HMS Hood had been commissioned in June 1893, and was one of the last low freeboard battleships built for the Royal Navy. She served chiefly with the Mediterranean Fleet until 1911, when she was placed on the disposal list. Shortly before the war she was used for experiments in fitting anti-torpedo bulges to capital ships.

In a somewhat dilapidated state, with her armament removed and only one of her two side-by-side funnels standing, but still with her topmasts, she arrived at Portland and was sunk across the southern entrance of the harbour on the 3rd November 1914. Instead of settling upright across the entrance, she turned turtle. The upturned hull has been visible beneath the surface ever since, though it has slowly settled.

Nowadays she is frequented by many Scuba divers on training dives.

The second Hood, pride of the Royal Navy, was the mighty battle cruiser sunk by the German battleship Scharnhorst in 1940.