HMS Agamemnon (1906) - Service - Mediterranean Operations, 1916–1918

Mediterranean Operations, 1916–1918

With the end of the Dardanelles Campaign in January 1916, British naval forces in the area were reorganized, and Agamemnon became part of the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron, which was re-designated the Aegean Squadron in August 1917. Under both names, the squadron was dispersed throughout the area to protect Allied-held islands, support the British Army at Salonika, and guard against any attempted breakout from the Dardanelles by the German Goeben and Breslau. Agamemnon spent the remainder of the war based at Salonika and Mudros, alternating between the two bases with her sister Lord Nelson; Agamemnon was based mostly at Mudros, Lord Nelson mostly at Salonika. While carrying out these duties, Agamemnon damaged the German Zeppelin LZ85 on 5 May 1917 at Salonika with a shell from a 12-pounder and forced it to crash-land.

Of all the responsibilities given the two ships, the most important was to guard the Eastern Mediterranean against a breakout by Goeben. When Goeben and Breslau finally made their breakout attempt on 20 January 1918, Lord Nelson was away at Salonika and Agamemnon could not get steam up to depart Mudros in time to participate in the resulting Battle of Imbros; after both German ships struck mines, Breslau sank and Goeben returned to the Dardanelles before Agamemnon could arrive on the scene.

Agamemnon underwent a refit at Malta in 1918. On 30 October 1918 the Ottoman Empire signed the Armistice of Mudros on board Agamemnon while she was anchored at Lemnos in the northern Aegean Sea.