroy the forts at Helles and Orkanieh.
Inflexible showing final wartime additions and alterations: new and heavy bridgework, enlarged foretop and director control, 4in guns in casemates, ‘coffee-box SL towers around base of mainmast tripod, AA gun behind first funnel, runways on midships 12in turrets with an aircraft on each.
5 March With Prince George supported Queen Elizabeth in bombarding Rumili Medjidieh and Namazgieh at long range, from the Gulf of Saros. At 14.40 with Prince George silenced a battery of field guns which were hitting Queen Elizabeth.
11 March Left for Malta to change her two ‘A’ turret guns which had become worn.
17 March Back to Dardanelles.
18 March Left for Tenados at 08.30. At 11.30 joined by Queen Elizabeth, Agamemnon and Lord Nelson, to bombard Hamidieh (Fort 16) and Namazieh (Fort 17) from range of 14,000 yards. Inflexible came under heavy fire from Eren Keui, but knocked out two of the Hamidieh heavy guns. At 12.20 hit on foremast and bridge and set on fire, being hit seven times by 12.23. At 13.25 withdrew from line to extinguish fire and attend to wounded. At 14.36 she was again in action and became heavily engaged with the gunfire from the forts. At 15.45 she was hit again, but not seriously. At about 16.10 struck a mine on the starboard bow while turning in Eren Keui Bay. Forward torpedo flat was flooded and 39 men drowned. At 18.00 reached Tenados and beached in shallows, having shipped approx 2,000 tons of seawater. A cofferdam was quickly fitted over the hole which measured some 30 feet by 26 feet.
6 April Left Mudros for Malta, escorted by the old pre-dreadnought Canopus and the cruiser Talbot.
10 April Reached Malta, having nearly foundered in heavy weather when the cofferdam worked loose. Towed stern first for six hours by Canopus, until Malta was finally reached.
9 June At Gibraltar.
19 June Returned home and joined 3rd BCS Grand Fleet.
1916 May 3rd BCS transferred to Scapa Flow for gunnery practice.
30 May Left Scapa with Grand Fleet for a sweep to the Skaggerak.
31 May Battle of Jutland. See Invincible. After Invincible sank, Inflexible led the battlecruiser line until 18.54 when, during a lull 3rd BCS was ordered to reduce speed to 18 knots and take up line astern of New Zealand. At 19.14, the battlecruisers were again in action at a distance of 15,000 yards. A torpedo attack to cover enemy withdrawal was repelled at 19.25. Inflexible was heavily engaged throughout action but sustained neither damage nor casualties.
5 June 3rd BCS dissolved and Inflexible transferred to 2nd BCS on fleet reorganization.
19 Aug At 19.50 off Blythe passage, two torpedoes fired by U65 passed astern and caused no damage.
1918 31 Jan At about 18.00 while leaving the Forth with the fleet, collided with K 14, striking her a glancing blow, after that submarine had collided with K 22. (‘Battle of May Island’ disaster to 13th Submarine Squadron.)
22 April 2nd BCS and 7th LCS covered passage of Scandinavia convoy from Methil. 2nd CS and battle ships Hercules and Agincourt were ordered from Scapa to reinforce the escort, as strong enemy forces were reported in the area.
21 Nov With 2nd BCS present at surrender of German High Seas Fleet off the Forth.
1919 March Became flagship of Nore Reserve Fleet after abolition of Grand Fleet.
July Earmarked for disposal.
1920 31 March Paid off into the disposal list from Nore Reserve. From April 1921 she was prepared for sale at Chatham, and then laid up at Sheerness.
1921 End June Taken from Sheerness to Devonport, having been selected for part of the training establishment ‘Impregnable’, but because of the high cost of converting her, the project was abandoned and she reverted to the Disposal list at Devonport.
1 Dec Sold to Stanlee Shipbreaking Co. of Dover.
1922 8 April Left Devonport for Dover in tow of Dutch tugs Zwartzee and Wittezee.
April Resold and towed to Germany where she was broken up.
History: Indomitable
Built under the 1905–6 Programme, being ordered on 21 November 1905.
1908 8 April Began sea trials.
20 June Commissioned at Portsmouth for special detached service to convey HRH Prince George to Canada.
15 July Left Portsmouth for Quebec, escorted by Minotaur.
29 July Left Quebec.
3 Aug Reached Cowes, Isle of Wight, having broken Drake’s speed record of three years ago.
Autumn Joined Nore Reserve.
1909 March Transferred to 1st CS Home Fleet on its organization.
June Present at Imperial Press Conference Review at Spithead.
Indomitable leading Inflexible during sweeps in the North Sea, 1918.
June–July Took part in combined manoeuvres.
17–24 July Visited Southend with units of Home and Atlantic Fleets.
26 July Relieved Drake as flagship 1st CS Home Fleet.
31 July Took part in Royal Review Home and Atlantic Fleets at Spithead.
1910 April Exercises off the coast of Scotland with Home and Atlantic Fleets.
July Combined manoeuvres with Atlantic, Home and Mediterranean Fleets, and visited Torbay.
9 Aug Recommissioned at Chatham for service as flagship of 1st CS Home Fleet.
1911 Jan Combined exercises with Atlantic and Mediterranean Fleets off NW coast of Spain.
Spring State Visit to Dublin with 1st and 2nd Divisions. Further visits included Aberystwyth, for the investiture of HRH the Prince of Wales at Caernarvon.
24 June Coronation Review of King George V at Spithead.
June–July Annual manoeuvres off SW coast and in North Sea.
Nov Reduced to nucleus crew for refit.
Nov–Feb 1912 Under refit, being relieved of flag by Inflexible.
1912