Imperator Aleksandr III (Emperor Alexander III) was the third, and last, ship of the Imperatritsa Mariya – class of dreadnoughts of the Imperial Russian Navy being laid down on 30 October 1911at Russud Shipyard, Nikolayev. This was just a ceremonial event as the design had not yet been finalized or the contract signed. She was launched on 15 April 1914. She was renamed Volia on 29 April 1917 before her completion. The ship did not take part in operations during World War I because her sister ships were given a higher priority for completion. She was delivered on 17 July 1917 at Sevastopol for fitting out. Her sea trials were conducted over the next several months but the disruptions of the February Revolution rendered the Black Sea Fleet ineffective and she saw no combat being taken over by the Soviet Navy in November 1917.

The Russain Battleship Imperator Aleksandr III renamed as Volia before completion

Imperator Aleksandr III (Emperor Alexander III) was the third, and last, ship of the Imperatritsa Mariya – class of dreadnoughts of the Imperial Russian Navy being laid down on 30 October 1911at Russud Shipyard, Nikolayev. This was just a ceremonial event as the design had not yet been finalized or the contract signed. She was launched on 15 April 1914. She was renamed Volia on 29 April 1917 before her completion. The ship did not take part in operations during World War I because her sister ships were given a higher priority for completion. She was delivered on 17 July 1917 at Sevastopol for fitting out. Her sea trials were conducted over the next several months but the disruptions of the February Revolution rendered the Black Sea Fleet ineffective and she saw no combat being taken over by the Soviet Navy in November 1917.

The Russain Battleship Imperator Aleksandr III renamed as Volia before completion

Volia sailed from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk on 1 May 1918 to avoid capture by advancing German troops. While at Novorossiysk she received an order to scuttle on 19 June 1918, but the majority of the crew (933 versus 640) refused to do so and decided to return to Sevastopol. Upon arrival she was disarmed and only guards were left on-board, but the Kaiserliche Marine (the Great War German Navy) took control on 1 October.

The ship made a brief cruise with a German crew on 15 October, but her guns were still inoperable. Just over a month later the Germans were forced to turn her over to the Royal Navy on 24 November 1918 by the terms of the Armistice when a party from the light cruiser HMS Canterbury took charge of her.

HMS Canterbury

A month later she was sailed for the port of Izmit, on the Sea of Marmara, by a crew from the pre-dreadnought HMS Agamemnon, which also escorted her.

HMS Agamemnon

On 11 January 1919 RFA Bacchus (1) was anchored at Constantinople receiving bunker coal from the collier Carisbrooke. 

RFA Bacchus (1)

She had already received orders to return to the UK via Malta and Gibraltar and various naval passengers had arrived onboard to take passage when she received urgent orders to sail to Izmit. Bacchus sailed and arrived the same evening anchoring off the port. The next day she moved alongside the Volia and with a working party from the depot ship HMS Blenheim

HMS Blenheim

commenced to transfer naval stores to the Battleship. The transfer of stores continued for the whole of the next day and only ceased early on 14 January 1919. A short while later RFA Bacchus (1) cast off and sailed for Constantinople.

The Voila remained in Royal Naval control until 29 October 1919 when she was sailed back to Sevastopol by a crew from HMS Iron Duke and turned over to the White Russians on 1 November.

HMS Iron Duke

The White Russians used her to help evacuate the Crimea in 1920. She was interned in Bizerte by the French and ultimately being scrapped by them in 1936 to pay her docking fees.