9 ▁July ▁and ▁prevent ▁Ott oman ▁naval ▁personnel ▁from ▁board ing ▁them ; ▁two ▁days ▁later , ▁British ▁sail ors ▁board ed ▁the ▁ships ▁and ▁formally ▁seized ▁them . ▁Since ▁Britain ▁was ▁not ▁yet ▁at ▁war , ▁these ▁actions ▁were ▁illegal ; ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁never theless ▁determined ▁to ▁present ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁with ▁a ▁fait ▁accomp li . ▁On ▁ 3 ▁August , ▁the ▁British ▁amb assador ▁to ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁informed ▁the ▁government ▁that ▁Britain ▁had ▁seized ▁the ▁ships . ▁ ▁Re ş adi ye ▁and ▁Sultan ▁Os man - ı ▁Ev vel ▁were ▁then ▁pressed ▁into ▁British ▁service . ▁Re ş adi ye ▁was ▁completed ▁that ▁month ▁and ▁commission ed ▁as ▁HMS ▁Er in , ▁with ▁Sultan ▁Os man - ı ▁Ev vel ▁entering ▁service ▁as ▁HMS ▁Ag inc ourt . ▁In ▁September , ▁Er in ▁joined ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Battle ▁Squadron ▁of ▁the ▁Grand ▁Fle et , ▁where ▁she ▁served ▁for ▁the ▁duration ▁of ▁the ▁conflict . ▁She ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁J ut land ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁May ▁& ▁ 1 ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 6 . ▁There , ▁she ▁was ▁the ▁fourth ▁ship ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁line ▁of ▁battle , ▁along ▁with ▁her ▁three ▁surv iving ▁King ▁George ▁V - class ▁half - s ister s . ▁She ▁did ▁not ▁fire ▁her ▁main ▁battery ▁during ▁the ▁battle , ▁the ▁only ▁British ▁capital ▁ship ▁not ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁during ▁the ▁eng agement ; ▁her ▁secondary ▁battery ▁fired ▁only ▁six ▁shell s