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On the late evening of 29 May 1906, tension filled the air within HMS Montagu.
The Duncan class pre-Dreadnought battleship was anchored in the foggy Bristol Channel, tasked with testing the Royal Navy’s brand new wireless telegraphy technology.
This groundbreaking tool, which transmitted telegraph signals via radio waves, had the potential to transform communication amongst the navy’s most advanced battleships.
However, there was a hitch – it wasn’t functioning properly.
While the ship could send messages to her superiors in the Isles of Scilly, she was unable to receive any. The ship’s commander, Captain Thomas Adair, suspected that nearby Lundy might be obstructing communications, so he decided to move closer to the islands.
At approximately 10pm, the 14,000-tonne battleship hoisted her anchor and disappeared into the night.
But the dense fog made navigation challenging and, after several hours, Captain Adair chose to abandon the journey and return to their starting point at Lundy.
Unfortunately, the ship’s navigation officer, Lieutenant James Dathan, had made a grave mistake. By charting the wrong course, Montagu was left two miles off track and perilously close to Lundy’s infamous Shutter Rock.
However, a glimmer of hope appears when Montagu spots a pilot cutter nearby. The naval vessel requests coordinates and direction, which the cutter provides swiftly and accurately, along with a dire warning that disaster is just 10 minutes away.
Yet, so far off course is Montagu by this stage that Lt Dathan dismisses the information as utterly implausible, and Montagu continues on her ill-fated journey.
Just moments later, around 2am on Wednesday, May 30, the deafening noise of Montagu running aground pierces the night.
HMS Montagu
Constructed at the Devonport dockyards, Montagu was launched in 1901 and represented a cutting-edge ship design by the Royal Navy.
Her design was intended to rival a fleet of speedy Russian battleships – a fact reflected in her top speed of 19kts (22mph), making her one of the fastest vessels globally at that time.
Her velocity was powered by two 4-cylinder triple-expansion engines, with steam supplied by twenty-four Belleville boilers driving two screws.
Montagu was also heavily armed, boasting a primary battery of four 12-inch (305mm) guns, an array of smaller calibre weapons, and two torpedo tubes. However, she was only lightly armoured to maintain her impressive top speed.
At 132m in length, Montagu had a crew of 720. She served for two years in the Mediterranean before being relocated to the English Channel in 1905.
Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath of running aground, Capt Adair commanded the ship to reverse in an attempt to reach deeper waters.
However, this proved unsuccessful as the ship quickly started taking on water from a 28m (91ft) tear in her side. Additional minor breaches were present, and both the port propeller shaft and rudder had been ripped from the hull upon impact.
A crew was dispatched ashore in a small boat to seek assistance. They navigated the length of the island amidst dense fog before stumbling upon the lighthouse keeper’s cottage.
Their navigation had been so off course that they believed they were on the North Devon coastline. They were taken aback when informed that they had actually run aground on Lundy.
Assistance was summoned, but as the ship continued to fill with water, it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t going anywhere soon.
The navy lacked salvage equipment, leading them to call upon the Liverpool Salvage Company and their most seasoned officer, Captain Young. His role was to provide advice to Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson, who lacked experience in salvage operations.
The initial strategy involved removing as much equipment as possible from the Montagu, including all her weaponry. Each main gun alone weighed 48 tonnes.
Following this, it was hoped that the ship could be refloated and the damage repaired.
Thousands of sailors participated in the operation and by the end of June, around 20 pumps had been set up, boasting a total pumping capacity of 8,600 tonnes of water per hour.
Despite efforts, the operation was unsuccessful due to the ship’s precarious position and significant hull damage. Subsequent attempts to expel water from the hull using an air pump also proved futile.
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In a surprising turn of events, HMS Duncan – Montagu’s sister ship – also ran aground during the operation. However, she was swiftly freed and only suffered minor damage.
By late summer, the navy decided to abandon the refloating attempt and revisit it the following year. But upon inspection, naval divers discovered that the relentless sea had caused her hull to warp and separate.
Consequently, in October 1906, the decision was made to abandon Montagu and sell her for scrap.
The Syndicate of South Wales Adventurers purchased her for £4250-00. A walkway, suspended from the cable anchors, was built to reach the ship, and steps were carved into the rock face to provide workers better access to the vessel.
These steps were fortified with iron plates, believed to have been sourced from the wreck itself.
The remnants of these steps, known as the Montagu steps, are still visible on the island today, although they remain hazardous after over a century of exposure to the sea.
The wreckage was salvaged for scrap metal over the next 15 years by the Western Marine Salvage Company of Penzance, with Montagu’s main guns being repurposed in various ships.
In terms of legal repercussions and legacy, Capt Adair and Lt Dathan faced trial aboard Lord Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory. The disaster was attributed to fog and navigational errors, leading to both officers receiving severe reprimands and dismissal from the ship.
Additionally, Lt Dathan was demoted two years in seniority.
Fast forward to 2019, the Government granted protected status to the remaining wreckage, along with the steps leading to it. This decision followed a series of dives to the site the previous year by wounded veterans, facilitated by the charity Help for Heroes, Historic England, and Wessex Archaeology.
These explorations revealed armour plating, gun turrets, and even live shells scattered across the sea bed. However, due to harsh conditions, most of the ship’s remains have long since disintegrated.
The wreck’s new status signifies its national archaeological importance. While recreational divers frequently visit the site, the remnants of the ship are closely monitored.
Today, all that is left are fragments of the wreck, serving as a stark reminder of the sea’s formidable power and potential danger.
