HMS Albemarle ( 1901 ) HMS Albemarle was a pre-Dreadnought Duncan -class battleship of the Royal Navy , named after George Monck , 1st Duke of Albemarle . She was laid down on 8 January 1900 at Chatham Dockyard , launched on 5 March 1901 , and commissioned on 12 November 1903 . Her initial service was in the Mediterranean Sea , then she transferred to the Channel Fleet in January 1905 . In January 1907 she was transferred again , this time to the Atlantic Fleet as Second Flagship . She paid off into reserve at Portsmouth and from 1910 to 1913 was used for gunnery training , again at Portsmouth . On the outbreak of World War I she was recommissioned and joined the Grand Fleet . Apart from a short spell with the Channel Fleet she was there until January 1916 when she was allocated to Archangel ( near Murmansk ) as an ice breaker . That autumn she came back to the United Kingdom and after a refit served as accommodation ship at Devonport Dockyard . She was sold out of service and broken up November 1919 . See HMS Albemarle for other ships of this name . Categories : Duncan class battleships | Battleships of the United Kingdom | World War I battleships of the United Kingdom 